Qatar to take on Afghanistan in AFC U17 Asian Cup

Qatar enter their final Group B match on Thursday against Afghanistan requiring both a win and a favour from leaders Korea Republic if they are to progress to the next stage. The West Asians claimed their first point of the AFC U17 Asian Cup Thailand 2023 with a resolute 0-0 draw against the Islamic Republic of Iran on Monday to keep their hopes of qualifying alive. It means that Qatar need victory as well as for the Koreans to trump Iran - both by a sufficient combined margin - in order to overcome a 10-goal swing in goal difference to pip the Iranians to second spot. While Ibrahim al-Shafie is aware of the circumstances, he stressed that all his charges can do is to give their all and not worry about anything else as they prepare to meet the Afghans for the first time in the history of the competition. “Maybe we will score one goal, maybe seven; we don’t know but the boys will fight like they did against Iran,” he said. “I can tell you this: the squad that you have been seeing has a lot more to offer. We still have a chance to qualify and we will prepare for that. “Football is all about putting in effort and getting the results. We will go in with full energy with the intention of winning the match. Besides that, the result (of the other game) is not in our hands.” Their opponents have found the going tough in their second U17 Asian Cup appearance, after their debut in the previous edition in 2018. Then, they exited the tournament in the group stage with three defeats in as many matches and consecutive losses to Iran (6-1) and Korea (4-0) this time mean that the Central Asians are still searching for their first ever point in the competition. The odds may look stacked against them, but Afghanistan head coach Yosuf Mohandis Zada asserted that his charges remain determined to go all out and end their time in Thailand on a positive note. “It can be very challenging to bounce back after experiencing two defeats,” he said. “However, we have the necessary staff to aid in our recovery.” “Prior to arriving here, we had a streak of 13 matches without a defeat. But it’s a different scenario here. We had been playing on artificial turf and are (now) slowly getting used to playing on grass. “The matches here are tough; however, the team is ready to fight till the end to win the match.” Korea Republic head coach Byun Sung-hwan wants his team to maintain their winning momentum when they face Iran today. Korea Republic are already assured of a place in the quarter-finals after consecutive victories and will face an Iran side needing to avoid defeat to join them in the knockout stage. Having stamped their authority on matchday one with an impressive 6-1 defeat of Qatar, Korea Republic followed up with four unanswered goals against Afghanistan to become the first team in the competition to score double figures. Byun, however, wants his players to improve their performance citing that his team showed a lack of intensity against Afghanistan. “Since we have already reached the knockout stage, our focus will be on our performance against Iran,” said Byun. “Although we scored four goals against Afghanistan, I still think there are some areas that are in need of improvements. In our first match our scoring was perfect. However, against Afghanistan in the second half I decided to substitute some of the players to preserve their stamina for upcoming matches. However, this plan did not go well as our performance dropped.

Competition dates announced for the World Aquatics Masters Championships – Doha 2024

Doha, Qatar– World Aquatics has announced today the dates of the prestigious World Aquatics Masters Championships – Doha 2024 which will be held in the vibrant city of Doha, Qatar. The event is scheduled to take place from 23 February to 3 March 2024. This championship will bring together masters aquatics athletes from around the world to compete in swimming, water polo, diving, artistic swimming, and open water swimming. Doha, the capital of Qatar, is an experienced host city for major aquatics events. Having successfully organized several World Aquatics events in the past, including the acclaimed World Swimming Championships (25m) in 2014, as well as World Cup events in swimming, open water swimming, diving and artistic swimming, Doha has a proven track record to deliver outstanding competitions and provide world-class facilities for athletes and fans alike. The World Aquatics Masters championships – Doha 2024 will follow the highly anticipated World Aquatics Championships – Doha 2024 for elite athletes, scheduled to take place from 2 to 18 February 2024. This back-to-back arrangement will create an unprecedented aquatics festival, attracting both masters and elite athletes to the beautiful city of Doha. “At World Aquatics, our mission is providing people of all ages the opportunity to participate, compete in and benefit from aquatic sports,” said World Aquatics President Husain Al-Musallam. “I can't wait for the competitions to begin in Doha.” Mr. Khaleel Al Jaber, the General Director of the local organizing committee said “We are thrilled to host the World Aquatics Masters Championships in Doha, Qatar in 2024,”. “Doha has a rich history of organizing successful aquatics events, and we are confident that this edition of the Masters Championships will exceed expectations. We look forward to welcoming participants from all over the world and showcasing our warm Qatari hospitality.” The competition schedule, the opening of the athlete registration platform, and exciting travel packages will be announced in the coming months, providing participants with comprehensive information to plan their unforgettable experience at the World Aquatics Masters Championships – Doha 2024. Participants and aquatics enthusiasts are encouraged to stay updated on the official World Aquatics website and social media channels for the latest information and developments.

Team Qatar off to USA for CONCACAF Gold Cup 2023

Vienna, Austria , June 21, 2023 (QNA) - Qatar's national men's football team left Tuesday for the US for the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2023, slated to run from June 24 to July 16 in the US and Canada. Before heading to the US, Al Ennabi had a Vienna training camp that kicked off June 1 and included three trial games against Croatia, Jamaica and New Zealand. For the Gold Cup, Qatar were drawn in Group B along with Mexico, Haiti and Honduras. Their opener will be against Haiti on June 25, before taking on Honduras on June 29 and Mexico on July 2. Breaking their Gold Cup duck in 2021, Qatar were eliminated in the semi-finals following a 0-1 loss to hosts and reigning champions the US. 

FIBA 3x3 U23 Nations League Doha 2023 begins

Doha: FIBA 3x3 U23 Nations League Doha 2023 (Asia-West) Stop 1 began at the Al Gharafa Complex on Tuesday. The Qatar men’s team comprising Mohammed Abbasher, Mubarak Jama, Ahmad Saeid Mohamad and Omar Mohamed Saad defeated Saudi Arabia (21-11), Turkmenistan (21-10) and Jordan (21-18) to maintain their unbeaten run in the first leg at home. Meanwhile, Qatar’s U-23 women’s team lost all their three games against Saudi Arabia (14-15) Turkmenistan (13-19) and Jordan (7-18). The series till Stop 6 continues in Doha till June 26.

Qatar’s Al-Ahbabi wins silver at Special Olympics

BERLIN, Germany -Qatar’s Hamad Al-Ahbabi claimed silver medal in roller skating at the ongoing Special Olympics World Summer Games in Berlin on Tuesday. Al-Ahbabi clocked 00:17.02s to finish behind gold winner Ghanem Al-Memari of the UAE (00:15.93s). A Qatar Special Olympics team is participating at the Special Olympics International Summer Games from June 17 to 25. A total of 7,000 special athletes from 170 countries are competing in 26 Olympic sports at the Games. The Qatari national team is being represented by five male and female athletes in roller skating, athletics and weightlifting.

Goalkeeper Galal’s gallant shot-stopping sees Qatar U17 hold Iran goalless

Bangkok, Thailand,  June 20, 2023- Qatar kept their knockout stage hopes alive by holding Iran to the first goalless draw of the AFC U17 Asian Cup Thailand 2023 on Monday. Try as they might, Iran could not breach the Qatari goal due to a stunning performance from goalkeeper Galal Amir Elsharkawy, who kept out a staggering nine shots. The result means South Korea have confirmed their spot in the quarter-finals while Iran only need a draw against the East Asians on Thursday to advance. Qatar must defeat Afghanistan to stand a chance of staying in the competition. Qatar, who shipped six goals against South Korea three days ago, were more solid at the back as - after a scare with just 40 seconds on the clock when Kasra Taheri met Esmaeil Gholizadeh’s cross, but could only direct his header straight at goalkeeper Galal Amir Elsharkawy - they frustrated the Iranians in the first half. The maroon shirts held their opponents at bay, with their defensive efforts drawing applause from the handful of supporters in the stands. Iran had put six goals past Afghanistan in their opener but looked out of ideas here, with Taheri blasting a snapshot well over and a couple of long throws from captain Erfan Darvish coming to naught. The closest they came was in the 41st minute when Gholizadeh slalomed into the box from the left, before unleashing a fierce effort that Elsharkawy parried away. Proceedings continued in the same vein after the interval, with Iran custodian Arsha Shakouri a virtual spectactor as his teammates dominated play. A livewire on the right flank, Gholizadeh’s teasing low cross found no takers before the 17-year-old then sidefooted Nima Andarz’s corner over. Right-back Andarz, who laid on both of Taheri’s goals in the previous match, should added another assist for his team-mate in the 59th minute when he charged out of defence and beat two men before playing in the latter. However, Taheri’s strike from the edge of the box was repelled by Elsharkawy, who also fielded weak efforts from Abolfazl Zamani and Reza Ghandi Pour as the half wore on. Qatar’s man between the sticks simply refused to be beaten despite the waves of white shirts laying siege to his goal with Taheri spurning another good pass from Andarz by firing straight at Elsharkawy in the 83rd minute, before Mohammad Askari did likewise a minute later. Even when Elsharkawy was helpless, centre-back Ali Mohammad Shahabi came to the rescue with a vital intervention to deflect Amirmohammad Razaghinia’s goal-bound shot. Iran threw the kitchen sink in the nine minutes of added time, but Elsharkawy save the best for last. First, the Al Duhail stopper made a magnificent save off Askari’s venomous strike, before ensuring a share of the spoils by tipping Andarz’s laser-guided free-kick on to the post in the final seconds.