Ahmat wins silver at Asian U20 Championships

Yehceon: Qatar’s Djibrine Ahmat in action during the men’s shot put final on Day 2 of the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in Yehceon, South Korea, yesterday. Ahmat won the silver medal, clearing a distance of 18.85m, while India’s Siddharth Choudhry won the gold with a 19.52m mark. South Korea’s Park Sihoon bagged the bronze medal with a throw of 18.70m. This is Qatar’s third medal in the championship with Seif Hemeida winning the pole vault event, while Ismail Doudai taking gold in the 400m event on Sunday. Meanwhile, Qatar’s Ismail Abakar and Mahamat Abakar Abdrahman advanced to the men’s 400m hurdles final after finishing first and third in their respective heats yesterday. Ismail won the second heat in 52.294 secs, while Mahamat came third in the first heat with a time of 52.77 secs. The final takes place today.

Cherif and Ahmed enter semi-finals at Ostrava Elite16

Ostrava: The return of Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan to the Volleyball Beach Pro Tour continues to go well for the Qataris, who won a pair of matches on Saturday to advance to the semi-finals of the Elite16 event that’s being held in Ostrava, Czech Republic. The Tokyo Olympic bronze medallists will face American qualifiers Andy Benesh and Miles Partain in one of the semifinals today, while the home team of Ondrej Perusic and David Schweiner will battle Olympic champions Anders Mol and Christian Sorum of Norway on the other side of the bracket, in a rematch of last year’s gold medal match in Ostrava. The medal matches will be held in the afternoon, with the contest for bronze and the final starting one hour later. Cherif and Ahmed haven’t competed on the Beach Pro Tour since the Elite16 event held in Tepic, Mexico, in March. The two decided to skip the tournaments held in Brazil between April and May as Cherif prepared for the birth of his first daughter, but are now back at it. The Qataris paid a toll for their long absence, dropping two of their three pool play matches in Ostrava, but still made it to the elimination rounds. The pair found their rhythm yesterday, topping Brazilians Pedro Solberg and Gustavo Carvalhaes 2-1 (19-21, 21-17, 15-12) in the Round of 12 and Italians Adrian Carambula and Alex Ranghieri 2-0 (21-17, 21-17) in the quarter-finals to make their first semi-final appearance in the season. Of the four semifinalists, Partain and Benesh had the longest route to the semis, having played as many as seven matches since they started their campaign in Ostrava, on Wednesday, on the qualifier. The Americans had two matches yesterday and overcame Poland’s Michal Bryl and Bartosz Losiak 2-0 (21-19, 21-19) in the Round of 12 and Swedish David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig also in two sets (21-18, 21-0) in the quarters – Hellvig was forced to withdraw from the match at the end of the first set after he sustained a wrist injury. The winners of last year’s Ostrava Elite16 event, Mol and Sorum are in the semis again with a very consistent campaign. After winning their three pool play matches, the reigning Olympic and world champions got on the court once yesterday and eliminated Germans Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler with a two-set (22-20, 22-20) victory in the last eight. Perusic and Schweiner, who took silver in Ostrava last year, also remain undefeated in the tournament, now having four wins earned in three days. Yesterday, they dominated French Youssef Krou and Arnaud Gauthier-Rat to a 2-0 (21-18, 21-12) win in the quarters.

Qatar’s Cherif and Ahmed claim silver at Ostrava Elite16

DOHA - Qatar’s Cherif Younousse & Ahmed Tijan claimed silver in the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Elite16 men’s tournament in Ostrava on Sunday after going down 15-21, 21-19, 12-15 to reigning Olympic and world champions and defending Ostrava trophy-holders Anders Mol & Christian Sorum of Norway. It was the Norwegians’ third overall podium-topper in Ostrava, after they also won the 4-star event on the 2019 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour. For Younousse & Tijan, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medallists, it was the first podium of the season and fifth overall on the Beach Pro Tour since it was launched last year. In the gold medal match, Mol & Sorum dominated the first set to edge forward on the scoreboard, but seventh-seeded Cherif & Ahmed fought back in the second to push the final to a third-set decider. Regaining control on the court, the Norwegians made sure they stay in front on the way to Mol’s kill block that ended it at 2-1 their way. Mol’s blocking efforts accounted for as many as six of his 28 points in the match. Sorum finished with 19 points as both he and his partner managed to ace twice each during the game. Ahmed’s 22-point tally included an ace and a block, while Cherif raised three stuffs towards a 15-point total. “This means everything! It’s so special to play here in Ostrava, in front of all these amazing people,” said Mol at the end of the match. “I also want to thank my partner. He did a great job today. “The Qatar boys really gave us a super strong match. They hit around my block every single ball, so it was really, really tough and we are just super happy. Thank you so much to the organizers for bringing out this event, because it’s one of the greatest events of the year and we hope to play here for the next 10 years at least...” USA’s Miles Partain & Andrew Benesh, seeded 13th, made their way to the podium. Their bronze was the pair’s second medal on the Beach Pro Tour.  

Qatari Athletes Win Two Gold Medals at Asian U20 Athletics Championships in South Korea

YECHEON ,  South Korea , (QNA) - Qatari athletes won two gold medals at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in South Korea on Sunday at the launch of the championship, which is being held at Yecheon track and field, with the participation of more than 500 male and female athletes from 40 Asian countries from June 4-7. Ismail Daoud won the gold medal in the 400m race, recording a time of 46.18 seconds. His colleague Saif Abdel Salam won the gold medal in the pole vault competition, setting a new record for his category of 5.50 m. Amer Mohammed also qualified for the semi-finals of the 100m race, with a time of 10.84 seconds to compete in the final of the 100m race as part of his search for the first medal at the Asian level. The Qatar Athletics Federation announced the list of the Qatari national team athletes including Ismail Daoud in the 400m and 400m hurdles races, Abdul Rahman Mohammed in 400m hurdles race, Saif Abdel Salam in pole vault competition, Nayef Al Rashidi and Omar Daoud in 110m hurdles race, Amer Mohammed in100m race, Ahmed Jibreen in the discus throw and shot put competitions.

Sheikh Joaan crowns Qatar Prix Du Jockey Club winners as Ace Impact triumphs in France

CHANTILLY, France  - His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, crowned the winners of the 183rd renewal of the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly, France on Sunday. The Jean Claude Rouget trained ACE IMPACT (Cracksman x Absolutly Me) remained unbeaten and continued his colossal line of improvement by taking the QREC-sponsored Gr1 2,100m contest for 3YO Thoroughbreds for his owner, Ecurie Serge Stempniak. Unbeaten in three starts prior to lining up for the €1,500,000 contest, ACE IMPACT floated into the weekend’s racing on the back of a success in the Listed Prix de Suresnes at Chantilly on May 4 . Ridden by Cristian Demuro, the three-year-old son of Cracksman offered his trainer Jean- Claude Rouget with his sixth success in the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club. The bay colt represents an immense success story for his small-time breeder Waltraut Spanner. Held up towards the midfield of a race dictated by the eventual runner up Big Rock (Rock Of Gibraltar), Ace Impact travelled well throughout and challenged wide in the home straight. Proving resolute, the colt stayed on strongly to beat the Yeguada Centurion Slu owned and Christopher Head trained Big Rock by three and a half lengths. The runner up was ridden by Aurelien Lemaitre. The Jaber Abdullah owned and Andreas Schutz trained Marhaba Al Sanafi (Muhaarar) took the third place as he was further two and a half lengths under jockey Mickael Barzalona. “We have always loved Ace Impact”, stated the winning trainer, Jean-Claude Rouget, after the race, “He was originally trained in Pau, but then he came to Deauville with the intention of debuting in the Prix de Crevecoeur. “But, unfortunately, he was the only one not to have pushed a summer coat! Otherwise, I’ve never had a problem with him and he has come with time! He debuted at Cagnes-sur-Mer. This day he beat Axiome and really set a good impression. We always thought that he was very good and today he proved it.” Bred by Waltraut Spanner, ACE IMPACT is a brother to the Listed placed Alessandro (Australia), as well as the Listed placed Apollo Flight (Rock Of Gibraltar).  

Team Qatar wins bronze medal at West Asia Electronic Games

RIYADH - Saudi Arabia – Team Qatar has claimed the third place and bronze medal of 4th edition of  2023 West Asia Electronic Games Tournament, which hosted in Saudi Arabia’s capacity city of Riyadh from  1st to 2nd  of June. Team Qatar duo fought tooth and nail to defeat Lebanese counterparts in the clash for third and fourth places  on Friday to win the third place and the bronze medal. Saudi Arabia team was winner of  the third edition title that held in May, 2022 in  Kuwait.