Elite 16 Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Opening Round's Draw Held

DOHA, January 31, 2023 - The Qatari team (1), consisting of the duo Cherif Mahmoud and Ahmed Tijan, was drawn in Group D of the opening round of the Elite16 World Beach Pro Tours for men and women, the first international rounds qualifying for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 starting Wednesday and run till Feb. 5. Cherif Mahmoud and Ahmed Tijan came next to the duo, Evandro Oliveira Junior and Andre Loyola Stein (Brazil), Ehlers and Wickler (Germany), and a fourth team, which will be determined after the end of the preliminary first-round matches of the tournament. The Qatari team (2), consisting of Mahmoud Essam and Abdullah Nassim, was drawn in Group C along with de Groot and Boermans from the Netherlands, Chilean duo Marco and Esteban Grimalt, and a fourth team determined from the qualifiers to the main round. The tournament will witness the participation of the world-ranked Norwegian duo Anders Mol and Christian Sorum, winners of the final round of the Beach Pro Tour, which concluded Sunday in Doha. USA duo Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng, who won the women's title, will also participate.  

Siklosi, Moellhausen emerge champions of Qatar Grand Prix Fencing Championship 2023

Doha: After three days of exciting sword crossing, the curtain finally fell on the Qatar Grand Prix Fencing Championship 2023 at the Aspire Dome in Doha with Hungary's Gergely Siklosi beating  Belgian Neisser Loyola 15-10 to win the men's category while Brazil's world No. 36 Nathalie Moellhausen scripted an upset by defeating her higher-ranked opponent, the 7th-ranked Marie-Florence Candassamy of France, 15-8 to emerge as champion in the women's category. The President of the Qatar Fencing Federation (QFF), Abdullah Ali Al-Ghanim, along with the QFF board of directors and other top dignitaries, attended the final event and the award ceremony. En route to the final of the Qatar leg of the one-series, nine-city International Fencing Federation (FIE)-organized Épée competition, world No. 8 Siklosi defeated Japan's Akira Komata (ranked 27th) in the semi-finals, while No. 14 Loyola got the better of world No. 1 Yannick Borel of France in what was arguably the most exciting clash of the competition, winning 15-14 to book his final ticket. "It has been a wonderful competition, and I am happy that I won in the end. It was a tough match, and I fought against a worthy opponent. I've enjoyed my stay in Qatar, and I would like to praise the organizers for the well-organized competition. "I'm delighted that I'm leaving with the championship medal on my neck," Siklosi said. In the women's category, Moellhausen trounced Hungary's Eszter Muhari (ranked 24th), while Candassamy defeated Hong Kong's Man Wai Vivian Kong (the world No. 3) to set up the exciting final. "It wasn't an easy victory considering the ranking of my opponent and the good fight she fought, but I am happy that I won today." I am leaving with much delight after having had a good outing in Qatar. I hope to continue in this form throughout the season," Moellhausen said after her victory. Each of the winners walks away with the $5000 winner's cash prize, besides the championship medal, while the finalists were rewarded with $3000 each. The semifinalists also got $1500 for their efforts. While all eyes were on No. 1-ranked Yannick Borel of France to add the Doha competition champion's medal to his rich collection, the 34-year-old 2018 individual world champion, who is also a four-time team world champion and four-time individual European champion, however, fell short when it mattered most against the 24-year-old Cuban-born Belgian, who relocated to Belgium when he was 16 after his father was appointed national coach of the Belgian team. The women's category threw up a lot of surprises, as world No. 1 Choi In-jeong could not make it out of the round of 64, her first game of the tournament, as all the top 32 fencers got a bye into the round of 64. The two-time team Olympic silver medalist and three-time team Asian champion suffered an embarrassing 15-10 defeat at the hands of Switzerland's Angeline Favre (world No. 40). Her teammate on the South Korean team, Sera Song (the world No. 2), was also stopped in the quarterfinals by Candassamy, who recorded a 15-12 victory over the 2022 world champion. QFF President Al-Maadeed said, "We are happy that everything went well and the competition ended on a good note. I would like to congratulate the winners on their victory, and I would also like to extend my appreciation to my team for the successful organization of the competition." Points collected from the $22,000 total prize money event count in the Olympic qualification race for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.   

QOC First Vice-President to QNA, Beach Pro Tour Finale was Special

DOHA - HE First Vice-President of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) Mohamed Yousef Al Mana praised the well-organized final round of the Beach Pro Tour for men and women. The tournament concluded at Aspire Zone beach courts Sunday evening, after seeing the participation of the top 10 men's and top 10 women's teams, and total prizes reaching USD 800,000. In an exclusive statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Al Mana stressed that Qatar's hosting of such international championships is part of the strategy of QOC headed by HE the President of QOC Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani, which aims to promote a sports culture in Qatari society, and to maintain the state's pioneership in organizing and hosting sporting events. The QOC First Vice-President indicated that the outstanding organization of the tournament is yet another success for of Qatar's legacy in quality-organizing major events and tournaments, after the successful organization of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Al Mana stated that the Beach Pro Tour final round enjoyed a strong public presence. The QOC First Vice-President also praised Aspire Zone Foundation and the Qatar Volleyball Association's good organization, noting that the tournament's success confirms Qatar's status in the game. For his part, the President of the Qatar and West Asia Volleyball Associations Ali bin Ghanem Al Kuwari praised the participating teams' performances during the tournament. Al Kuwari stressed that the Qatar national team have participated in the tournament in preparation for the team's upcoming competitions, starting with the Doha Elite16 with a 5-star rating, aiming to qualify for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. Al Kuwari pointed out that Qatar will host the West Asian Championship, slate for Feb. 21 to 25 on the Beach Courts at Al Gharafa Club, in which the Qatari team will participate with two duos, with this being one of the tournaments that qualify for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.   

Steady progress for Qatar Grand Prix Fencing Championship 2023

Doha: The preliminary rounds of the men's event of the Qatar Grand Prix Fencing Championship 2023 were successfully concluded at the Aspire Dome on Saturday, with Egypt's Mahmoud Mohsen (the world No. 181) emerging as the only Arab qualifier into the round of 64.  The 27-year-old Cairo resident Mohsen will be joining World No. 16 Houssam Elkord of Morocco, who like all the top-32 fencers got a bye into the round of 64, as the two Arab representatives at the three-day epée competition on the final day on Sunday.  Just like the women's event on Friday, almost all the top-ranked male fencers advanced into the next round of the one-series, nine-city International Fencing Federation (FIE)-organized senior competition at the expense of their lower-ranked counterparts. The Qatari team, led by world No. 883 Jaber Al-Fadaaq, gave a good account of itself despite not advancing into the next round. Al-Fadaaq, the highest-ranked Qatari fencer in the competition, had the best result for the hosts on the day, and he came close to a round of 64 qualification after defeating India's Udaivir Singh 15-9 in the first round, only for him to suffer defeat by the same scoreline at the hands of Hong Kong's Ho Tin Ng in the next round, dashing his hopes of advancement. His teammates Mohammed Al Oulan (ranked 903), Mohammed Al Hazaa (ranked 904), Meshaal Al Qahtani (ranked 915), Youssef Abdeltawab, Muhammad Abdulali, and Abdulrahman Al Jadra, however, also gave a good account of themselves despite suffering defeats at the hands of their higher-ranked opponents. Speaking about the tournament, Khaled Al Suwaid, the tournament director, said that the competition has witnessed great success on all levels, including the organization and every technical aspect of it. "We've received great applause from the International Fencing Federation (FIE) for the good organization and preparation of the competition, which has witnessed the participation of the best fencers in the world from 52 countries. "We look forward to a grand finale on Sunday, and we believe everyone will witness great performances from the athletes," he said. Qatar Grand Prix Fencing Championship 2023 will come to a close tomorrow, January 29, with the final events in both the women and men categories. Starting with the round of 64 at 5:30 p.m. (Qatar time), the competition will then advance from there into the finals, with the final of the men's category rounding up the three-day event. Points collected from the $22,000 total prize money event will count in the Olympic qualification race for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Winners in both categories get $5000 each, while the second-place finisher walks away with $3000. The semi-finalists will each earn $1500.  

Curtain comes down on WTT Feeder Doha 2023

Doha: He Zhuojia has emerged victorious in the Women’s Singles after defeating Kuai Man 3-1 (11-8, 8-11, 11-7, 12-10) on the final day of play at WTT Feeder Doha 2023.  The two went toe-to-toe in their first ever international meeting and both gave it their all. This time around He got the edge, with her unorthodox, close to the table style proving too strong for Kuai. There was a moment in which the tide looked to be turning, with Kuai having three game points in the fourth to send the match to a decider. But He kept her composure and managed to strike back five consecutive points in a row and claim the title at the first time of asking. It was the culmination of phenomenal run to the final for the 24-year-old. He managed to defeat five of the top 10 seeds on her way to the silverware, including 2nd and 4th seed Fan Siqi and Zhang Rui respectively. It's a continuation of winning ways for He who also enjoyed Feeder success in 2022, taking down WTT Feeder European Summer Series. With currently only five events going towards her ranking total, the win in Doha will be a huge boon to her standing on the global ladder. Lookout to see He climb the ranks come the Week 5 publication. Despite her Women's Singles final defeat, Kuai wasn't leaving Doha empty handed. The rising talent claimed the Mixed Doubles title with her partner Lin Shidong 3-2 (12-10, 3-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8) over Xiang Peng and Qian Tianyi. Meanwhile, Xu Yingbin completed a fantastic run in the Men’s Singles, claiming the trophy in Doha. Xu took down the title with a 3-0 (11-9, 11-8, 15-13) win over Zhou Kai in the final, ending a sensational tournament for the young star. Xu was tested the entire way in the Qatari capital. The 21-year-old had to survive two full-distance encounters as he carved a path to the podium. Xu notched-up wins against a series of big names, including An Jaehyun and Xiang Peng on his way to his first ever title. It was a big step up for Xu, who was a semifinalist in the 2022 edition of the Doha event. The World No.126 will be making a massive jump in the rankings after his victory in Qatar, so expect to see him cracking some new milestones in the not too distant future.

Battle for year’s first Feeder Titles on in Doha

Doha: We've reached the business end of WTT Feeder Doha 2023. It's semifinal time in the Men's and Women's Singles and by the end of the day we will have the year's first WTT Feeder Series winners. It's a massive lineup with a host of players that are chasing to climb the ranks through pure grit and determination.  Liu Weishan will be out for revenge when she comes up against Kuai Man in this Women's Singles semifinal. The duo faced each other on the international stage for the first time last year at WTT Contender Muscat. Kuai got the upper-hand in four games in that clash and went on to win the event. But while Kuai has a Contender title to her name, she has come up short in multiple WTT Feeder Series showings, with her run always stopping at the semifinal stage.  The story is the same for Liu, who has Contender silverware but so far is empty handed in Feeder events. Can either Kuai or Liu make the breakthrough in Doha? After this match only one will remain in the running for a Feeder title. Check out their last clash below to see what may be in store for today's match-up: Two heavy hitters are ready to square-up in this Men's Singles semifinal in Doha. Be sure not to miss when Zhou Kai and Benedikt Duda take centre stage in Qatar as they fight for a place in the final. Both have well and truly earned their place in the penultimate round. Yesterday, a heroic Duda produced an incredible quarterfinal comeback.  The World No.34 came from 0-2 down against Xu Haidong to post three straight games for a full-distance win. It's been a different path for Zhou, who has dropped just one game on his way to the semifinal. His road even included a straight games win over Men's Singles top seed Omar Assar. The trophy cabinet for both players are also a contrast.  In 2022, Duda was a two-time Feeder finalist, reaching the final round at both Westchester and Dusseldorf III. Meanwhile, Zhou is no stranger to Feeder success. The World No.41 took down Feeder Panagyurishte last year, so knows what it takes to go all the way. History continues to favour Zhou who has faced Duda two times in the past and has kept a clean sheet clean sheet in the head-to-head. Zhou hasn't even dropped a game! Can Duda come up with a solution or will Zhou continue his domination over the German today in Doha?