Draw held for Beach Handball competitions at World Games 2022

Basel: The draw for the preliminary groups of the men’s and women’s beach handball competitions of The World Games Birmingham 2022 (TWG 2022) took place recently.  The draw was held at the IHF Head Office in Basel, Switzerland by IHF office member responsible for beach handball, Hristo Boskoski. As host nation, the United States of America had the option of choosing which group in their respective competition they wanted to be in. The 11th edition of the multi-sport event, the first since the last edition held in Wroclaw, Poland in 2017, will take place from 7 to 17 July in Birmingham, United States of America and features eight men’s teams and eight women’s teams, split into two preliminary groups of four teams each. All eight teams go through to the quarter-finals with the top team from each group playing the bottom team from each group and second playing third. It is then a straight knockout competition, with play-offs for 5 to 8 place. In the men’s competition, USA coach Michael Hinson chose the all-Pan American Group B, which features reigning World Games, World Beach Games and World Championship title-holders Brazil alongside Argentina and debutants Puerto Rico, who finished runners-up in the NACHC Championships behind already-qualified hosts USA. Group A features European champions Denmark, 2017 World Games and World Championship silver medallists Croatia, Asian champions and 2017 World Games bronze medallists Qatar and Oceania champions, and debutants, New Zealand. USA women’s national team coach Lisa Dunn chose Group A for her team. That group features Oceania champions Australia, Wroclaw 2017 silver medallists and SACHC champions Argentina plus Denmark, who were given a reallocation spot in place of the African champions. Group B pits Mexico against European champions Germany, Asian champions Vietnam and 2018 IHF Women’s Beach Handball Championship silver medallists Norway.  Draw result Men’s Competition Group A: Denmark, Qatar, New Zealand, Croatia Group B: Brazil, United States of America, Argentina, Puerto Rico Women’s Competition Group A: Argentina, United States of America, Australia, Denmark Group B: Norway, Germany, Vietnam, Mexico  

Qatar defeat Bahrain in FIBA U-16 Asian Basketball Championship

Doha: Team Qatar began their campaign in FIBA U-16 Asian Basketball Championship with an 85-61 victory over Bahrain at the Al Gharafa Indoor Hall on Sunday. The match was attended by FIBA Asia President H.E Sheikh Saud bin Ali Al-Thani and QOC Secretary General H.E Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain and Qatar Basketball Federation officials.  Qatar were firmly on the backfoot in their opening Group A encounter as Bahrain ran riot in the first quarter. The hosts trailed 15-22, struggling to keep out the rival offensives. They fought back in the second quarter but were only just ahead at 37-36 at the break. With some strong attacks and gritty defending, Qatar pulled away to lead 63-50 in the third quarter and eventually stormed to a huge 24-point win. In another Group A match, defending champions Australia scored a 95-47 win over India. In two other matches on the opening day, New Zealand defeated Kazakhstan 92-67 in Group D, while Japan scored an easy 98-33 win over Kuwait in Group C.  

Qatar defeat Paraguay in Beach Volleyball World Championships

Rome: Tokyo bronze medallists Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan of Qatar began their campaign in Beach Volleyball World Championships Rome 2022 with straight set victory on Friday. The Qatar duo were up to a positive debut in Pool D, where they topped Paraguayans Roger Battilana and Gonzalo Melgarejo in two sets (21-13, 21-12). The Beach Volleyball World Championships Rome 2022 are a key highlight of the sport’s calendar this year and most of the 96 teams currently competing at the Foro Italico spent months preparing for this moment.

Younousse and Tijan extend their winning streak in World Championships

Rome: Tokyo Olympic bronze medallists Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan were among the first men’s teams to play their second match at the Beach Volleyball World Championships Rome 2022 on Saturday and the Qataris continue to make a strong impression at the Foro Italico. After starting their campaign in the Italian capital with a win over Paraguayans Roger Battilana and Gonzalo Melgarejo on Friday, the Qataris displayed an even stronger game to top Americans Taylor Crabb and Taylor Sander in straight sets (21-14, 21-15) in their second Pool D match. “We’re playing better every match and that’s our goal,” Cherif commented. “It wasn’t an easy match, it was the first time we played them and we didn’t know what to expect. We struggled a little bit at the beginning, but we had the strength to come back and ended the match really well. Our side out was good and our defensive strategy was perfect. Hopefully we can play even better in the next pool match.” The 27-year-old blocker had a dominant performance at the net against the Americans, producing six blocks, as well as nine kills, for his team. Solid in defence, Ahmed scored 15 points in kills. Ranked second in the FIVB World Rankings, Cherif and Ahmed are competing together at the World Championship for just the second time in their careers. The two finished 17th in Hamburg, Germany, in 2019. The back-to-back victories have ensured the Qataris will be in the Round of 32 of the World Championship. On Monday, they will face French pair Arnaud Gauthier-Rat and Youssef Krou and another victory will grant them the top spot in the Pool.

QOC receives International Event Sustainable Management Certification

DOHA – The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) has been awarded  with Event Sustainable Management Certification (ISO20121:2012 ESMS) during a certification ceremony held at the QOC Headquarters on Thursday and  attended by the QOC Secretary General and directors of departments. ESMS award ceremony was also attended by Mr Hussam Refaai the CEO of Bureau Veritas (the granting company) and QOC’s employees. This ESMS will help all organisations and individuals to make their sport events and related- activities more sustainable. It also supports Qatar’s sustainable development objectives and meets the standards of Qatar’s 2030 National vision. In addition to reducing environmental, social, and economic negative impacts that result from organizing the events while developing QOC’s relations with key stakeholders. ESMS will create a work frame that will help achieving sustainable development standards in conformity with UN Sustainable Development Objectives and IOC’s standards that are backed by sustainable development principles such as: Inclusivity, Management, Integrity and Legacy. Additionally, this system will enhance all event management operations in sequence, starting from concept, planning, implementation and auditing stages and post- events activities. It also reduces environment impact, boosts economic growth, and build up real sustainable communities. Most notably, sustainability concepts have turned into practice during the second edition of 2022 QOC Beach Games held at Katara Cultural Village in March as a true sustainable legacy inherited from inaugural ANOC World Beach Games Qatar 2019. In the light of the country’s annual beach events, the Qatar Olympic Committee has boosted sustainability standards in three fields: community sustainability, environmental sustainability, and economic sustainability. On this occasion, H.E QOC Secretary General, Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain said we are truly grateful and proud to be awarded with this certification, I appreciate the collective contributions of teamwork and everyone that helped QOC to get this certification, together we push ahead to make our objectives real”. “This certification copes with QOC’s strategic plan which includes annual data base as per the international criteria. It also improves our work outputs and meets customers’ needs as per our upcoming 2023-2027 strategy, as well as it meets QOC’s vision:” To Become a Leading Nation in Bringing The World Together Through Sustainable Sport Development” added the QOC Secretary General. For his part, Director of Strategy & Projects Department, Fahad Ebrahim Juma said It’s a valuable certification to QOC and will help our integrated sport system to work efficiently and more professionally”.

Turkmenistan hold Qatar 2-2 to enter quarter-finals

TASHKENT - Turkmenistan came from two goals down to force a 2-2 draw against Qatar in Group A to seal a historic AFC U23 Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2022 quarter-final ticket at the Bunyodkor Stadium on Tuesday. Debutants Turkmenistan looked to be heading out after Qatar’s Osamah al-Tairi scored in the 65th and 73rd minutes but they refused to give up as Begencmyrat Myradov replied with two goals of his own in the 75th and 82nd minutes. With Iran only managing a 1-1 draw with Group A winners Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan finished second on four points and will face Group B’s top side Australia in the quarter-finals. Having stunned Iran 2-1 on Matchday Two, a second win would mean knockout stage qualification for Turkmenistan while Qatar - on one point from two games - needed victory to keep their hopes alive. Qatar, looking to prove themselves following their 6-0 defeat to Uzbekistan, started on the front foot with the West Asian side coming close in the eighth minute when Ahmed al-Ganehi found space inside the six-yard-box, cutting back to Mostafa Tarek, who set up al -Tairi, whose shot forced a fine save from Turkmenistan keeper Rasul Charyyev. Charyyev came under pressure again moments later when he was forced into a save to deny Mekki Tombari’s effort off a corner before the Ahal FC shotshopper kept out Jassem Gaber’s header. Turkmenistan came alive in the 11th minute on the counter attack when Meylis Diniyev burst into the Qatar box before finding an unmarked Teymur Charyyev, who flashed his effort above the bar. Qatar were denied a goal in the 24th minute when Charyyev raced off his line to act as a sweeper, closing down an advancing Tombari, but his challenge cleared the path for al-Tairi, who saw his shot cleared on the line by Yhlas Toydjanov. Turkmenistan’s confidence grew and they almost found the opener a minute from the half-time whistle when Samammet Hydyrow teed-up Rahman Myratberdiyew, whose long-range effort was tipped over the bar by Qatar custodian Salah Zakaria. Qatar almost found a breakthrough in the 52nd minute when Tombari whipped in a delightful cross from a set-piece situation only for Yousef Ayman to smash his headed effort against the bar. Turkmenistan’s Charyyev almost produced a moment of individual brilliance in the 53rd minute when he dribbled past two Qatar defenders but his effort to cross the ball from inside the box was cleared by Ayman. Qatar’s patience was finally rewarded in the 65th minute with Tarek combining well with Jassem Gaber at the top of the box before floating the ball in for al-Tairi to nod home the opener. Al-Tairi then scored Qatar’s second goal of the evening when he produced a sublime piece of skill to volley home Jassim al-Mehairi’s cross from the left flank Turkmenistan, however, clawed their way back into the tie when Myradov pounced on a rebound after Zakaria failed to hold on to Charyyev’s long-range effort in the 75th minute. The goal proved to be the perfect tonic as their efforts to push for an equaliser bore fruit in the 82nd minute when Myradov rose highest to nod home off a corner to ensure Turkmenistan continued their AFC U23 Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2022 journey.