Draw for Greece 2022 IHF Beach Handball World Championships complete

Greece - The Aquila Atlantis Hotel in Heraklion on the Greek island of Crete was the setting earlier today for the draws of both the 2022 IHF Men’s and Women’s Beach Handball World Championships and 2022 IHF Men’s and Women’s Youth (U18) Beach Handball World Championships. The draw saw special guests Eleftherios Avgenakis, Deputy Minister of Culture and Sports and MP for Heraklion, alongside Giampiero Masi, Chairman of the IHF Beach Handball Working Group, Hellenic Handball Federation President Konstantinos Gkantis, Local Organising Committee President Konstantinos Violitzis, “Heraklion 2022” Event Manager Panagiotis Traikoglou and Michael Batiste, assistant coach for the NBA basketball side Washington Wizards and former basketball legend in attendance. Both championships feature 32 teams in each – 16 in the men’s competition and 16 in the women’s competition. The 16 teams are split into four groups of four teams each with the top three in each group qualifying through to two main round groups of six teams each. The top four in each main round group then progress through to the quarter-finals, followed by semi-finals and then medal matches. As host nation, Greece had the right to choose which group for all four championships they could be in, with no geographical preferences or restrictions in place for any of the draw. The draws were made as follows: 2022 IHF Men’s Youth (U18) Beach Handball World Championship Group A: Sweden, Islamic Republic of Iran, Qatar, United States of America Group B: Brazil, Croatia, Togo, France Group C: Spain, Greece, Jordan, Czech Republic Group D: Ukraine, Argentina, Germany, Uruguay 2022 IHF Women’s Youth (U18) Beach Handball World Championship Group A: Hungary, Thailand, Poland, Uruguay Group B: Spain, India, Brazil, Ukraine Group C: Argentina, Germany, France, Romania Group D: Netherlands, Greece, Hong Kong, Puerto Rico 2022 IHF Men’s Beach Handball World Championship Group A: Argentina, Greece, United States of America, Puerto Rico Group B: Croatia, Spain, Uruguay, Ecuador Group C: Denmark, Norway, Islamic Republic of Iran, Egypt Group D: Brazil, Portugal, Qatar, New Zealand 2022 IHF Women’s Beach Handball World Championship Group A: Greece, Portugal, Mexico, Thailand Group B: Denmark, Spain, Vietnam, United States of America Group C: Argentina, Netherlands, Uruguay, Australia Group D: Germany, Norway, Brazil, Hungary The 2022 IHF Men’s and Women’s Youth (U18) Beach Handball World Championships will take place between 14 and 19 June, while the IHF Men’s and Women’s Beach Handball World Championships are set to be played between 21 and 26 June in the same venue in Heraklion, Greece.  

Sheikh Joaan presents Mutaz Barshim with London 2012 Olympics Silver medal

Doha- The Qatar Olympic Committee President H.E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani presented the Qatari high jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim with his upgraded silver medal from the 2012 London Olympics on the sidelines of Ooredoo Doha Meeting on Friday.  Barshim's bronze medal from the 2012 London Olympics has been upgraded to silver after the IOC approved reallocating some results from those games because of doping cases last November.  At the London Olympics, Barshim, who also tied for gold at the Tokyo Olympics in August, won the bronze medal with a jump of 2.29m, finishing in a three-way tie for third place with Derek Drouin from Canada and Robert Grabarz from the UK. The silver had gone to American Erik Kynard and gold to Russian Ivan Ukhov, who was proven years later to have taken part in the Russian state-backed steroid doping programme. Kynard got the gold from Ukhov, who was banned for four years in 2019 at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. He went back to the same court last year for an appeal hearing but failed to overturn the ruling. The International Olympic Committee executive board last years reallocated the medals and final results for five events from the London Olympics, including men’s and women's high jump.

Ooredoo Doha Meeting proves a huge success

Doha-With attendance of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) President H.E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani, the 2022 Ooredoo Doha Meeting was held at Suhaim bin Hamad Stadium on Friday. The event was also attended by Ooredoo Group Chairman H.E Sheikh Faisal bin Thani Al-Thani, Manateq CEO H.E Fahad Rashid Al Kaabi, the QOC Second Vice President H.E Dr. Thani bin Abdulrahman Al-Kuwari and the QOC Secretary General H.E Jassim bin Rashid Al-Buenain. The date – May 13th – proved somewhat unlucky for the pole vaulters, whose event had to be cancelled due to the conditions and postponed until Saturday when the competition will be held indoors. But others appeared almost unaffected by the stiff breeze at the Qatar Sports Club, not least Anderson Peters who prevailed in a thrilling javelin contest with a sensational 93.07m winning throw. Returning to the city where he won the world title in 2019, the Grenadian made his intention known from the outset, opening his series with a national record of 88.96m, then following it with 87.30m and 88.51m. Olympic silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch then took the lead in round four with a lifetime best of 89.87m, but Peters responded in the next round with 90.19m, another Grenadian record. Just moments later, Vadlejch hit back with an almighty leading 90.88m effort. Vadlejch was up first to throw in the final round and closed out his series with an 85.50m effort. Peters then took to the runway and launched his spear high into the Doha night air. Instead of stalling, as many high throws tend to do, it simply continued to fly before piercing the ground farther than any other attempt this evening. The distance – 93.07m – came up on the scoreboard and Peters burst into an impromptu dance, celebrating the fact he had become the fifth-best thrower of all time, breaking the North & Central American and Caribbean record in the process. Germany’s Julian Weber finished third with 86.09m and Leandro Ramos set a Portuguese record of 84.78m in fourth, one centimetre ahead of Moldova’s Andrian Mardare. Dos Santos, Thomas, Lyles and Harrison triumph in close finishes The javelin was one of several highly competitive events in the Qatari capital. Despite the late withdrawal of world bronze medallist Abderrahman Alsaleck (formerly known as ‘Samba’), the men’s 400m hurdles still served up an exciting clash between USA’s Rai Benjamin and Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos, the Olympic silver and bronze medallists respectively, and the second- and third-fastest men of all time. Dos Santos got out strongly but then allowed Benjamin to take the lead down the back straight. Benjamin held pole position into the home straight but Dos Santos, looking ominously comfortable, drew level with the US sprinter over the final barrier and then charged for the line, crossing in 47.24. Alison dos Santos pips Rai Benjamin in the Doha Diamond League 400m hurdles It was the 21-year-old’s second-fastest time of his career, behind the 46.72 he clocked to earn bronze in Tokyo. It also erased the 47.38 meeting record that Benjamin set last year – which, at the time, was a revision of the 47.42 Qatari all-comers’ record set by Karsten Warholm at the 2019 World Championships. “We prepared well and we started the season fast,” said Dos Santos, who last month set a 400m flat PB of 44.54. “I’m always trying to improve and be better.” Benjamin finished second in a season’s best of 47.49 while Ireland’s Thomas Barr was a distant third in 49.67. The strong winds finally died down in time for the women’s 200m – the only sprint event to register a legal wind reading – and it resulted in Gabby Thomas equalling Allyson Felix’s meeting record of 21.98. The Olympic silver medallist was level with world champion Dina Asher-Smith and Olympic 100m bronze medallist Shericka Jackson for most of the bend, but began to edge ahead as she entered the straight. Jackson didn’t give up without a fight, but Thomas proved to be stronger at the end and crossed the line in 21.98 to hold off Jackson (22.07). Asher-Smith, making her seasonal debut at this distance, was third in 22.37. “I was nervous, but I feel great now,” said Thomas. “It is such a great feeling to interact with the crowd here; it gives me good energy.” The men’s 200m was even closer in a race where three global champions clashed. Noah Lyles – like Peters, back in the city where he won world gold in 2019 – kept US compatriot Fred Kerley at bay, prevailing in 19.72. His time would have broken the meeting record had it not been for the marginally illegal wind reading of 2.1m/s. Kerley finished just 0.03 in arrears, while world indoor 400m champion Jereem Richards took third place in 20.15, just ahead of Olympic champion Andre De Grasse, who clocked the same time in fourth. “I perform better under pressure,” said Lyles, “and the crowd makes me excited. I feel good and satisfied about where I’m at right now.” Strong tailwinds are often more of a hindrance than a help in the sprint hurdles, and it nearly cost Kendra Harrison the victory as she hit the final barrier. But the world record-holder held on to win – just – in 12.43 (3.8m/s). Kendra Harrison on her way to a 100m hurdles win at the Wanda Diamond League in Doha Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan and Britany Anderson finished equal second in 12.44. In their first clash since the Tokyo Games, Olympic silver medallist Marileidy Paulino got the better of two-time Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo in the 400m. Miller-Uibo took an early lead, but Paulino gained a slight advantage over the Bahamian at half way. Paulino continued to pull away in the second half and Jamaica’s Stephenie Ann McPherson closed on Miller-Uibo. Paulino eventually reached the finish line a clear winner in 51.20 from McPherson (51.69) and Miller-Uibo (51.84). It was Miller-Uibo’s first loss at 400m since her last run in Doha, which was at the 2019 World Championships. World leads for El Bakkali and Niyonsaba Olympic steeplechase champion Soufiane El Bakkali opened his 2022 campaign with victory in a world-leading time, though Lamecha Girma ensured the Moroccan had to work hard for it. The field was paced through the first kilometre in 2:43.41 and they reached 2000m just inside 5:30. Kenya’s Abraham Kibiwott led for most of the final kilometre with El Bakkali and Girma tucked in close behind. El Bakkali then hit the front on the final lap, but Ethiopia’s world and Olympic silver medallist Girma drew level with 200 metres to go. The Moroccan had the edge at the end, though, and won by 0.01 in 8:09.66. Kibiwott was some way behind in third in 8:16.40. The finish in the women’s 3000m – a meet-in-the-middle clash between Olympic 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon and Diamond League 5000m champion Francine Niyonsaba – was similarly exciting. In a race with no pacemakers, Niyonsaba dictated the pace for most of the way, the Burundian passing through 1000m in 2:56.1. World 5000m leader Girmawit Gebrzihair took a brief stint at the front, as did Kipyegon, but Niyonsaba hit the lead again with 600 metres to go. Kipyegon pulled level with Niyonsaba again with half a lap left, but Niyonsaba responded and kicked away to win in a world-leading 8:37.70. Kipyegon was second in 8:38.05 and Australia’s Jessica Hull placed third in 8:40.97. Kenya’s world champion Timothy Cheruiyot, competing with strapping on the back of his legs, was beaten by younger compatriot Asbel Kipsang in the men’s 1500m. The breezy conditions meant that fast times were out of the question, but it also possibly resulted in a more competitive outcome. Once the last of the pacemakers stepped off the track, Kipsang led from Cheruiyot in the closing stages. At one point on the home straight it appeared as though Cheruiyot would kick back, but Kipsang dug in and held on for victory in 3:35.70. Cheruiyot was second in 3:36.16. In other middle-distance events, young Kenyan Noah Kibet, the world indoor silver medallist, upstaged an experienced and high-quality 800m field to prevail in 1:49.08 from Australia’s Peter Bol (1:49.35). Woo secures first Diamond League win On his Wanda Diamond League debut, world indoor champion Woo Sanghyeok overcame a mid-competition scare to win the high jump, beating both Olympic champions in the process. The Korean jumper needed three attempts to get over 2.24m, but then went on to scale 2.27m on his second try and 2.30m on his first. World and Olympic champion Mutaz Barshim also cleared 2.30m on his first attempt, giving him the lead at that point. But Woo went on to scale 2.33m – which ended up being the best mark of the night. Canada’s Django Lovett was third with 2.27m and world indoor bronze medallist Hamish Kerr fourth with 2.24m. World indoor silver medallist Chase Ealey led a US 1-2-3 in the women’s shot put. She opened with 18.84m but was overtaken by compatriot Maggie Ewen, who threw 19.32m in round two. Ealey responded with 19.51m, the eventual winning mark. Jessica Ramsey was third with 18.99m. In a triple jump competition with strong tailwinds, Jamaica’s world silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts dealt best with the conditions and won with a wind-assisted 14.82m (6.5m/s). World indoor silver medallist Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk was second with 14.73m (6.3m/s).

Qatar National Teams arrive in Kuwait for GCC Games

Kuwait- The Qatari national teams began arriving in Kuwait to participate in the third GCC Games to begin in Kuwait on Monday. The Qatar national shooting team arrived in Kuwait on Saturday ahead of their competitions to get underway on Monday at Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Shooting Complex. Qatar's athletics and basketball also arrived in Kuwait. The GCC Games will see competitions in athletics and six other disciplines start well ahead of the opening ceremony, which is scheduled for May 22. The opening ceremony will be held at the Rafael Nadal Academy in the Sheikh Jaber Al Abdullah International Tennis Complex. More than 2000 athletes will compete in a total of 17 disciplines across 12 venues during the Games. The disciplines are: athletics, 3x3 basketball, basketball, cycling (road), e-sports, fencing, futsal, handball, ice hockey, judo, karate, padel, shooting, swimming, tennis, table tennis and volleyball. Qatar’s volleyball, handball and athletics teams as well as the nation’s talented stars in individual sports including paddler Abdul Wahab, fencer Haya Diab and Tokyo Olympics rower Tala Abujbara who will compete in cycling will be targeting podium finishes. The first two editions of the GCC Games were held in Bahrain (2011) and Saudi Arabia (2015). The 2022 edition has many firsts associated with it. It will be the first time women athletes will take part in the Games. Three new disciplines have been added to this year’s event – men’s and women’s table tennis, women’s 3x3 basketball and women’s futsal. Also featuring in the Games for the first time will be women’s competitions in e-sports, athletics and cycling.

Team Qatar athletes ready to compete in GCC Games

KUWAIT - Led by high jump superstar Mutaz Essa Barshim, Qatar’s track and field athletes will target a bright show when the third GCC Games begin in Kuwait on Friday. The 19-day event, which ends on May 31, will see competitions in athletics and six other disciplines start well ahead of the opening ceremony,  which is scheduled for May 22. The opening ceremony will be held at the Rafael Nadal Academy in the Sheikh Jaber Al Abdullah International Tennis Complex. The women’s 100M and 400M finals are among the 11 track and field events scheduled for the opening day at the Ahmed Al Rashdan athletics track. More than 2000 athletes will compete in a total of 17 disciplines across 12 venues during the Games. The disciplines are: athletics, 3x3 basketball,  basketball, cycling (road), e-sports, fencing, futsal, handball, ice hockey, judo, karate, padel, shooting, swimming, tennis, table tennis and volleyball. Qatar’s volleyball, handball and athletics teams as well as the nation’s talented stars in individual sports -- paddler Abdul Wahab, fencer  Haya Diab and Tokyo Olympics rower Tala Abujbara who will compete in cycling -- will be targeting podium finishes. The first two editions of the GCC Games were held in Bahrain (2011) and Saudi Arabia (2015). The 2022 edition has many firsts associated with it. It will be the first time women athletes will take part in the Games. Three new disciplines  have been added to this year’s event – men’s and women’s table tennis, women’s 3x3 basketball and women’s futsal. Also featuring in the Games for the first time will be women’s competitions in e-sports, athletics and cycling.

All world eyes will turn to 2022 Diamond League opening round on Friday

DOHA – The Qatar’s Olympic and two-time world champion high jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim will open his outdoor season at the Doha Diamond League on Friday with a big target in mind. The 30-year-old, who has the world’s second highest jump (2.43M) against his name, is keen to complete a hat-trick of gold medals at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, later this year. “At the 2019 Worlds, someone asked me how I’d feel defending my world title and becoming the first male high jumper to do so. That stuck with me. Now I’m motivating myself by saying it’ll be even better to be the only guy to win three in a row. It keeps me going,” he said at the pre-event press conference on Thursday. Mutaz will be in action for the first time since famously sharing the Olympic gold with Italian Gianmarco Tamberi last year. Tamberi too was present at the press conference and the two said they might not share the first place in the future in a similar scenario, terming their Tokyo gesture as a unique one. Mutaz later told Inside Qatar that he had only a few events charted out this season. “At the moment, my confirmed competitions are the Diamond Leagues in Doha and Rome (June 9). I’ll also compete in the GCC Games in Kuwait next week. I may do one more event before the Eugene Worlds in July, but it isn’t confirmed. Once Eugene is done, I’ll probably do all remaining events,” he said. The Qatari acknowledged the risks of starting his season earlier than expected. “Honestly, if it wasn’t at home, I probably wouldn’t have jumped. But Doha is home and my people will be out there, my family and friends, cheering for me. That’s always a special feeling. I took my first steps in the sport I love here and it’ll always be special,” he said.