Al Buenain attends executive board meeting of GCC Olympic Committees

DOHA- The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) Secretary General HE Mr. Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain attended the 91st meeting of the Executive Board of GCC Olympic Committees held via video-conference technology on Monday The meeting discussed the issues to be submitted to the 33rd meeting of the Council of GCC Olympic Committees to be held next Thursday including following-up the implementation of decisions taken during last meeting of the Council of GCC Olympic Committees. They also reviewed the GCC sports cooperation strategy and the preparations for 3rd Gulf Sports Games to be staged in Kuwait in 2022 in addition to the suggestion of the GCC Secretariat General to enhance the GCC Joint Work in the Paralympic sports field. The meeting was also attended by Director of the QOC Sports Affairs Department Mr. Khaleel Al Jabir, Director of the QOC Public Relations and International Cooperation Department Mr. Hamad Al Obaidli and the Advisor of the QOC Secretary General Mr. Nasser Al Sulaiti.

Curtain comes down on WTT Star Contender Doha 2021

Doha: Brazil’s Hugo Calderano has become the first player from Latin America to win a WTT trophy following a stunning 4-2 victory over Slovenia’s Darko Jorgic (11-5, 6-11, 10-12, 11-9, 11-3, 11-9) in the WTT Star Contender Doha 2021 Men’s Singles final on Saturday 25th September. The result marks a significant moment for Calderano who finally converts his promising potential into international success in Doha. Falling to the floor in disbelief after the match, an emotional Calderano leads not only his country, but his home continent to new heights with his victory over Jorgic guaranteeing a career-best world ranking of fifth position on the Men’s Singles ladder. Seeded second for the event, Calderano made a bright start to the final with a strong opening game display but encountered a major stumbling block soon after. With the final sitting all-square at one game apiece, eighth seed Jorgic remarkably saved three game points in the third game to steal the lead for the first time in the match. Disappointed with the outcome, Calderano dusted himself off and went again, responding by claiming the next three games on the bounce to book his date with destiny.  “I’m feeling great, and I’m so happy to win the title. It was a tough match, both physically and mentally.  It probably wasn’t the best level we can play; I think we were both tired from the rest of the tournament, but I was able to push myself and deal with the situation, so I’m very happy with my performance. In the fourth game, I was down 6-3, and I think that was a key moment for me when I recovered as it was very tough for him to come back after I won the game. The main thing is winning the title, of course, but it’s also great to see it showing in the rankings, so I’m just happy and will try and celebrate it as much as I can,” said Hugo Calderano. Earlier in the day, both Calderano and Jorgic enjoyed impressive semi-final victories, accounting for England’s Liam Pitchford (11-2, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5, 11-9) and the Republic of Korea’s Lee Sangsu (13-11, 12-14, 11-7, 9-11, 11-7, 11-2). Meanwhile, the Women’s Singles title was awarded to Japanese number six seed Hina Hayata. The 21-year-old opened her day in style as she produced a mesmerising comeback win to eliminate the top seed from the Republic of Korea, Jeon Jihee, in the semi-finals (8-11, 9-11, 8-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-7, 11-5).  She followed up with a more decisive victory later in the day, beating Hong Kong, China’s Doo Hoi Kem, the second seed, 4-1 at the final hurdle (11-6, 11-6, 11-9, 7-11, 11-7). Hayata leaves Doha with two titles to her name, having won the Mixed Doubles event alongside compatriot Shunsuke Togami on Friday.  “In the semi-finals, I was 0-3 down against Jeon Jihee. It was very difficult, but I managed to turn it around 4-3. I’m also very happy to beat Doo Hoi Kem as she’s a really good player. I hope this is a good birthday present for my coach!” said Hina Hayata Japan also emerged as the successful nation in the Women’s Doubles event, with Miyu Nagasaki and Minami Ando combining to perfection. The unseeded pair negotiated a monumental task with flying colours, upstaging the top-seeded partnership from the Republic of Korea, Yang Haeun and Jeon Jihee, by a crushing 3-0 margin (11-8, 11-9, 11-6). The Men’s Doubles final saw the Republic of Korea’s Cho Seungmin and An Jaehyun face England’s Paul Drinkhall and Liam Pitchford. All four players put on a marvellous show under the lights, two unseeded pairs with nothing to lose in the title decider. Decided across four games, the match unfolded in Cho, and An’s favour (11-7, 4-11, 11-9, 11-4), ensuring the Republic of Korea’s presence amongst the list of title-winning nations Doha.  

Japanese pair crowned Mixed Doubles champions

Doha: Shunsuke Togami and Hina Hayata are the first players to receive winner's trophies at WTT Star Contender Doha 2021 following a stunning display from the Japanese pair in the Mixed Doubles final. Facing fierce opposition from the Republic of Korea’s Jang Woojin and Jeon Jihee in the title decider, Togami and Hayata negotiated the match with great togetherness. Jang and Jeon admirably kept fighting right down to the final point, but on this occasion, the day belonged to Togami and Hayata (11-6 3-11 11-2 11-8).  The “Thrill from Brazil,” Hugo Calderano is the final man to earn passage to the Men’s Singles semi-finals after prevailing in his head-to-head with French counterpart Simon Gauzy. Fifth seed Gauzy couldn’t have asked for a better start to the match as he registered the first game in his favour. However, Calderano, seeded second, managed to hit back immediately with commanding outings in the following two games before bringing proceedings to a close with a narrow win in game four (8-11 11-4 11-3 12-10).  Liam Pitchford has just produced a masterclass performance on table one to secure his place in the Men’s Singles last four. The Englishman displayed world-class table tennis right from the off against Hong Kong, China’s Wong Chun Ting, outpowering the penhold grip specialist by convincing margins in games one and two. Both players really attacked the third game, making for some excellent viewing. Saving two game points, fourth seed Pitchford fought back to end any hopes of a comeback for his sixth-seeded opponent, completing a decisive 3-0 victory (11-4, 11-7, 13-11). Hong Kong, China’s Doo Hoi Kem is through to the Women’s Singles semi-final here in Doha. The second seed encountered an early storm against Archana Girish Kamath, with the 21-year-old Indian qualifier racing into a one-game lead. Crucially, Doo held the slight edge in game two to establish a foothold in the match, and she didn’t look back from there (9-11, 11-13, 11-8, 11-6). Top seed Jeon Jihee from the Republic of Korea withstood an early onslaught by Thailand’s Suthasini Sawettabut before staging her own fightback to keep her title hopes in the Women’s Singles event alive. Sawettabut looked poised to create another tournament upset as she raced to a 2-0 lead by winning the first two games 11-7, 11-8. However, Jeon clawed her way back by taking the third game 11-8 before prevailing in the crucial fourth game 15-13. The Korean then completed her remarkable comeback by winning the decider 11-2. Ukraine’s Margaryta Pesotska ended the hopes of Brazil’s Bruno Takahashi after prevailing in their enthralling five-game showdown to advance to the semi-final of the Women’s Singles event. Pesotska fired the opening salvo by taking the first two games 11-6, 11-7. However, it was not a straight-forward encounter as Takahashi battled back to level the score 2-2, winning the third and fourth game. The contest went down the wire in the decider before the Ukrainian finally emerged triumphant by winning the fifth game 11-7. Republic of Korea’s Cho Seungmin and An Jaehyun proved too strong for Ng Pak Nam and Lam Siu Hang from Hong Kong, China as the Koreans beat them 3-1 (11-9, 9-11, 11-3, 11-9) to secure their place in the last four of the Men’s Doubles event. The Hong Kong, China pair managed to level the score 1-1 by taking the second game but were simply outclassed in the third and fourth game.  Third seeds Doo Hoi Kem and Lee Ho Ching of Hong Kong, China crashed out of the Women’s Doubles event after they lost in straight games 3-0 (11-8, 11-4, 11-8) to their unseeded Japanese opponents Minami Ando and Miyu Nagasaki. With their win, the Japanese advance to the semi-final where they face the Singaporean duo of Zeng Jian and Lin Ye.  

WTT Star Contender Doha 2021 continues in style

Doha: Slovakia’s Lubomir Pistej and Barbora Balazova made a shock exit as the top seed mixed doubles pair lost to Chinese Taipei’s Chen Chien-An and Chen Szu-Yu at the WTT Star Contender Doha 2021. In the round of 16 match at the Lusail Sports Arena yesterday, Pistej and Balazova took a two-game lead but Chien-An and Szu-Yu fought back to win (4-11, 9-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-5). Over on table three, France’s Can Akkuzu has just delivered one of the day’s standout recoveries to keep his dreams alive in the Men’s Singles draw. Forced up against the ropes after being handed a two-game deficit by Brazil’s Vitor Ishiy, Akkuzu hit back by winning the next three games on the bounce to stun the birthday boy 3-2 (7-11, 7-11, 11-5, 11-5, 12-10). Germany’s Ricardo Walther is through to the Men’s Singles Round of 32 after holding off a late comeback charge from Chinese Taipei’s Chen Chien-An (11-7, 11-6, 13-15, 9-11, 11-7). Defeating a man ranked over 20 positions higher above him, world number 94 Walther moves on to book a second-round meeting with United States’ Kanak Jha, ranked 32nd. Turning 26 today, Brazil’s Vitor Ishiy received a welcome birthday gift in Doha as he partnered Bruna Takahashi to a Round of 16 victory in the Mixed Doubles event. Falling short in a tight opening game, Ishiy and Takahashi recovered a 3-1 win over Finland’s Benedek Olah and Britt Eerland of the Netherlands (10-12, 11-6, 11-6, 11-5). Shock has descended upon the Lusail Sports Arena in Doha following an unexpected departure for the second-seeded combination for the Women’s Doubles event Hitomi Sato and Saki Shibata. The Japanese pair were shown the exit by Singapore’s Lin Ye and Zeng Jian (11-6, 11-4, 11-7), who set up a quarter-final meeting with Chinese Taipei’s Chen Szu-Yu and Li Yu-Jhun. Iran will have representation in the Women’s Singles Round of 32 after Neda Shahsavari successfully navigated a dramatic five-game encounter. Taking on Ukraine’s Solomiya Brateyko, Shahsavari never trailed during the match (11-9, 4-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7) and now moves on to face Hong Kong, China’s Lee Ho Ching. Singapore’s Lin Ye stormed back from her opening game loss to Russia’s Mariia Tailakova by winning her next three games against the Russian to progress to her next Round of 32, where she will face Brazil’s Bruna Takahashi. Tailakova took the first game 11-4 before Lin, the world number 61, levelled the score 1-1 by winning the second game 11-8. It was a tighter contest in the third game, with the Singaporean prevailing 13-11 before sealing the match with a 11-2 win in the fourth game. France’s Jia Nan Yuan dispatched Zhu Chengzhu from Hong Kong, China, in straight games, winning 3-0 (11-5, 11-9, 11-9) to advance into the Round of 32. Yuan seized the early initiative with a 11-5 in the first game before taking the next two, 11-9, 11-9, to underline her dominance over Zhu.  Japan’s Kazuhiro Yoshimura eliminated Senegal’s Ibrahima Diaw in a five-game thriller which the Japanese won 3-2 (11-7, 9-11, 11-5, 11-13, 11-3). The pendulum swung between Diaw and Yoshimura throughout the first four games. It finally took the heroics of the Japanese to close out the match by winning the decider convincingly 11-3. Qatar's Ahmed Khaleel Al Mohannadi went down 7-11, 2-11, 3-11 to South Korea’s Lim Jonghoon while his compatriot Mohammed Abdulwahab lost to Croatia’s Andrej Gacina 5-11, 7-11, 5-11. Al Mohannadi and Abduwahab, who teamed up in the doubles, came up with a determined bid against Austria’s Robert Gardos and Daniel Habesohn but again failed to clinch a game. They lost 5-11, 8-11, 7-11.  

QOC signs MoU with Doha Institute for Graduate Studies

DOHA – The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) announced Today, the signing of Memorandum of Understanding with Doha Institute for Graduate Studies to boost co-operation in the field of scientific researches ,  projects improvement and training. HE the QOC Secretary General, Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain signed on behalf of the QOC and Ms. Mariam bint Ali Nasser Al Misnad, the Executive Director of Administration and Finance Division inked on behalf of the Institute. The MoU will cover the exchange of experience and cooperation   in the fields of education, organizing the training courses of the QOC’s executive and administrative leaders, conferences, symposiums, and workshops. Doha Institute for Graduate Studies will setting up plans and conducting training courses that meet the QOC’s needs and requirements. “We will always dedicate our efforts to develop and invest in the human element as our top priority of achieving sustainable development, together we will be working to improve our staff’s professional and intellectual ability. Our employees development process is a strategic tool of sustainable growth and productivity, we will continue to encourage training our cadres to face the future challenges and to play a significant role in the preparations to the 2030 Asian Games” said H.E Jassim Bin Rashid Al Buenain the QOC Secretary General in a post signing ceremony statement. “QOC has a good record of experience and knowledge after had hosted a great number of world class sporting events over the past decade, today we are expanding these experiences with a new style”, added the QOC Secretary General In this context, the Executive Director of Administration and Finance Division at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies (DI), Ms. Mariam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad said that the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies is always keen to communicate with different State institutions, aiming to strengthen strategic partnerships and opportunities for cooperation through the Excellence Center for Training and Consulting, and cooperating in areas that serve institutional and community integration, such as training programs and courses that directly contribute to the building of institutional personality and lead to progress, institutional and professional development in the State, in line with Qatar National Vision 2030. Similarly, to value the research projects and scientific and knowledge production. Al Misnad added:” We are delighted to move forward by signing the agreement with Qatar Olympic Committee, which is a leading institution in the field of sport to enhance Qatar’s global status, and achieve the objectives of effective participation in the comprehensive renaissance of the State of Qatar at all levels. For more information visit our website: www.olympic.qa  

Main draw of WTT Star Contender Doha 2021 to begin on Wednesday

Doha: Day two of qualifying for WTT Star Contender Doha 2021 resolved all uncertainty as the final main draw places up for grabs were decided on Tuesday 21st September.  Ema Labosova takes her place in the Women’s Singles round of 64 after rising above the odds to take down higher-ranked opposition. Ranked 348th in the ITTF World Table Tennis Ranking list, Slovakia’s Labosova showed remarkable resilience in the early stages of her match against Singapore’s Goi Rui Xuan to beat the world number 192 in four games (12-10, 12-10, 8-11, 11-6). Further down the draw, Ukraine’s Solomiya Brateyko negotiated a stern test to extend her stay in Doha. Brateyko was forced to dig deep against teenage counterpart Prithika Pavade, holding her nerve at 1-2 down to recover an impressive 3-2 victory over the ever-improving French star (11-5, 7-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-9). Two of Slovenia’s bright young sparks Ana Tofant, 22, and Katarina Strazar, 20, met face-to-face as they fought over national pride and a ticket to the main draw. Come the close of five gruelling games, Strazar held the upper hand (11-9, 5-11, 12-10, 9-11, 11-9) to set up a round of 64 encounter with Austria’s Karoline Mischek. Brazil’s Eric Jouti was involved in one of the day’s outstanding comeback performances, securing his passage to the Men’s Singles main draw in the process. Recovering from a slow start to beat Singapore’s Beh Kun Ting in the second qualifying round (10-12, 11-7, 11-7, 9-11, 11-5), Jouti overcame an even greater deficit one round later. Trailing Bastien Rembert 0-2, Jouti responded with three consecutive game wins to squeeze past his young French counterpart 3-2 (4-11, 7-11, 11-5, 11-8, 12-10). Alexandre Cassin was another up-and-coming French competitor who narrowly missed out in the final round of Men’s Qualifying Singles. The 22-year-old impressed early on with a convincing display against Singapore’s Clarence Chew (11-3, 11-5, 11-8). Unfortunately for French fans, Cassin ended up falling just short as Hong Kong, China’s Lam Siu Hang edged past Cassin in five games (5-11, 11-7, 11-6, 7-11, 12-10). Elsewhere, Korea Republic’s Cho Seungmin lived up to expectations as he brushed aside fellow countryman Jang Seongil 3-0 (11-3, 11-5, 11-7), while Germany’s Ricardo Walther needed one game more to see off Hong Kong, China’s Ho Kwan Kit (11-7, 7-11, 11-8, 11-8). Iran celebrated success in Women’s Qualifying Doubles as both of its combinations powered through to the round of 16. Neda Shahsavari and Mahshid Ashtari couldn’t have asked for a better start to their campaign as they cruised past Qatar’s Ala Mohamed and Maha Faramarzi 3-0 (11-7, 11-4, 11-2). Meanwhile, Maryam Farei and Shima Safaei proved just as clinical, defeating Slovenia’s Ana Tofant and Katarina Strazar (11-6, 11-6, 15-13) to reserve their place in the main draw. Men’s Qualifying Doubles painted a positive picture for two players representing different national associations as Belgium’s Cedric Nuytinck and Slovenia’s Bojan Tokic partnered to success. Nuytinck and Tokic demonstrated great awareness of each other’s strengths in their qualifying round two fixture against Can Akkuzu and Alexandre Cassin, dispatching the French pair in straight games (11-4, 11-8, 11-3).