Team Qatar advance to Handball Semi-Finals with Victory over Iran

Aichi-Nagoya - Qatar’s national handball team qualified for the semi-finals of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games after defeating Iran 31–25 in yesterday’s quarter-final.Team Qatar will face South Korea in the semi-finals after the Koreans advanced at the expense of China. The match was attended by H.E. Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain, Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee, and Sheikh Khalifa bin Khalid Al Thani, Director of the Sports Sector at the Qatar Olympic Committee.The encounter against Iran was far from easy for Qatar, particularly in the first half, which ended with Iran leading 14–13. Team Qatar, however, overturned the deficit in the second half to secure victory.The opening stages were evenly contested before Iran established the first two-goal advantage in the 13th minute, taking a 6–4 lead after Qatar missed several attacking opportunities. Team Qatar regained their composure and reduced the deficit to one at 7–6, but Iran responded by extending their advantage to 9–6.

Team Qatar Open Group C Volleyball Campaign Against Hong Kong

Aichi-Nagoya - Qatar’s men’s national volleyball team begin their Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games campaign with an important match against Hong Kong in their opening Group C encounter.Team Qatar are drawn in Group C alongside India, Vietnam and Hong Kong. Group A features Japan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, while Group B comprises Iran, Indonesia, Thailand and Kyrgyzstan. Group D includes the Republic of Korea, China, Chinese Taipei and the Philippines.Qatar begin their campaign against Hong Kong before facing Vietnam tomorrow and India the following day.The competition will be staged at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park and Park Arena Komaki in Aichi Prefecture. Team Qatar will look to build on their preparations and test themselves against strong continental opposition.Qatar are fully aware of the importance of their opening match, with a winning start potentially having a significant impact on the group standings. The three matches will provide successive tests of the team’s capabilities and ambitions in the competition.Team Qatar held their first training session yesterday in a positive atmosphere, with the players showing plenty of enthusiasm. The technical staff focused on putting the finishing touches to their game plan for Hong Kong while finalising the line-up and player selection.Ali Ghanim Al Kuwari, President of the Qatar Volleyball Association, met with the players and the technical and administrative staff, stressing the importance of the upcoming stage and the need to give their utmost to represent Qatari volleyball in the best possible manner at the Asian Games.For his part, Saeed Juma Al Hitmi, Board Member of the Qatar Volleyball Association, said Team Qatar had reached a good level of readiness and that the players were in strong physical condition and high spirits ahead of their opening match.He added that the team had prepared well over the previous period, completing a training camp and playing two friendly matches in Japan, which helped improve cohesion and readiness. He also noted that the technical staff had studied Hong Kong and analysed their strengths and weaknesses in preparation for the match.Qatar’s 12-player squad comprises Mahdi Samoud, Abdulrahman Bakri, Mubarak Mousa, Abdulla Samir, Pape Maguette, Ahmed Abdulwahab, Renan Ribeiro, Youssef Al Yafei, Mohammed Al Waleed, Naji Mahmoud, Mubarak Al Kuwari and Ahmed Jamal.

Mutaz Barshim Eyes More Asian Games Glory in High Jump Final

Aichi-Nagoya, Japan – Qatar’s high jump star Mutaz Barshim will take centre stage today in the men’s high jump final at the 20th Asian Games – Aichi-Nagoya 2026, as he bids to add another gold medal to his remarkable Asian Games record.Barshim has already claimed three Asian Games gold medals, triumphing at Guangzhou 2010 in China and Incheon 2014 in South Korea before returning to the top of the podium at Hangzhou 2022 in China. He missed the Jakarta 2018 edition through injury.

Team Qatar Take on Yemen in Bid to Seal Gulf Cup 27 Semi-Final Place

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia – Qatar will look to strengthen their bid for a place in the semi-finals of the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup when they face Yemen tomorrow (Sunday) at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah in their second Group B encounter.Qatar opened their campaign with a 2-0 victory over defending champions Bahrain, securing three points and moving to the top of the group alongside the United Arab Emirates, who defeated Yemen 4-0 in their opening match. Bahrain and Yemen remain without points.A victory over Yemen would secure Qatar’s place in the semi-finals if the UAE defeat Bahrain in the group’s other match, which will also be played tomorrow at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium. Under that scenario, the winners would seal their qualification, leaving their final group-stage meeting to determine top spot, while Bahrain and Yemen would be eliminated.Qatar produced a strong performance against defending champions Bahrain in their opening match, overcoming a determined opponent 2-0 despite facing a number of challenges during the game.Head coach Julen Lopetegui handled the match with tactical composure, addressing Qatar’s missed opportunities in the first half before Boualem Khoukhi broke the deadlock shortly after the restart.Qatar were then reduced to 10 men following Ahmed Fathi’s dismissal in the 70th minute, but responded impressively, maintaining defensive discipline and relying on counter-attacks. Their resilience was rewarded deep into stoppage time when captain Hassan Al Haydos, who had come on as a substitute, won and converted a penalty to seal the victory.Yemen, meanwhile, will be determined to produce a much-improved performance and keep their hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive. Following their heavy 4-0 defeat to the UAE, they know they must secure a positive result to avoid a second successive loss that would bring their Gulf Cup campaign to an end.In the other Group B encounter, the UAE will face Bahrain tomorrow at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in a crucial fixture for the defending champions.The UAE will seek a second consecutive victory after their emphatic 4-0 win over Yemen in the opening round, a result that put them in a strong position. A win would take them to six points and secure their semi-final place if Qatar also defeat Yemen.The UAE displayed impressive readiness in their opening match and have already underlined their ambitions not only to reach the semi-finals but also to challenge for the title, with several experienced players making a significant impact.Bahrain, meanwhile, must respond with a victory to revive their semi-final hopes after their opening defeat to Qatar. A draw would keep their qualification hopes alive but make their task in the final group match considerably more difficult, while another defeat would officially end their campaign.

Team Qatar 1 Face Oman in Asian Games Beach Volleyball

NAGOYA, Japan – Qatar’s beach volleyball team “Qatar 1”, featuring Sherif Younes and Ahmed Tijan, will face Oman tomorrow in a crucial Group A encounter at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, with both teams looking to strengthen their position in the group standings.Qatar made a winning start to their campaign with a deserved victory over the Philippines, collecting their first points and boosting their hopes of challenging for top spot in the group. They now face Oman, one of the leading contenders in the group, in what promises to be a stern test for the Qatari duo.Younes and Tijan will be determined to build on their strong opening performance and secure another victory to give their Asian Games campaign further momentum.

Omar Daoud Advances to 110m Hurdles Final

Aichi-Nagoya 2026- Team Qatar athlete Omar Daoud qualified for the men’s 110m hurdles final at the 20th Asian Games – Aichi-Nagoya 2026, currently taking place in Japan.Daoud produced an impressive performance in yesterday’s heats, clocking 13.63 seconds to finish second in his heat despite competing in challenging rainy conditions and secure his place in today’s final.Daoud will be looking to continue his strong form and challenge for a medal in what promises to be a highly competitive final, as he aims to deliver another strong performance for Team Qatar at Aichi-Nagoya.Team Qatar’s Ibrahim Abbas and Mohammed Waheed qualified for the men’s 1500m final at the 20th Asian Games – Aichi-Nagoya 2026, currently taking place in Japan.