Sheikh Joaan Crowns Swimming Champions at GCC Games Doha 2026

Doha: Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Olympic Council of Asia, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee and President of the Organising Committee of the 4th GCC Games – Doha 2026, crowned the winners of the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay event, which was held today at the Hamad Aquatic Centre.Team Qatar’s swimmers continued their impressive performances by claiming the gold medal in the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay and setting a new GCC record with a time of 7:29.22 minutes.Kuwait finished second with a time of 7:45.38 minutes to secure the silver medal, while Saudi Arabia claimed third place and the bronze medal after recording a time of 7:49.07 minutes.Team Qatar were represented by Ali Tamer, Mohammed Mahmoud, Saadaldin and Emil Fuzaï.

Doha 2026 Organising Committee Honours GCC Delegations, Partners and Media at Katara Luncheon

DOHA  – In an atmosphere that reflected the deep-rooted GCC ties and the spirit of sporting unity, the Organising Committee of the 4th GCC Games Doha 2026 hosted a luncheon in honour of Vice Presidents and Secretaries General of the GCC Olympic Committees, heads of administrative and sporting delegations, partners, sponsors and senior GCC media representatives.The luncheon was held at “Feeh Al Afiyah” Restaurant in Katara Cultural Village following a gracious invitation extended by H.E. Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain, Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee and Vice Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Games.H.E. Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain welcomed the GCC guests to their second home, Qatar, expressing pride in the distinguished Gulf participation and the close cooperation among the Gulf Olympic Committees. He affirmed that Doha 2026 represents a new milestone in the journey of joint Gulf sports cooperation and reflects the growing stature of Gulf sport on both the regional and international stages. He also wished all participating GCC  teams every success during the Games.The luncheon was attended by H.E. Sheikh Khalifa bin Khalid Al Thani, Sports Sector Director at the Qatar Olympic Committee and Director General of the Organising Committee, alongside a number of senior Gulf sports officials, presidents of sports federations, administrative delegations, as well as representatives of local and GCC media outlets, partners and sponsors.The initiative forms part of the Organising Committee’s commitment to strengthening ties and enhancing communication among Gulf participants, while reinforcing the friendly atmosphere that characterises the Games and embodies the noble sporting values and spirit of fair competition shared across the region.For their part, attendees praised the outstanding organizational standards of the Games and the warm Qatari hospitality, expressing their delight with the positive atmosphere surrounding the event and wishing continued success and progress for Gulf sport.The luncheon concluded with cordial conversations and commemorative photographs marking the special occasion.

GCC Games 2026 gets underway in Doha

Doha: In the presence of H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Olympic Council of Asia, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, and Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the GCC Games – Doha 2026, the competitions of the GCC Games officially got underway this evening in the Qatari capital, Doha, with a distinguished Opening Ceremony held at Al Shaqab, reflecting the commitment of the GCC nations to supporting sport and hosting major sporting events.The opening ceremony was attended by a number of Their Highnesses and Excellencies, Ministers, Presidents of the GCC Olympic committees, and senior sports officials, including HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee; H.H. Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE National Olympic Committee; Sheikh Fahad Nasser Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, President of the Kuwait Olympic Committee; H.H. Sayyid Azzan bin Qais Al Said, President of the Oman Olympic Committee; and Sheikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa, Vice President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee, alongside a number of GCC sports leaders.The ceremony was also attended by H.E. Dr. Thani bin Abdulrahman Al Kuwari, Second Vice President of the Qatar Olympic Committee; H.E. Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain, Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee and Vice Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Games; and Sheikh Khalifa bin Khalid Al Thani, Director of the Sports Affairs Sector at the Qatar Olympic Committee and Director General of the Organizing Committee of the Games.The Games will bring together 1400 athletes and officials where participating athletes will compete across 17 sports over 11 days of competition, in a new edition that further reinforces Qatar’s established reputation as a safe, welcoming and world-class host nation.The Games also build on the spirit of Gulf solidarity demonstrated during the recent Asian Beach Games Sanya 2026, where efforts led by HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani played an important role in facilitating and supporting the participation of GCC delegations and athletes in the games, reflecting his continued commitment to strengthening Gulf sporting cooperation and ensuring athletes remain at the heart of regional sport.Hosting the GCC Games Doha 2026 further reflects the ongoing efforts led by HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani to support GCC sport and create opportunities that bring together athletes and young people from across the region in an atmosphere of friendship, competition and unity.President of the Olympic Council of Asia, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee and Chairman of the Doha 2026 Organising Committee, HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, said:“Doha is proud to host this fourth edition of the GCC Games, bringing together athletes and friends from across our region. At a time when the world faces many challenges and uncertainties, these Games reaffirm the important role sport can play in strengthening dialogue, cooperation and understanding between peoples. Sport continues to be one of the strongest platforms for unity and optimism across the Gulf region. We witnessed this clearly during the Asian Beach Games Sanya 2026, where all 45 National Olympic Committees of Asia came together in a remarkable celebration of sport and friendship.”“In Qatar, we strongly believe in the power of sport to build healthier, more connected and more united societies. Over the past two decades, Qatar has welcomed athletes, fans and delegations from around the world and hosted more than 20 World Championships. This legacy, which dates back to the Doha 2006 Asian Games, has provided us with world-class venues and expertise that today serve the ambitions of athletes from across the Gulf. We extend our appreciation to the GCC Federations, partners and organisers for their support of this event, and to every athlete competing in Doha 2026 — we wish them success in showcasing the true spirit of Gulf sport.”Competitions will be staged across Qatar’s state-of-the-art sports venues, providing athletes with world-class conditions to perform at their best. The venues include Aspire Dome, the Women’s Sports Hall, Hamad Aquatic Centre, Qatar Sports Club, the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation Hall, Al Gharafa Sports Club, Lusail Shooting Range, Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club, Qatar Bowling Federation Hall, and Duhail Arena.All venues have an established track record in hosting major regional and international sporting events, including Hamad Aquatic Centre, which will stage the swimming competitions and previously hosted the World Aquatics Championships Doha 2024, as well as the world-renowned Aspire Dome, which will host taekwondo, table tennis and karate competitions and has previously welcomed numerous international tournaments and world championships.The 17 sports featured at Doha 2026 are archery, athletics, 3x3 basketball, billiards, boxing, bowling, equestrian, fencing, handball, karate, padel, table tennis, taekwondo, shooting, snooker, swimming and volleyball.Qatar’s WADA-accredited anti-doping laboratory will oversee anti-doping testing throughout the Games.Doha 2026 marks the fourth edition of the GCC Games, following the previous edition held in Kuwait in 2022. 

Team Qatar Swimmers Deliver Five-Medal Triumph at GCC Games Doha 2026 Opener

DOHA – Qatar’s swimmers produced a remarkable start to their GCC Games campaign after collecting five medals, including three gold and two silver medals, on the opening day of the swimming competitions at the fourth GCC Games in Doha 2026. The multi-sport event continues until May 22 and brings together nearly 1,400 athletes from across the GCC in 17 different sports.The first gold medal for the host nation was secured by Saad Al Din Saad Al Din, who stormed to victory in the men’s 800m freestyle with a new Games record of 7:57.54 minutes. Bahrain’s Robert Ponsal settled for silver, while Kuwait’s Saud Al Shamroukh completed the podium with bronze. The medal winners were honored by H.E Dr. Thani bin Abdulrahman Al Kuwari, Second Vice President of the Qatar Olympic Committee.Qatar’s dominance continued through Mohamed Mahmoud, who clinched gold in the 200m individual medley after delivering a record-breaking swim of 2:03.02 minutes. Bahrain’s Saud Ghali claimed silver, while Kuwait’s Khaled Al Otaibi finished third. H.E Jassim Bin Rashid Al-Buenain,  Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee crowned the winners of the event.The third gold medal arrived through Emile Fawzi, who excelled in the 200m butterfly with another new Games record of 2:02.20 minutes. Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Al Zaki took silver, while Kuwait’s Mohammed Al Otaibi earned bronze.In other results, Ali Tamer earned the silver medal in the 50m freestyle with a time of 22.69 seconds, finishing behind Saudi swimmer Imad Al Din Zaben, who secured gold and set a new Games record of 22.64 seconds. Bahrain’s Mikhail Arkhangelski finished third to take bronze in 22.85 seconds.Meanwhile, Abdullah Al Ghamri won silver in the 100m backstroke after posting a time of 58.32 seconds. Saudi Arabia’s Ali Al Issa captured the gold medal with a new Games record of 57.39 seconds, while fellow Saudi swimmer Ali Abdulwahab claimed bronze in 1:00.22 minutes.Swimming action resumes Wednesday with the second day programme including the 400m freestyle, 50m breaststroke, 100m freestyle, 200m backstroke, and the 4x100m freestyle relay.

Qatar Swimming Team Targets Podium Success at GCC Games Doha 2026

DOHA  – Armed with confidence and extensive preparations, Team Qatar’s swimming squad is set to begin its campaign at the 4th Gulf Games Doha 2026, which will be hosted by Doha from May 11 to 22.The national team heads into the competition with high ambitions of achieving notable results that underline the continued development of Qatari swimming on the Gulf stage. Qatar will be represented by Ali Tamer, Mohammed Mahmoud, Saad Al Din, Emil Fawzi, Hamza Shaalan, Abdullah Al Ghamri, Aziz Ismail and Tamim Al Humaida, a promising group eager to compete for top honors.The swimming events are scheduled to run from May 12 to 15 at the Hamad Aquatic Center and are expected to attract enthusiastic crowds supporting Team Qatar against strong competition from across the GCC.Members of the squad emphasized their determination to showcase the highest levels of performance and achieve results that reflect the rapid rise of Qatari swimming regionally. 

Qatar Men's Team Secures Bronze Medal at AVC Asian U18 Beach Volleyball Championships 2026

Tashkent, May 10 (QNA) - The Qatar men's team won the bronze medal at the AVC Asian U18 Beach Volleyball Championships 2026, taking place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.Consisting of the duo Moussa Alkheer and Mubarak Musa, team Qatar defeated the Australian duo Mowen and Symes in straight sets in the third-place playoff match held Sunday.The Qatari duo had earlier lost to the Kazakh pair Sagynysh and Agabek by two sets to one in the semifinals.Qatar had qualified for the 2026 FIVB U18 Beach Volleyball World Championships for the first time ever, after having defeated Iran in straight sets in the quarterfinals.