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Doha Masters 2021 to begin on Monday
Since the resumption of the World Judo Tour at Grand Slam Hungary, last October, the judo world has been waiting impatiently for the launch of a 2021 season, which promises to be exciting and full of twists and turns. This launch is now done after the World Judo Masters draw took place in Doha, Qatar, on Sunday 10th January 2021.The sanitary conditions are strict and fully respected by all participants. They have been the subject of particularly careful preparation by the Qatari authorities, the national federation and the International Judo Federation. Beyond the constraints imposed by the global health crisis, the fact that the entire judo family has come together for this debut of the sports season, shows that nothing is impossible and that judo proves once again that it is resourceful. This is what the IJF President, Mr. Marius Vizer, emphasised during his welcome speech on the occasion of the draw, which took place entirely online, “I would like to thank the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and his government, the National Olympic Committee, the Asian Judo Union, the Qatari Judo Federation, the sponsors and the media, as well as all the participants of the World Judo Masters, for having done everything in their power to make this major event possible. The Masters are one of the biggest events in the world. The best judoka are present. As we enter the last phase before the Tokyo Olympics in July in Japan, I wish everyone great health and success. "I appreciate at their true value, the efforts made by everyone. In the current difficult context, all the national federations have made great efforts to raise the level of world judo as high as possible. May they all be thanked and congratulated. Good luck to everyone" he added.Mr. Obaid Al Anzi, President of the Judo Union of Asia, said, “I would like to thank the authorities of Qatar and the Judo Federation for the work they have done. It is a very great honour for Asia to host such a competition. Thanks to Mr Marius Vizer for believing in our ability to do so."Mr. Khalid Hamad Alatiya, President of the Qatar Taekwondo, Judo and Karate Federation said, “We are very happy to welcome you to our country. After the organisation of the IJF Refereeing and Coaching Seminar last year and with the 2023 World Championships on the horizon, our goal is to develop judo in order to make it an educational tool for our youth, so that they are ready to live in a fulfilling way. The World Judo Masters will contribute greatly to this.
Lusail Multipurpose Hall wears new look ahead of IJF World Judo Masters Doha 2021
Doha, January 10, 2021-With less than two days to the start of the IJF World Judo Masters Doha 2021, the venue, Lusail Multipurpose Hall, is already wearing a new look in readiness for the 2020 Tokyo Games qualifying event which takes place at the ultra-modern venue from January 11 to 13.The hall is looking splendidly radiant after the branding's completion, and the necessary makeovers have also been done as Doha is set to host some of the world's best judokas.Aside from this, all the venue facilities are in top shape with all the required technical and logistical equipment in place.The tournament features over 320 athletes - 184 male and 136 female - from 63 countries representing five continental federations namely the African Judo Union, Judo Union of Asia, and European Judo Union, Oceania Judo Union and Pan-American Judo Confederation.Top on the list of top judokas who will be in action in Doha includes Teddy Riner of France, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and ten-time world champion in the +100kg, Idalys Ortiz of Cuba - the 2012 Olympic gold medalist in the +78kg female category, and Japan's Soichi Hashimoto - world No.1 in the lightweight division and four-time World Championships gold medalist.Aside from the branding and venue preparation, the tournament organisers are also not leaving any stone unturned in ensuring that the competition is held under the safest condition given the current global COVID 19 pandemic.To this end, the International Judo Federation (IJF) and Qatar Taekwondo, Judo and Karate Federation (QTJKF) have jointly set up health protocols in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health, and the Ministry of Interior to accommodate all delegations in one hotel in a quarantine. All the participants will undergo PCR test, first on arrival before being taken to their hotels. Another test will be conducted before they compete on each day of the tournament.Tournament Director Eid Al Meraikhi said, "We are happy with the progress of things so far, and we are very impressed with the level of our preparation for the IJF World Judo Masters Doha 2021. All arrangements are in place to ensure a smooth and stress-free tournament. We are ready to host the world, and we believe all participants will leave Doha at the end of the competition with lasting memories. Qatar is globally renowned for hosting very successful sporting events, and we are building on that reputation with this tournament."The tournament will feature competition in seven categories for both men and women, and it will be streamed live on the IJF website and social media channels.
Doha set to host 2021 Australian Open qualifiers
Doha, January 10, 2021-Preparations are in top gear to host the 128 players and other officials who will be converging in Qatar for the 2021 Australian Open qualifiers to be held at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha from January 10 to 13.Ahead of the event, being held outside of Australia for the first time in its 116 years history, the venue has started to wear a new look and look splendidly radiant after completing the branding. The necessary makeovers are done in readiness for the first Grand Slam of the year's qualifying rounds.A total of sixteen qualifying slots for the main event to be held from February 8 to 21 in Melbourne are up for grabs in Doha. The event's star cast includes rising stars and former Australian Open boys' singles champions Sebastian Korda (AO 2018) and Lorenzo Musetti (AO 2019).Other players to look out for include Carlos Alcaraz, a 17-year-old ranked No.141 who won three ATP Challenger titles in 2020 and was voted the ATP Tour's Newcomer of the Year, as well as France's Hugo Gaston, a 20-year-old who made the Roland Garros fourth round in 2020, are also on the list of players to watch.The ticket-free tournament is open to all, and spectators will be allowed in on a first-come, first-served basis as only 30 percent stadium capacity is allowed in line with the essential health protocols and guidelines occasioned by the prevailing global COVID-19 pandemic.The tournament is scheduled to be overseen by 64 line umpires, 18 chair umpires and five management officials drawn from across the world.Meanwhile, the Local Organising Committee is leaving no stone unturned in its bid to ensure that the tournament is held under the strictest health and safety condition. To this end, all the members of the organizing committee, staff, and volunteers had undergone a PCR test to ensure all the participants' safety. Another round of PCR test is also scheduled for everyone involved in the tournament on January 9.Qatar Tennis Federation (QTF) Board Member, Karim Alami, said, "The qualifiers of the 2021 Australian Open is just a few days away, and we are impressed with the level of our preparations and readiness for this tournament. Qatar's reputation as a history-maker, especially in sports, is well-known globally, and we are happy that we are about to add to the long list of our sporting achievements with this event. All the participants are assured of a safe, conducive and well-organized environment at this event, and we look forward to welcoming everyone."The qualifying draw will take place at 3:00 pm local time (GMT+3) on Saturday, January 9 and will be streamed live on all QTF and AO social media accounts as well. Live scoring and live streaming of qualifying where available will be hosted via ausopen.com and the AO app.
Delegations participating in 2021 Judo Masters arrive in Doha
Doha, January 08, 2021- Delegations participating in International Judo Federation (IJF) Doha Masters 2021 have begun arriving in Doha in preparation for the three-day competitions that will kick off Monday at the ultra-modern Lusail Multipurpose Hall.The 2020 Tokyo Games qualifying event will feature 401 athletes - 215 male and 186 female - from 70 countries representing five continental federations namely the African Judo Union, Judo Union of Asia, and European Judo Union, Oceania Judo Union and Pan-American Judo Confederation.The event is also part of the World Judo Tour. The tournament will feature competition in seven categories for both men and women.For the men, participants will contest in the -60kg, -66kg, -73kg, -81kg, -90kg, -100kg and +100kg categories while the women will be in action in the -48kg, -52kg, -57kg, -63kg, -70kg, -78kg and +78kg categories.The Qatari national team will participate in the tournament with two players Murad Zamouri and Khalil Rabahi in the -81kg category .Secretary-General of the Qatar Taekwondo, Judo & Karate Federation (QTJKF) and director of the organizing committee of the tournament Eid Al Muraikhi said, "We are delighted to welcome the world to Doha once again. We are extremely proud of being the host of this important tournament which is a qualifying event for the rescheduled 2020 Tokyo Games. The tournament is happening in an unusual time occasioned by the global Covid-19 pandemic. Still, Qatar is more than ready to provide the strictest health protocols to the athletes and officials taking part in the prestigious event. The safety of everyone is our topmost priority, and all measures will not be spared, in partnership with the health authorities, to ensure an incident-free tournament."We are quite aware that we need to put in a lot of effort to meet the specific needs and expectations of all our stakeholders. We are very pleased to welcome our best judokas and guests in our hospitable city of Doha. Doha has always been a lively and dynamic place to discover and stage high-performance events. We are very grateful to our highest authorities for all their continued backing."The Doha Masters precedes the World Championships which Qatar will host in 2023. (QNA)
Top judokas set to converge for Doha Masters from Jan 11
Doha, January 4, 2021-Preparations are in top gear as Qatar is set to host the world at the International Judo Federation (IJF) Doha Masters 2021 from January 11-13 at the ultra-modern Lusail Multipurpose Hall.The 2020 Tokyo Games qualifying event will feature 370 athletes — 203 male and 167 female — from 68 countries representing five continental federations namely the African Judo Union, Judo Union of Asia, and European Judo Union, Oceania Judo Union and Pan-American Judo Confederation.The event is also part of the World Judo Tour.The tournament will feature competition in seven categories for both men and women.For the men, participants will contest in the -60kg, -66kg, -73kg, -81kg, -90kg, -100kg and +100kg categories while the women will be in action in the -48kg, -52kg, -57kg, -63kg, -70kg, -78kg and +78kg categories.Top on the list of stars featuring in Doha is France's Teddy Riner, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and ten-time world champion in the +100kg (the first and only judoka, male or female, to do so). In his 13-year career as a professional judoka, Riner was only defeated eight times in elite international championships.Also on the cards are Idalys Ortiz of Cuba, the 2012 Olympic gold medallist in the +78kg female category; Japan's Soichi Hashimoto, world No.1 in the lightweight division and four-time World Championships gold medallist; Ukraine's Daria Bilodid, the 2019 World champion and the 2019 European gold medallist in the 48kg division; and Belgium's Matthias Casse, the World No.1 in -81kg and the 2019 European Games gold medallist.Other stars on the list include Clarisse Agbegnenou of France, the 2016 Olympic silver medallist and four-time world champion in the -63 kg female category; and Egypt's Ramadan Darwish, a six-time African champion in -100kg and a bronze medallist at the 2009 World Championship in Rotterdam. Tunisia's Nihel Cheikh Rouhou, the gold medallist in the women's +78kg event at the 2019 African Games held in Rabat, Morocco, is also set to participate in the tournament.Qatar LOC director Eid al-Muraikhi said, “We are delighted to welcome the world to Doha once again. We are extremely proud of being the host of this important tournament which is a qualifying event for the rescheduled 2020 Tokyo Games. The tournament is happening in an unusual time occasioned by the global Covid-19 pandemic. Still, Qatar is more than ready to provide the strictest health protocols to the athletes and officials taking part in the prestigious event. The safety of everyone is our topmost priority, and all measures will not be spared, in partnership with the health authorities, to ensure an incident-free tournament.“We are quite aware that we need to put in a lot of effort to meet the specific needs and expectations of all our stakeholders. We are very pleased to welcome our best judokas and guests in our hospitable city of Doha. Doha has always been a lively and dynamic place to discover and stage high-performance events. We are very grateful to our highest authorities for all their continued backing."The Doha Masters precedes the World Championships which Qatar will host in 2023.Al-Muraikhi thanked the IJF President Marius Vizer for “his continuous support and trust in allocating the organisation of the Doha Masters event and the 2023 World Championships" to Qatar.Meanwhile, Vizer praised Qatar's enthusiasm and commitment to sports despite the complications stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic.“As you all know, this is a complicated year. The coronavirus pandemic has forced us all to modify established plans for the good of judo and the world. Now here we are, willing to continue our lives and continue to promote our beloved sport, without anything or anyone preventing us," he said.“In that regard, I would like to thank the commitment of the Qatar Judo Federation, whose effort has been enormous, ensuring everything is ready on time. The Masters is, therefore, ready to begin! The Doha Masters is a vital qualifying tournament for the Tokyo Olympic Games, with the crème de la crème of the World Judo Tour battling to earn the valuable points.“It will happen in Doha, a place tied firmly to its history but that bets on the future, with its avant-garde architecture, its green spaces and its desire to be a hub of culture, sports and business. This is Doha!" said Vizer.
Inaugural QOC Beach Games ends with exciting actions in men’s events
Doha, January 03,2021-After two weeks of exciting breach sports action, the curtains were drawn on the inaugural Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) Beach Games at the Aspire Park in Doha on Saturday with the finals of the men's beach volleyball, men's beach handball and the men's beach football held on the day.Saturday's event had in attendance various dignitaries including QOC Secretary-General HE Jassim bin Rashid al-Buenain, Secretary-General of the Maldives Olympic Committee HE Ahmed Marzooq, QOC Sports Affairs Director Kalid Al Jaber, President of Qatar Volleyball Association Ali bin Ghanem Al Kuwari, President of the Qatar Handball Association Ahmad Mohammad Al-Shaabi among others.One of the major highlights of the day was the highly entertaining final match of the football event which saw Shahaniyah being crowned the champions after staging a dramatic comeback from 4-1 down to level the scores at 5-5 in the third period against Doha. They subsequently won the game 8-6 after the resultant penalty shootout.The match, which the attending dignitaries and a capacity crowd witnessed, had all the trappings of a befitting final as it had all the fans glued to their seat for most parts of the game as the players went toe-to-toe against each other.The Doha team endued up rueing their several wasted opportunities and some laxity at their defence, especially in the second period, which allowed Shahaniyah to come back into the game after being on the back foot most part.Aside from the trophy and medals, Shahaniyah walked away with the QR50,000 winners' prize money while Doha got QR40,000 for their effort.In the handball event, Al Edaid were crowned champions and earned the QR40,000 prize money after defeating Al Khafji 2-1 (23-21, 12-14, 10-8) while Al Adaam trounced Al Nojoom 2-0 (21-13, 21-18) to claim the tournament's championship trophy as well as the QR40,000 prize-money in the volleyball event. The runners-up of both events went home with QR30,000, respectively.Aside from the crowning of the day's winners, the champions of all the women's events and the men's basketball 3X3 were also crowned on the day.Seashore, the women's football winners, got QR30,000 aside from the championship trophy while Team A7, the runners-up were rewarded with QR20,000.Women's handball champions, Al Shaqab, also went home with QR30,000 while runners-up Yasminat of Tunisia walked away with QR20,000. Same was for volleyball which was won by Al Maha with Al Amal being the runners-up.However, in the basketball 3X3 events, men's champions Al Ahlam were rewarded with QR30,000 while Al Wakrah, the runners-up got QR20,000. In the women's event, Qatar B who defeated Doha to claim the trophy got QR25,000 while QR15,000 was for the second-placed.The QR470,000 total prize-money QOC Beach Games, a legacy event from the maiden ANOC World Beach Games that Qatar successfully hosted in 2019, saw about 500 male and female athletes who competed in four events namely beach volleyball, beach handball, beach football and beach basketball 3X3. One of the many achievements from the competition was the spotted talents, especially in the women's event where several under-16 and under-17 players with potentials to join the national teams were discovered.
