Farag to start title defense in Qatar Classic 2020

Doha, November 2, 2020-World No.1 and defending champion Ali Farag of Egypt will begin his quest to join an elite group of two-time winners at the Qatar Classic with a Round 2 match against England's Richie Fallows on Tuesday.A total of eight games are slated for the day, and all the matches will be held on the Glass Court of the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex.The 28-year-old 2018/2019 world champion Farag, who reclaimed the No.1 spot this month after winning last month's CIB Egyptian Open, has been in the devasting form of recent, and he is expected to maintain the momentum in Doha. The Harvard-graduate managed to drop just three games only throughout the Cairo tournament on his way to winning the title.Farag, who together with his professional squash player wife, Nour El Tayeb, set a new record as the first married couple to both win the same major title on the same day in 2017, is expected to easily overcome any challenge from the London-resident Fallows.Meanwhile, Qatar's Abdullah Mohd Al Tamimi, who defeated England's Patrick Rooney on Sunday, will be looking to make it four wins in four encounters against the World No.7 Diego Elias of Peru when the two clash again on Tuesday.Despite the difference in rankings between them, Al Tamimi is the World No. 30, and the Qatari has always ended up on the winning side against Elias. The 24-year-old Peruvian will be hoping to finally break the jinx which, however, may prove difficult considering Tamimi's impressive form at home of recent.Other games to look forward to include current world champion Tareq Momen of Egypt versus fellow compatriot Youssef Soliman and Mohamed Abouelghar vs eighth-seed Joel Makin of Wales.The tournament's three-time champion and the World No.2 Egypt's Mohamed ElShorbagy advanced into the third round of the Qatar Classic courtesy of a 3-1 (11-8, 11-6, 9-11, 11-8) defeat of England's George Parker in 62 minutes on Monday.Though the result of the last match of the day was in favour of the Egyptian who was until the beginning of this month the World's topmost-ranked player, it was, however, a hard-fought victory as the 24-year-old Parker made him sweat for the points.ElShorbagy will next be up against compatriot Youssef Ibrahim on Wednesday for a chance at the quarter-finals.

Sheikh Joaan attends IOC Commission for Public Affairs and Social Development through Sport meeting

Doha, November 2, 2020- The QOC President HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani attended the 3rd meeting of the IOC Commission for Public Affairs and Social Development through Sport which was held today via video conference. The meeting was attended by the IOC President Dr Thomas Bach & members. During the meeting, the members discussed the latest developments in the Olympic movement, and the role of the Commission for Public Affairs and Social Development in promoting international peace and security.The meeting also reviewed the topics listed on the agenda and took the necessary decisions thereon.

Qatar's coach announces 27-player squad for November friendlies

Doha, November 01, 2020 - Qatar coach Felix Sanchez on Saturday announced a squad of 27 players ahead of the two international friendlies against Costa Rica and Korea Republic on Nov. 13 and 17.The national teams training for the current gathering will start on Sunday until the return date from Austria on Nov. 18, after which the players will join the ranks of their clubs.The teams list included: Meshaal Barsham, Pedro Miguel, Tariq Salman, Abdel-Karim Hassan, Boualem Khoukhi, Hassan Al-Haydos, Akram Afif, Musab Khudar, Muhammad Waad, Yousif Abdulsaq, Ahmed Suhail, Al Moez Ali, Karim Boudiaf, Ismail Muhammad, Abdullah Abd Al Salam, Mahdi Ali, Ahmad Alaa Al Din, Moayed Hassan, Humam Ahmad, Abdullah Maarifieh, Ahmed Fathy, Ahmed Moein, Abdel Aziz Hatem, Fahd Younis, Mohammed Abu Nada and Issa Ahmed.The two friendlies are part of Qatar's preparations for the double qualifiers for the 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup and the 2023 Asian Cup.

Qatar Classic 2020 begins

Doha, November 1, 2020-Qatar's No.1 player and the World No. 30 Abdulla Al Tamimi did not disappoint the home fans as he dug deep to produce a five-games 3-2 (10-12, 11-3, 11-8, 8-11, 11-3) win in 54 minutes against England's Patrick Rooney in the first round of Qatar Classic 2020 on Sunday, while 2011 champion Gregory Gaultier praised the Qatar Tennis, Squash and Badminton Federation for the opportunity to play again after about 40 months of lay off due to injury.Tamimi could have rounded up the match in the fourth game, but some unexpected errors from him allowed his 52-ranked English opponent bounced back from a 4-7 deficit to take the game to a decider.Energized by the presence of the supportive home fans, Tamimi, who reached the Round of 16 at last year's PSA World Championships held at the same venue, wasted no time in putting the game to bed in less than 10 minutes of the deciding game.For the 38-year-old Gaultier, age counted for nothing against his much younger opponent, Spain's Iker Pajares Bernabeu. The Frenchman won 3-1 (10-12, 11-3, 11-9, 11-8) in 57 minutes in his first match since coming back from injury.While thanking card for granting him a wildcard entrant into the tournament, Gaultier said, "I've always played well in Qatar, and I've enjoyed all my visits here. I've been coming here for several years now. Though I missed the last two events due to injury, I'm pleased to be here again. I am grateful to the Qatar Squash Federation for giving me the wildcard to play at this tournament. I was out for about 40 months, and my rankings went from No.1 to No. 600. I'm grateful to Qatar for the opportunity to play otherwise, I won't be here."​

Proposed Doha 2030 venue hosts QOC Padel Tournament as gateway to community sport

Doha, November 01, 2020-The Al Sadd Sports Club indoor hall, one of the many existing world-class venues proposed for the Doha 2030 Asian Games bid, safely welcomed more than 300 members of the public for the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) Padel Tournament.The tournament took place on 27-31 October and was part of a wider QOC “Sport for Life" community engagement strategy, which is encouraging people to lead healthier and more active lifestyles. Sport for Life is a central part of Doha's bid for the 2030 Asian Games and reflects the country's strong belief in the power of sport to drive social development. The tournament was held to provide an opportunity for people to continue to safely practice sport during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Al Sadd Sports Club indoor hall, which would host billiards in 2030, is one of many proposed Doha 2030 venues that will continue to serve the community and elite sport before and after 2030. Alex Garcia and Angel Carrasco won the first place in Category A, while Mohammed Saadoun and Gonzalo Sacho won the second place and Khalid Saadoun and Abdullah Hajji won the third place. In Category B, Rashid Nawwaf and Hamad Nawwaf won the first place, Jassem Al Mulla and George Perez won the second place, and Mohammed Al Shaabi and Abdullah Al Muezzin won the third place. In Category C, Abdullah Al Shaabi and Abdulrahman Al Shaabi won the first place, Abdullah Al Jaber and Ibrahim Al Najjar won the second place, and Salah Aqil and Casper won the third place.Doha 2030 CEO and QOC Secretary General H.E Jassim Bin Rashid Al Buenain said:“Now more than ever, sport has a major role to play in inspiring hope and positivity. The QOC Padel Tournament is just one small way we can support our communities by giving them the chance to stay active through practising sport in a COVID-19 secure environment. This is crucial not just for physical wellbeing but for mental wellbeing as well. “We are fortunate to have so many existing world-class sports venues in Qatar which makes it possible to deliver these opportunities in a safe way. Ensuring that these facilities benefit Qatar and the region from now until 2030 and beyond, is a central pillar of our bid to host the Asian Games. We are focused on using the Games to deliver benefits to Asian sport and serving as a gateway to a brighter future for Asia."Padel is one of the proposed sports on the Doha 2030 Games programme and has grown significantly in popularity in recent years. ​

PSA Qatar Classic 2020 begins today

​Doha, November 1, 2020-The 2020 Qatar Classic starts today at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex with 16 matches on the cards as all the top-seeded players have been given a bye into the next round.Tournament's defending champion and second-seed Ali Farag will start the prestigious tournament as the World No.1, and he will not be seen in action until Tuesday when he faces the winner of the first-round match between Tayyab Aslam and Richie Fallows.The Egyptian player is likely to face the reigning World Champion, Tarek Momen, who also won his World title at the same venue last year, in the semi-finals - all thing being equal.For three-time champion Mohamed ElShorbagy of Egypt, the quest for an unprecedented 4th title in Doha begins on Monday with a match against either England's George Parker or Victor Crouin of France. "The Beast" is projected to face New Zealand's Paul Coll in the semis.Meanwhile, his brother, Marwan ElShorbagy, will be up against the winner of the Gregory Gaultier of France vs Spain's Iker Pajares Bernabeu match.For Qatar's representatives Abdullah Al Tamimi and Abdulrahman Al Malki, the quest for glory on home soil with today's match against England's Patrick Rooney and Declan James respectively.All eyes will be on Tamimi as he attempts to replicate the form which saw him reaching the Round of 16 before losing to tournament's champion Tarek Momen.