Shooters ready to compete in Trap event at Qatar Shotgun Championships

Doha, February 26, 2020- The competitions of the prestigious Qatar Open Shotgun Championships 2020 have continued successfully at the Lusail International Shooting Complex in Doha on Tuesday.The championship's sixth day has seen formal training sessions in Trap for men and women who are due to begin campaign in the Trap on Wednesday.Elite shooters from team Qatar will participate in the trap event, including Rashid Hamad El Zbah, Mohammed Dablan, Saied Hareb Abo Shareb, Hamad El Zbah, Khlood Khalf and Ibrahim Al Tamimi.The championship is bringing together 220 shooters from 35 nations.

Barty cruises at Qatar Total Open

​Doha, February 26, 2020-Teenager Dayana Yastremska fired 13 aces and saved four of six break points in her 6-3, 7-6(4) defeat of Australian Open championSofia Kenin 6-3, 7-6(4) while World No.1 Ashleigh Barty started her Qatar Total Open debut campaign with a straight sets (6-3, 6-2) defeat of Germany's Laura Siegemund, a qualifier, on Tuesday."It's really frustrating. Obviously coming off of Melbourne where I felt I was playing the best tennis of my life coming down to playing, not the worst tennis, but not playing the tennis I want to be playing,"the 21-year-oldKeninsaid after the defeat.Kenin, the tournament's No.6 seed, has now lost three consecutive matches, including a Fed Cup defeat to JelenaOstapenko.Barty, meanwhile, turned in a smart, controlled performance, tallying 19 winners and 16 unforced errors, to overcome Siegemund, a player she was meeting for the first time, in one hour and 13 minutes. The Australian will next face Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina, who defeated Alison van Uytvanck of Belgium (5-7, 6-2, 7-6(8),in the third round.In the other matches, 2018 champion Petra Kvitova came from a set down to capture a winover Carla Suárez Navarro, the 2016 winner, in their second round match. The 29-year-old Czech defeated her Spanish counterpart 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 to grab a 7-6 head-to-head advantage over her opponent. Kvitova will be up against Ostapenko in the battle for the quarters.Former World No.1 and 2017 champion Karolina Pliskova, however, powered past BernardaPera, a qualifier,6-3, 6-0 in just 55 minutes in her opening match.Arab's “golden girl" Onsjabeur of Tunisian overcame her American opponent Jennifer Brady 6-4, 6-3 in one hour 18 minutes.The 25-year-old Jabeur, who is the highest-ranked Arab player in WTA history and the first Arab woman to reach a quarterfinal of a Grand Slam tournament with her exploit at the last Australian Opens, had the overwhelming support of the home fans as she battled past her 45th ranked opponent.

SOP football competitions for primary schools enter final stage

​DOHA, February 26 , 2020 – Primary school students have sparkled in the football's semifinal stage of the 13th edition of Schools Olympic Program (SOP) 2020 were held in Doha on Tuesday.In the semifinals encounter of primary schools (first level) on Tuesday, Al Shrooq model school and Al Qadisiya school booked their spots in the final stage.On the same track of victory at the second level , Jaber Ibn Hayyan School and Umm Al Qura schools cruised their way to the final.The SOP is held annually as a collaborative effort of to encourage hundreds of students athletes competing from all over Qatar.The SOP Committee aims to spread a culture of sports through Qatar's schools and to engage the entire community in active and healthy lifestyles while retaining local values and traditions.

Students display impressive volleyball skills in SOP competitions

​DOHA, February 25 , 2020 – Students from all preparatory schools for boys across the country displayed high skills in volleyball competitions of the 13th edition of Schools Olympic Program (SOP) 2020 held at the Qatar Volleyball Federation Indoor on Monday.Abdullah bin Ali Mosnad school opened the competitions with a deserving 2-1 victory over Omar Ibn Khattab school, while Hamza Ibn Abdumotaleb school outclassed Religious Institute 2-1.At another sport scene of the same competition, Indian school defeated Al Khor International school 2-1 , following a tough match, while Al Andalus school beat Gulf English School 2-0.The SOP is held annually as a collaborative effort of to encourage hundreds of students athletes competing from all over Qatar.The SOP Committee aims to spread a culture of sports through Qatar's schools and to engage the entire community in active and healthy lifestyles while retaining local values and traditions.

Suarez Navarro sets up Kvitova clash

DOHA, February 25, 2020-The first major upset of the tournament was recorded on Monday with USA's Amanda Anisimova breezing past No.5 seed Elina Svitolina in straight sets.The 18-year-old Anisimova defeated Svitolina, the 2019 US Open and Wimbledon semi-finalist, 6-3, 6-3 in just 64 minutes on Center Court to earn her biggest win of the season and book her spot in the third round of the WTA Premier 5 tournament.Anisimova will next be up against the winner of the clash between former World No.2 Svetlana Kuznetsova and Polish teenager Iga Swiatek.Meanwhile, Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro, the 2016 champion edged out China's Shuai Zhang 7-5, 6-0 to set up a second-round clash with eighth-seeded Petra Kvitova, the 2018 champion, today. With 12 previous matches evenly divided between them, the stage is set for what is expected to be one of the toughest matches of the Qatar Total Open 2020.In the other matches of the day, No.7 seed Kiki Bertens started her campaign on a winning note by posting a 6-2, 6-4 victory over World No. 27 Karolina Muchova in the highly entertaining encounter that lasted 84 minutes.Bertens, the World No.6, who reached the quarterfinals here last year, secured a 4-0 lead before sealing the first set in 32 minutes. The second set, however, was more competitive but she was able to secure the win with expert play in the key moments.

Athlete Career+ Workshop concludes

DOHA, February 25, 2020 - The Athlete365 Career + Outreach Workshop organized by the Athletes Commission of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) was successfully concluded at the Qatar Olympic Academy on Monday. The workshop brought together a number of team Qatar athletes who had represented the country in previous Olympics Games and Paralympic Games. All participants have appreciated the vital topics and lectures delivered by the workshop's key speaker and former team Qatar swimmer Nada Arkaji along with some officials from the Qatar Olympic Committee.Career+ is a programme that empowers athletes to maximise their education and employment opportunities and helps them stride confidently into a dual or post-sports career. It supports athletes at all stages of their career, helping them discover their potential and plan for their life beyond the world of competitive sport through a blend of advice, training and peer-to-peer learning. Launched in 2005, the ACP helps elite and Olympic athletes successfully manage the difficult transition from sport to a new career, through professional development and job placement support.By 2014, the programme has supported more than 22,000 elite athletes from over 100 countries and five continents with training and job placements.