Meetings of ANOC General Assembly to Kick Off in Doha Thursday

Doha, October 17, 2019-(QNA) - Meetings of the 24th session of the General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) will kick off at Doha Sheraton Hotel on Thursday morning.The two-day meetings will bring together 205 national Olympic committees and about 1,000 high-level officials representing the Olympic Movement in the world.The 2019 ANOC Awards ceremony will also be held tomorrow at Katara Cultural Village. The sixth edition of ANOC Awards will be presented for the best male and female athlete of 2019 as well as 4 special individual awards.The jury of the ANOC Awards selected a list of athletes to compete for the awards based on the evaluation of the jury during Rabat 2019 African Games, Jakarta Palembang 2018 Asian Games, Minsk 2019 European Games, Samoa 2019 Pacific Games and Lima 2019 Pan American Games. (QNA)

Sheikh Joaan meets CAS President

Doha, October 17, 2019-(QNA) - HE President of Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani met Wednesday with President of the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) John Coates, who is currently visiting Doha.During the meeting, they reviewed aspects of joint sports cooperation in order to ensure the independence of judicial sport institutions and their important role in contributing to the development of the Olympic Movement.The meeting was attended by HE President of Qatar Football Association Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Thani, President of Qatar Sports Arbitration Foundation Ibrahim Khalil Al Mohannadi, Secretary-General of Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain, and Chief Executive of Qatar International Court Faisal bin Rashid Al Sahouti.Following the meeting, Qatar Sports Arbitration Foundation signed four memorandums of understanding with the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), Josoor Institute, Qatar Olympic Academy, Qatar International Court and Qatar International Court and the Dispute Resolution Centre (QICDRC). (QNA)

HH the Amir attends Beach Volleyball Final

Doha, October 17, 2019- (QNA) - HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani attended the final of beach volleyball competitions of the ANOC World Beach Games Qatar 2019 between the Qatari and the US teams.HH the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani and HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser attended the match.The final, which was held on Wednesday evening at Katara Beach, ended with the US team's winning over its Qatari counterpart 2-0 (21/18, 26/24).The match was attended by a number of Their Excellencies Sheikhs and senior officials, and a large crowd of sports fans. (QNA)

Qatar lose to Brazil in beach handball semifinals

DOHA, October 16, 2019- Qatar's beach handball team suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Brazil in the semifinals of ANOC World Beach Games, Qatar 2019 on Tuesday. A testy first set saw both sides awarded penalties for obstruction, and the lead switched multiple times before a couple of huge saves saw Brazil nose in front. In the end the visitors took the first set 15-14, in a game so tight that Qatar were left with a ball in the air heading towards the goal as the whistle went for the first half.Both teams went for broke in the second; wide, loose and aggressive, with both specialists busy pulling off huge reaction saves before Qatar edged in front to take it 14-10 to a deafening roar across Central Court. The shootout that followed was unfortunately a disaster for Qatar, and solid enough for Brazil. In the bronze medal match to be staged on Wednesday, Qatar will take on Sweden who lost the other semifinals match against Spain.

Qatar defeat Oman in FIFA World and Asian Cup qualifiers

DOHA, October 16, 2019 Qatar overcame a gritty Oman 2-1 to pick up their third win in the 2022 FIFA World and 2023 Asian Cup joint qualification here at the Al Janoub Stadium on Tuesday night.The victory meant that the 2022 World Cup hosts lead Group E after having defeated Afghanistan (home) and Bangladesh (away) and a goalless draw against India at Al Sadd Stadium last month.Akram Afif opened the scoring in the second minute with a clinical finish after he was put through by the hard-working Yusuf Abdurisag.The Asian champions could have added their second, but captain Hasan Al Haidous spurned a penalty in the 25th after goalkeeper Faiyz Al Rusheidi tripped Akram inside the box though the Omani escaped without a booking.That was the closest chance Qatar had after that early goal, but Al Haidous saw his shot hit the near post.Oman didn't lose hope as they fought tooth and nail. They came back with a renewed confidence in the second-half which helped them equalize through Al Mandhar Al Alawi in the 65th.With Oman keeping Qatar under check with their incisive forays, Almoez Ali silenced them with a winning goal six minutes later following a quick counter attack.However, Qatar's star striker was surprisingly silent as he was tightly marked by the Omanis.Before the goal, which helped Qatar pick up their third win in the group, Almoez attempted one of his trademark back-volleys in the 56th minute but it didn't puncture the Omanis' confidence.Qatar's performance left a lot to be desired as their back-line escaped some close shaves. Abdulaziz Al Maqbal was almost clear as he carried Tarek Salman, who intercepted him well and denied a close look at the goal in the first half. He once again came close to equalizing in the seventh minute but his shot hit goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb.

Qatar qualify to beach volleyball final

Doha, Qatar, October 16, 2019 – It may be so new that few teams have put in more than a few weeks practice, but 4x4 is shaping up as a fascinating format – for spectators, at least. In the women's competition, the North American derby between USA and Canada quickly started going the American way. Led by crisp attacking from Emily Hartong, the USA seized all the momentum, worked their height advantage and edged just too many plays. Canada briefly got their nose in front in the second set, but it wasn't long before the Americans were through 21-11, 21-16.They will face a Brazilian team in crushing form on the beach today in Katara. Despite only having a short warmup time due to the team bus getting in a minor accident on the way to the Al Gharafa sand, Brazil were little short of astonishing in their semi-final against Australia. Crisp in passing and accurate across the skillset, their positional strength is also deeper than other teams here, with the imposing Fernanda Berti Alves taking four superb points from blocks. Australia did not perform badly, but they were severely outclassed in two sets that went Brazil's way 21-10, 21-11. It will be difficult to bet against the south Americans today, but perhaps their opponents can force a classic on the sand. In the men's competition, the USA have looked more coherent in every match, and pulled together to take out an Indonesian team who have impressed most here in Doha. Despite some powerful spiking from their key attacker Rendy Licardo, Indonesia couldn't match the USA for blocks and digs and were outplayed on the court. Their bronze match today versus Poland will definitely be worth a watch.Finally, the hosts Qatar, still unbeaten, walked out in front of the noisiest home crowd yet seen. They were pushed quite hard by Poland in the first set, with the score levelling at 19-19, but once the hosts had got the first set over the line they streaked away to take the final honours in a solid performance to finish the evening, 24-22 and 21-15. The Qatari talisman Cherif Younousse had plenty of room to manoeuvre, taking 20 of the 45 points the hosts grabbed in barely forty minutes.The upcoming USA-Qatar final looks like one to savour. The USA pros have all the international experience, but have they developed enough as a team to pull it off against Qatar today, with the mighty Younousse in the form of his life? Perhaps a great final will be the boost 4x4 needs to become a new chapter in volleyball's history.