Sheikh Joaan Crowned Qatar's Mutaz Barshim with High Jump Gold

DOHA, October 6, 2019 (QNA) - President of the Qatar Olympic Committee and Chairman of the Supreme Organizing Committee of the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani crowned Qatar's international and Olympic champion Mutaz Barshim with the gold medal of the Men's high jump competition on Saturday, in the penultimate day of the championships.Barshim on Friday retained his title as world champion in the high jump which he achieved at the world championships in London in 2017 to become the undisputed champion after jumping 2.37 meters in the first attempt.Mutaz Barshim beat the Russians Mikhail Akimenko (2.35 m) and Ilya Ivanyuk (2.35 m by attempt), who competed under a neutral flag due to the suspension of the Russian Athletics Federation.Barshim's gold medal is the second medal for the Qatari team after Abdulrahman Samba's bronze medal in the 400 meters hurdles.

Sheikh Joaan: Mutaz Barshim's Achievement Pleased Everyone in Qatar

Doha, October 6, 2019-QNA) - President of the Qatar Olympic Committee and Chairman of the Supreme Organizing Committee of the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thanion Saturday said that the achievement made by Qatar's Champion Mutaz Barshim by winning the gold medal in the high jump and defending his international title has brought happiness to everyone in Qatar.In a press statement this evening, His Excellency congratulated the world and Olympic champion Mutaz Barshim for making this important achievement and on the successive accomplishments of Barshim.Sheikh Joaan praised the persistence of Barshim during the last stage to regain his level after returning from his injury, stressing that Mutaz Barshim is a distinct world champion, who impressed and delighted his fans.He also expressed his deep appreciation and thanks to the Qatari champions who participated in the World Championships in Doha, saying that they all worked very hard to represent Qatar.His Excellency also thanked the Qatari Athletics Federation for their efforts in preparing Barshim and all his teammates participating in the World Athletics Championships, wishing that the results of the athletes would be the best motivation for them in the forthcoming global tournaments, most notably the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.He also praised the huge crowds attending the Khalifa International Stadium every day in support of the tournament, and extended thanks to the volunteers and the committees who worked with determination and sincerity in organizing the World Athletics Championships Doha 2019. (QNA)

Aspire Academy and Qatar Olympic Academy sign MoU

Doha, October 7, 2019-Aspire Academy and Qatar Olympic Academy signed a Memorandum of Understanding yesterday to develop administrative and technical staff as well as students in Olympic education and sports.The collaboration focuses on developing coaches, experts and specialists in sports, physical education and its applied sciences, through the establishment and development of programmes directly with Qatar Olympic Academy. Furthermore, it includes joint work on holding workshops and programmes in sports culture and Olympic movement of students and administrators affiliated with Aspire Academy.“It's timely that we are signing this MoU during this wonderful time when Qatar as a country is celebrating the achievements by Mutaz Barshim and Abderrahman Samba a few days ago in the IAAF Athletics World Championships Doha 2019. Our objective is always to be intertwined and linked to all sport organisations in Qatar and we always say that they should use us as much as possible to do everything from working with young kids starting in sports, to do elite training, to do coaching training, to even do a strategic thinking administration.“The Qatar Olympic Committee has always been very supportive to us and I think that now bringing the Qatar Olympic Academy into play gives us a platform where they can help us and we can help them. As we always do at Aspire, we are focusing on the development of people and that includes coaching, sport science, physiology, analytics and also some pathways for our young athletes to be at some point connected to the Qatar Olympic Committee," Ivan Bravo, Director General Aspire Academy, commented on the MoU.Saif Mohammed al-Nuaimi, Executive Director of Qatar Olympic Academy, said, “We very proud today to sign this important Memorandum of Understanding with Aspire Academy which is a leading academy in the field of Sports in Qatar, based on its crucial role in student-athletes development for all national teams in different sports. This agreement will help us implement educative and instructive workshops that will help the academy student athletes and staff, as well as programs tailored for Aspire Academy which will reflect positively on sports scene in Qatar."

Cheruiyot wins 1500m gold in Doha

​Doha, October 7, 2019- Kenya's Timothy Cheruiyot led from start to finish as he won gold in the men's 1500m in a majestic show at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha on Sunday.London World Championships silver medallist Cheruiyot started like pace-setter along with compatriot Ronald Kwemoi while and were followed by the chasing pack which included Olympic champion Algerian Taoufik Makhloiufi.While Kwemoi tired after three laps, 23-year-old Thimothy just kept on increasing his pace to finish in 3:29.26 for the biggest victory of his career. Makhloiufi took silver in 3:31.38 while Poland's Marcin Lewandowski finished strongly (3:31.46) to nudge European champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen into fourth.Joshua Cheptegi of Uganda won the 10,000m gold after fending off the tough challenge of Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha and Kenya's Rhonex Kipruto.The thrilling race saw Kipruto lead for the most part, but when world cross-country champion Cheptegi, who briefly led in between, made his final move and start pushing ahead, the Kenyan had no answers. Kejelcha tried to keep up but Cheptegi had too much in reserve and won in a world-leading 26:48.36, which is the second-fastest time in World Championships' history.Kejelcha clocked 26:49.34 for silver while Kipruto took bronze in 26:50.32.In women's long jump, Germany's Malaika Mihambo took gold in 7.30. Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk of Ukraine won silver in 6.92 while Ese Brume of Nigeria bagged the bronze in 6.91.Mihambo started slowly with a 6.52 effort and got red-flagged in her second attempt but she found her rhythm in the third jump which took her to the top and thereafter she was on her own at the top.In women's 100m hurdles, USA's Nia Ali took gold in a personal best of 12.34. Compatriot Kendra Harrisson, the world record holder in the discipline, took silver in 12.46 while Jamaican Danielle Williams, the world leader this season, failed to find her top form and had to settle for bronze in 12.47.

Handball team prepare for ANOC World Beach Games

DOHA, October 7, 2019 – Qatar's handball team continued their intensive training session on Sunday, that in preparation for ANOC World Beach Games Qatar 2019 will take place from 12-16 October in Doha.Qatar's beach Handball team include 12 players Said Qanawi, Ahmed Margan, Mohammed Hassan, Hani Kakhy, Ali Mohammed, Mostafa Al Karad, Motasem Mohammed, Mahmoud Zaky, Rasheed Yousef, Kamal El Deen Malash, Shadi Hamdoon and Ali Garba.Team Qatar is pooled in Group B alongside Croatia, Hungary, Spain, Uruguay and Tunisia, while group A including Brazil, Sweden, Denmark, Oman, USA and Australia.

Sheikh Joaan hands over Championships' baton to Governor of Oregon

​Doha, October 7, 2019 – (QNA)- HE President of Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) and chairperson of the World Athletics Championships organizing committee Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani handed over the baton of the championships to Kate Brown, Governor of US State of Oregon, which hosts the next edition of the World Athletics Championships.This came after the final day of the 17th World Athletics Championships, which was hosted by Qatar over ten days at Khalifa International Stadium and Doha Corniche amid unprecedented participation of 2,000 male and female athletes representing 209 countries.America topped the overall ranking with 29 medals (14 gold, 11 silver, and 4 bronze), Kenya came in second with 11 medals (5 gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze), while Jamaica was third with 11 medals (3 gold, 5 silver, and 3 bronze).China came in fourth place with 9 medals (3 gold, 3 silver, and 3 bronze), while the fifth place went for the Ethiopian team with 8 medals (2 gold, 5 silver, and 1 bronze).Qatar came in 16th place with a gold and a bronze.The Championships had a total of 49 competitions for men and women, including the 4x4 m mixed relay for the first time in the history of the tournament, as well as the night marathon for men and women. (QNA)