Qatar beach volleyball team claim seventh place in world ranking

DOHA, May 3, 2019-Qatar's national beach volleyball team including Cherif Younousse and Ahmad Tijan took the seventh place in the FIVB world ranking issued recently.The Qatari team collected 4520 points after participating in 16 international and continental tournaments. Christian Sorum and Anders Mol of Norway led the standings with 5690 points.The Qatari duo won the bronze medal at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Xiamen Open last week after a come from behind victory against Italy's Enrico Rossi and Adrian Ignacio Carambula Raurich (13-21, 21-15, 15-10).

QOC Life Engineering course concluded

DOHA, May 3, 2019 - With attendance of HE Jassim Rashid Al Bonainin, the QOC Secretary General , the Human Resources & Administrative Affairs Department of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) concluded its productive course " Life Engineering" at Losail Hall at QOC building on Thursday.On the closing day, the course key lecturer, Dr. Abdurrahman Al Harami senior education consultant and trainer at Education Centre focused on behavioral efficiencies, integrity, resilience , communication, problem solving process and analytical thinking.The five day training course brought together 30 trainees (male and female) from different QOC's departments and sections.By the end of the course, HE QOC Secretary General gave a Letter of Thanks to the lecturer and trainees, also appreciated the course goals and its compliance with Qatar 2030 national vision.From his part, Mr. Hasan Hassam Al Ahbabi, the Director of Human Resources and Administrative Affairs Department handed over the appreciation certificates to the trainees respectively.

Doha Ready to Host Global Stars at IAAF Diamond League Season-Opener

DOHA, May 3, 2019-An exciting and glittering opening of the IAAF Diamond League 2019 season is anticipated as the prestigious series is ready to get underway at the Khalifa International Stadium, the new home of athletics in Doha, on May 3.For the tenth consecutive year, Qatar is hosting the season-opening meet of the highly-successful athletics top-tier series and IAAF President Lord Sebastian Coe noted at the well-attended press conference on Thursday, May 2:“Doha is definitely the centre of the world for athletics in 2019 considering the array of events and tournaments culminating with the 2019 IAAF World Championships to be held here later in the year."The press conference was attended by the Qatar Athletics Federation (QAF) President HE Dr Thani Abdulrahman Al Kuwari, triple European sprint champion, Dina Asher-Smith (GBR), Olympic long jump champion, Tianna Bartoletta of the USA, Olympic pole vault bronze medallist, Sam Kendricks (USA), New Zealand's world shot put champion, Tom Walsh and Brianna McNeal of the USA, the Olympic 110m hurdles champion, with other athletes and officials.This year's leg of the IAAF Diamond League in Doha is parading a star cast which includes six reigning world champions, eight reigning Olympic champions and winners of nine 2018 Diamond Trophies.“We are glad to showcase the Diamond League at the Khalifa International Stadium tomorrow," Dr Kuwari said in welcoming address."This year, QAF has double reasons to celebrate. We are celebrating ten years of Diamond League in Doha and the relocation to the new home of athlete at Khalifa International Stadium."It is my pleasure to welcome all participants to new venue after nine years of hosting this global event at the Qatar Sports Club. We are very pleased that you will be joining us for what promises to be another exciting time of athletics in Qatar,"In his address, Lord Coe said, “The IAAF Diamond League is increasing in popularity every year and we now have about 370 million people from about 170 countries watching the league annually. "We feel it there is a need to make it bigger and better and that's what have necessitated the review of the format as we go into the tenth year anniversary." Lord Coe added that due to the importance of the IAAF Diamond League to the athletics body, the IAAF is responding to feedback from the various stakeholders – athletes, fans, broadcasters, administrators with the new format of the league which is scheduled to begin from the 2020 season. The 2020 IAAF Diamond League will include the very best 12 meetings, based on the criteria developed in 2018, leading to a single final at the end of the season. An agreed 24 disciplines (12 male and 12 female) will run across the 12 meetings and the final, with the longest discipline being the 3,000m. Each meeting will be broadcast globally in a faster-paced 90-minute television event which will link the events and the athletes' points so fans can more readily follow the road to a single final at the end of the season. “The IAAF Diamond League is very important because it is one of the major ways millions of people absorb our sport every year and it is a responsibility that we don't take lightly," Lord Coe explained."I am happy with what we've done with the new format and as you know, the criteria has become tougher which will make the league more interesting. We are looking forward to a more exciting events and of course the IAAF World Championships in September is something everyone can't wait enough to see it start," he added. Lord Coe added that the new format has come out to take care of the concerns of the global athletics community:“The concept for us was quite simple - could we create something that will be exciting and fun for the fans, both old and new, as well as the athletes and other stakeholders? The answer is what we've just done with the new format of the league," he added. Meanwhile, Asher-Smith, who is in the Middle East for the first time, has expressed her delight participating at the Doha IAAF Diamond League. “It is exciting to be here in Doha for the first time and to start my season at the same venue of the 2019 IAAF World Championships."I can't wait to compete on the beautiful tracks and I hope all goes as planned tomorrow," said the British record holder in the 100m and 200m (10.85 and 21.89 respectively), achieved at the European Championships last August. On his part, Kendricks, who is also appearing in Doha for the very first time said: “Every Diamond League is important and I'm glad to be here. Though for us in the States, the season starts a bit earlier due to the spring season but this is my first major competition of the year."I've had a couple of good jumps and I'm hoping to jump at least 5.95m tomorrow - I hope the aim is achieved. The field is strong and the competition is tough but I think I am set and let's see how things turn out tomorrow."To Olympic long jump champion, Bartoletta - Doha has always brought her fond memories: “I've had good experiences here and each visit had been quite interesting. Even when I wasn't expecting it, I ended up doing well and I think Doha has been generally good to me. I hope the luck continues tomorrow and I would be glad to win again in Doha," said the 33-year-old who won the 2015 Doha event before going on to win the World Championships in Beijing later that year.Brianna McNeal on the other hand, the runner-up in 200m at last year's event, said she is more motivated to perform better this year: “I'm very focused on what I need to do and I'm very prepared to give my best tomorrow. I hope to improve on my performance last year and I think I am in the right frame to win," she said. Tom Walsh believes that with USA's Ryan Crouser's current throw of 22.74m in 2019, which is the longest throw in the world since 1990 - the bar has already been set so high early in the season and this is going to be a great challenge for every other person to meet up with: “Crouser has raised the bar for all of us and I believe the competition is going to be tough this year. I will definitely do my best and let's see how things turn out," he said. Crouser is now the sixth best performer of all time and he will be on the field when the season kicks off on Friday.

Qatar Paralympics teams ready for International Championships

DOHA, May 2, 2019 – Qatar Paralympics Committee (QPC) is preparing to participate in a number of International sport championships over the upcoming period.QPC team will take part in Poland Goal Ball Championship, France Open Athletics Championship, West Asian Games in Jordan and World Athletics Championships in United Arab Emirates.It is worth mentioning that Qatar's special needs team confidently had sparkled in Asian Games in Jakarta, where Sarah Masood clinched the bronze medal in shot put . The team also claimed 13 medals in World Para Athletics Championships held recently in UAE.

World Athletics Stars share experience with Aspire Academy Students

DOHA, May 2, 2019 - Aspire Academy hosted three renowned Olympic athletes yesterday with Jereem Richards, 2017 World Championship gold medallist in the 400m relay, Joe Kovacs, 2016 Olympics shot put silver medallist; and Piotr Lisek, 2017 World Championship pole vaulter silver medallist.The athletes, who are in Doha to take part in the 2019 IAAF Diamond League, enthusiastically gave Aspire Academy student-athletes a professional training session where the star athletes shared tips, personal stories and led training sessions on ground to showcase professional athletic techniques to the future champions. Commenting on his visit to Aspire Academy for the first time, US-American shot putter, Joe Kovacs, said; “It is so cool to see this in person as I have seen numerous athletes train here and post on Instagram. I am delighted to have had the chance to see and use the facilities as well as meet the student athletes who are benefiting from these amazing facilities.“I don’t think there is anywhere else in the world that can boast such amazing facilities for so many different sports. As for the student-athletes at the academy, they are benefiting from the best of the best. I personally think that most important thing for these young student-athletes to see is that even professional have off days and we have to endure the harsh physical training sessions ahead of any championship.”Jereem Richards, sprinter from Trinidad & Tobago, said; “It is a great experience to be in Doha and I’m glad to be here once again. The piece of advice that I would like to pass on to student-athletes is to be patient, don’t expect immediate results and to be patient and trust the process of growth.“I’m also very proud to be part of the 2019 IAAF Diamond League and I’m very lucky to have the chance to compete in the stadium where the 2019 IAAF World Championships will be hosted later this year. It is a chance to familiarise myself with the stadium and feel more comfortable when the worlds come here in September.

QWSC organizes grassroots festival

Doha, May 01, 2019- The Qatar Women's Sports Committee (QWSC) organized the Grassroots Festival to discover the talented players at its headquarters on Tuesday. The festival was organized in cooperation with the Qatar Football Association and featured the participation of nearly 90 female students under the age of 14 representing 6 primary schools: Al-Rifaa, Al-Shifa, Juwairiya, Mesaieed, Taiba and Umm Salal Muhammad Primary Schools.The festival, in its fourth edition in Qatar, was organized under the theme of "For the Game. For the World". Assistant Secretary of the Women's Sports Committee Maha al Abdul Jabbar praised the great attendance of the students at the festival yesterday, which indicates its success, prompting us to organize more such events in the future, stressing that the goal of the festival is to select football talents from public and private schools and raise the level of women players in football and motivate them to practice football, as well as the education of a specialist in football with high skills and technical capabilities, aided with special Qatari football federations.