HH the Amir participates in National Sport Day activities

Doha: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani took part in the National Sport Day activities held at Doha Golf Club on Tuesday morning.HH the Amir played golf alongside players from various age groups, as well as members of the national golf team, underscoring His Highness's keenness to support the practice of sport, foster a culture of physical activity, and encourage members of society to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle. QNA 

HH the Amir Sword Festival, Showjumping Championship Kicks Off Tomorrow

Doha: HH the Amir Sword Equestrian Festival will begin on Wednesday, featuring 32 races over four days, including the traditional Al Sabeq heritage race for promising Qatari riders.The first two days will host races on the sand track with Arab and purebred horses, followed by competitions on the grass track, highlighting local producers.The festival will conclude with HH the Amir Sword and HH the Amir's Prize races, each offering $2.5 million in prize money. The main race on the Golden Sword of HH the Amir is for first-class purebred Arabian horses over 2400 meters.In parallel, HH the Amir Sword Showjumping Championship begins tomorrow at Longines Arena in Al Shaqab, featuring 283 riders and 599 horses, with total prizes exceeding €2 million. The event includes multiple 5-star, 3-star, and 1-star competitions, as well as qualifying rounds for the World Cup and international dressage. (QNA)

Trap competitions set to get underway at HH the Amir Grand Prix Shotgun Championship

Doha: The Trap competitions of the third edition of the HH the Amir Grand Prix Shotgun Championship will get underway tomorrow, Wednesday, at the Lusail Shooting Ranges, and will continue until 13 February, with the participation of 315 male and female shooters representing 38 countries.A total of 198 shooters are competing in the Trap event, while Team Qatar is represented in the championship by 52 shooters.Today’s programme featured the official training sessions for the Trap competition across the four categories: men, women, juniors, and youth.Shooters delivered strong performances during the training sessions, setting their sights on victory in the upcoming competition days and aiming for podium finishes. Among the prominent Qatari participants are Rashid Hamad Al-Athba, Khalifa Al-Attiyah, Nasser Al-Humaidi, Mohammed Al-Rumaihi, Angelo Scalzoni, Saud Ali Al-Athbi, Ali Al-Kuwari, Abdulaziz Al-Athba, Massoud Ali Al-Abda, Ali Rashid Al-Athbi, Hamad Ali Al-Abda, Saleh Al-Athba, Khuloud Al-Khalaf, Nawal Al-Khalaf, Amna Al-Abdullah, Meitha Al-Binali, and Ray Bassil.The Trap competition will be held tomorrow across five ranges in the four categories—men, women, juniors, and youth. Shooters will compete over 125 targets across two days: 75 targets on the first day divided into three rounds, and 50 targets on the second day divided into two rounds. The top eight shooters will advance to the final round to determine the top three finishers. The championship will conclude with the medal ceremony for the Trap competition on Thursday. 

HH The Amir’s Sword equestrian to feature 283 riders

Doha: Preparations have been completed for the HH The Amir’s Sword equestrian competition, set to take place at Al Shaqab from Wednesday until February 14, with 283 riders and 599 horses confirmed and a total prize purse exceeding €2mn for the prestigious championship.The highlight of the event will be the Grand Prix, offering €1.5mn in prize money and regarded as one of the most prestigious and lucrative competitions in international showjumping. The championship forms the fifth leg of the Doha Equestrian Tour 2026 and is expected to attract many of the world’s leading riders.Details were announced during a press conference attended by Qatar Equestrian Federation (QEF) President and Organising Committee member Bader bin Mohammed Al Darwish, Sports Director Salmeen Al Suwaidi, and Marketing and Communications Director Abdullah Al Qashouti.The competition opens on Wednesday with two five-star classes at heights of 140cm and 150cm in the outdoor arena. Thursday’s programme will feature nine classes across one-star and five-star levels, three three-star World Cup qualifying rounds, a local 60cm class and an international dressage event. The outdoor arena will also host the Hermes Seller class, a 155cm Grand Prix qualifier with a jump-off.Friday will see 10 rounds, including star and three-star competitions, World Cup qualifiers, junior and youth events, a local 80cm round, an international dressage class and the five-star Grand Prix at 160cm with a jump-off.On the final day, Saturday, action will include the three-star Grand Prix at 150cm qualifying for the World Cup, the star Grand Prix at 130cm, additional five-star and star rounds, FEI Group VII qualifying classes for youth and juniors, further three-star World Cup qualifiers and a local 100cm class.The rider line-up features several world-ranked competitors led by world number one Scott Brash of Great Britain, who currently tops the Doha Equestrian Tour standings in the four-star and five-star categories. Brash also claimed the five-star Grand Prix title in the final leg of the HH The Father Amir’s Prix. Other notable names include Austria’s Max Kuhner, Britain’s Harry Charles, USA rider Eve Jobs, Germany’s Nadia Peter-Steiner and Belgium’s Abdelkader Said.Doha Equestrian Tour Executive Director Khalifa Al Attiyah said Qatar’s equestrian sport was experiencing a strong period of growth following the success of the HH The Father Amir’s Prix. He noted that the Amir’s Sword represents the largest equestrian championship staged in Qatar and the region in terms of prize money, highlighting the country’s world-class facilities at Al Shaqab and increasing international participation.Al Darwish described the event as a strategic step in developing Qatari riders by giving them the opportunity to compete against leading international athletes, while also strengthening sports tourism and reinforcing Doha’s reputation as a global sports destination.Al Suwaidi confirmed that more than 280 riders, including 93 Qataris representing over 30 countries, will compete across show jumping and dressage disciplines, with World Cup qualifying rounds, FEI Group VII qualifiers and local youth competitions included in the programme.A festive closing ceremony will be held on Friday featuring light shows, drone displays and equestrian-themed entertainment, alongside a dedicated fan zone offering cafes, retail outlets and family activities. Cultural events and exhibitions around the Longines Arena will showcase Qatari heritage and hospitality throughout the championship.The HH The Amir’s Sword is the fifth stop of the Doha Equestrian Tour 2026, which began with the HH The Father Emir Cup series. Scott Brash leads the overall four-star and five-star standings with 199 points ahead of Harry Charles with 114, while French rider Meghann Moussonnier sits third with 113. In the star category, Qatar’s Saad Ahmed al-Saad leads with 49 points, followed by Hussein Saeed Haidan with 43.The championship is organised by the Qatar Equestrian Federation, the Qatar Olympic Committee and Al Shaqab.

Qatar’s Bassem Hemeida wins 400m gold at Asian C’ships in China

Tianjin: Team Qatar’s athletics squad secured four gold medals at the conclusion of their participation in the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, held in Tianjin, China, from 6 to 8 February, with the participation of around 400 male and female athletes representing countries across the continent.The four gold medals were claimed by Bassim Mohammed in the 400m race with a time of 47.05 seconds, Ibrahim Zakaria in the 1500m with a time of 3:43.75 minutes, Ibrahim Abbas in the 800m clocking 1:47.64 minutes, and the 4x400m relay team, which recorded a time of 3:08.68 minutes.The relay team consisted of Mohammed Kala, Ashraf Othman, Ismail Dawood, and Bassim Mohammed.With four gold medals, the Qatari team finished second in the overall standings, behind the host nation China, which topped the table with 13 medals.Following the conclusion of the championships, Mohammed Issa Al-Fadala, President of the Qatar Athletics Federation, described the team’s achievement as a major accomplishment and the result of sustained efforts by the federation in recent phases, aimed at continuing Qatar’s athletics successes at international, continental, and regional levels.Al-Fadala added in press statements that the Qatari team delivered a strong performance throughout the championships and fully deserved their gold medals, noting that the federation has long been working according to a clear, long-term vision focused on developing athletes’ capabilities to achieve further success.The President of the Qatar Athletics Federation also praised the high competitive spirit shown by Team Qatar’s athletes during the championships, which secured them second place amid strong competition featuring the continent’s top male and female athletes. 

Qatar TotalEnergies Open gets underway

Doha: Karolina Muchova made a robust start to her Qatar TotalEnergies Open 2026 campaign dismissing Jaqueline Cristian in straight sets at the Khailfa International Tennis & Squash Complex on Sunday evening.Muchova needed an hour and a half to go past her Romanian opponent 6-2, 6-3. The Czech, seeded 14, faced pressure right out of the gate but saved four break points in the opening game. Then, the 2023 French Open finalist claimed breaks in the second and eighth games to take the first set.After winning the first set, Muchova also made a strong start to the second set and went 3-0 up. Down by a set and a break, Jaqueline didn’t give much as the world No. 35 responded by taking the next three games and tying the set to three games apiece. However, Muchova remained unfazed, winning the next three games to get the job done in straight sets.In the second round, Muchova will play against the winner of the match between Alexandra Eala of The Philippines and Czech teen Tereza Valentova.Eala and Valentova previously faced each other in October 2025 at the Japan Women’s Open, where the Czech dominated the Filipina ace, 6-1, 6-2, in the Round of 32. Valentova went on to reach the finals of the tournament.The Czech player made her Grand Slam main draw debut last year, reaching the Round of 64 at both Roland Garros and the US Open, and advancing to the Round of 32 at the most recent Australian Open.Valentova is currently ranked 44th in the WTA rankings, just one spot above Eala.