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. 

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. 

Reem Al-Sharshani claims skeet bronze medal at HH The Amir Grand Prix Shotgun Championship

Doha: Team Qatar shooter Reem Al-Sharshani won the bronze medal in the women’s skeet event at the conclusion of the skeet competition of the 3rd edition of the HH The Amir Grand Prix Shotgun Championship, held at the Lusail Shooting Ranges. The championship runs until 13 February and has attracted strong participation, with 315 male and female shooters representing 38 countries.Today’s competitions featured the fourth and fifth qualification rounds for all four categories (men, women, junior men, and junior women), with shooters contesting 50 targets, divided into two rounds of 25 targets each. At the end of the qualification rounds, the top eight shooters in each category advanced to the final, where they competed for the top three positions.Reem Al-Sharshani claimed the women’s skeet bronze medal after finishing third in the final, scoring 27 targets. Mexico’s Gabriela Rodríguez secured first place and the gold medal with 32 targets, while Julia Nelson of the United States finished second with 32 targets to win the silver medal.In the men’s category, Egypt’s Azmy Mehelba claimed the gold medal after topping the final with 36 targets, ahead of France’s Éric Delaunay, who finished second with 35 targets to take silver. France’s Édouard Bommayo placed third with 30 targets, earning the bronze medal.In the junior men’s category, Cyprus’ Andreas Pontakais won the gold medal after finishing first in the final with 34 targets. Kazakhstan’s Maxim Bushevalov secured the silver medal with 33 targets, while another Cypriot shooter, Markos Kontopoulos, finished third with 27 targets to claim bronze.In the junior women’s category, Kazakhstan’s Evelina Shik captured the gold medal after finishing first in the final with 31 targets. Ukraine’s Elizaveta Pivovarova took silver with 29 targets, while Kazakhstan’s Lidiya Basharova earned the bronze medal with 27 targets.Following the conclusion of the skeet competition today, the trap competition will begin tomorrow (Monday) across five ranges, in the four categories: men, women, junior men, and junior women. Unofficial training sessions will be held first, followed by official training on Tuesday. The trap competitions will take place on Wednesday, with shooters competing 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 to determine the top three finishers, before the championship concludes with the trap medal ceremonies on Thursday. 

Sheikh Joaan attends competitions of the Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games

Milan: H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Olympic Council of Asia and President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, attended part of the competitions of the Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, hosted by Italy from 6 to 22 February, with the participation of elite athletes from around the world.The visit comes as part of following the course of this global Olympic event and reviewing the organizational and technical aspects related to the hosting of Olympic Games, which see broad participation from national Olympic committees and international sports federations.H.E. Sheikh Joaan also met with members of the Qatari force affiliated with the security committee, whose participation in securing the Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games comes within the framework of international cooperation between the Qatari and Italian sides. This cooperation aims to enhance security readiness, facilitate the exchange of expertise in planning and implementation, and ensure the highest levels of safety during this major global sporting event.

Reed claims Qatar Masters for second title in three weeks

Doha: Patrick Reed continued his great start to the 2026 season with a two-stroke victory at the Qatar Masters Sunday.At the Doha Golf Club, Reed secured his second title in three weeks on the DP World Tour as the American held off a final-day challenge from Scotland’s Calum Hill with a winning total of 16 under par. The Scot finished in second place at 14 under.Reed, who won the European Tour event in Dubai two weeks ago and was tied for second after a three-way playoff in Bahrain last week, led from the first round in Doha.“This little run I’ve had, two wins and a second, it’s awesome,” said Reed.“It’s special, to come out here especially to get two wins early on in the season.”Reed started the final round two shots ahead of Jacob Olesen and the two were paired. After the Dane birdied the first hole and Reed bogeyed the second the pair were tied at the top. Finn Oliver Lindell caught and passed them after making six birdies and two bogeys in the first eight holes. Lindell bogeyed 12 and 13 as Reed picked up shots on 10 and 11 to move two ahead again.“It wasn’t looking very good there on the front nine,” said Reed.“To lose the lead like that and then to be able to kind of flip the switch there on the back nine obviously felt amazing.”Hill, who finished in a tie for second with Reed a week earlier in Bahrain, claimed second again. He eagled the tenth and then made four straight birdies from 14 to shoot a 67 to launch a late run into contention, while Olesen was one under on the back nine.“Golf feels good at the minute,” said Hill. “I feel like I did a lot of things well and if you put me in that position again I feel like I could convert from there. I had a little bit of a blip on the front nine and it was a tough first nine holes. Dug in really well and played some really good golf on the back nine, I had a chance on every single hole and managed to convert a few towards the end,” The 31-year-old Scot said.Olesen and American Johannes Veerman finished joint third.Jayden Schaper produced Sunday’s lowest round, a bogey-free seven-under-par 65, to set the early clubhouse target at 11 under - which was improved to 13 under when Veerman holed a long birdie putt at the last to finish off his 68.Padraig Harrington, a 54-year-old tripe major winner, played his 500th DP World Tour event and was under par in every round to finish five under in a tie for 34th. 

Qatar men's volleyball team qualify for 2026 Asian Cup Finals

Doha: The Qatari men's volleyball team has qualified for the 2026 Asian Cup finals, scheduled to be held in Japan from 4 to 13 September.The team secured qualification following the Asian Volleyball Confederation's approval on Sunday of Qatar's outstanding recent results, most notably its second-place finish at the 2025 Asian Nations Championship held in Bahrain.The Qatari team will compete in the upcoming continental tournament alongside the national teams of Japan (host), Iran, South Korea, China, India, Australia, Oman, Bahrain, New Zealand, Thailand, and Chinese Taipei. The tournament champion will earn direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.Qatar currently ranks third in the Asian volleyball standings, behind Japan and Iran, reflecting the team's remarkable development, technical stability, and strong ambitions to compete for the continental title and secure a ticket to the Olympics.