Skeet Competition Heats Up on Day Two of HH the Amir Grand Prix Shotgun Championship

Doha, 07 February (QNA) – Competitions at the third edition of the HH the Amir Grand Prix Shotgun Championship continued for a second consecutive day at the Lusail Shooting Ranges, as the championship runs through 13 February with the participation of 315 male and female shooters representing 38 countries.A total of 144 shooters are competing in the Skeet event, while 198 shooters are taking part in the Trap competition. The Qatari national team is represented by 52 shooters.The second day of competition delivered strong and competitive performances, marking the start of the Skeet event across the four categories—men, women, juniors, and youth. Shooters competed over 75 targets distributed across three rounds, with 25 targets per round.In the men’s category, France’s Rémy Cloître claimed first place, followed by Ireland’s Jack Fairclough in second, while Egypt’s Azmy Mehelba finished third. In the women’s category, France’s Lucie Anastasio topped the standings ahead of Mexico’s Gabriela Rodríguez, with Slovakia’s Vanessa Hocková placing third.Cyprus’ Markos Kontopoulos secured first place in the juniors’ category, followed by Georgia’s Arabuli Giorgi in second and Britain’s Charles Worl in third. In the youth women’s category, Britain’s Bethany Norton led the competition, ahead of Kazakhstan’s Lidiya Basharova in second and Ukraine’s Lelizaveta Pivovarova in third.The Skeet competition will conclude on Sunday with two additional rounds of 50 targets (25 targets per round) across all four categories. The top eight shooters will advance to the final round to compete for the top three positions, followed by the medal ceremony.Following the conclusion of the Skeet event, the Trap competition will begin across five ranges in the four categories (men, women, juniors, and youth). Unofficial training sessions will take place on Monday, followed by official training on Tuesday. The competition will be held on Wednesday, with shooters contesting 125 targets over two days—75 targets on the first day across three rounds, and 50 targets on the second day across two rounds. The top eight shooters will qualify for the final round to determine the top three finishers. The championship will conclude with the Trap medal ceremony on Thursday.A total of 12 referees are officiating the championship, including seven Qatari referees and five referees from sister countries. The total prize money amounts to USD 122,000, with USD 9,000 awarded to first place, USD 7,000 to second place, and USD 5,000 to third place in each competition, in both the men’s and women’s categories.Organized by the Qatar Shooting and Archery Federation at the start of the season, the HH the Amir Grand Prix Shotgun Championship serves as an important preparatory event for Qatar’s national team shooters ahead of upcoming competitions. The championship also holds a prominent place on the international shooting calendar, featuring world champions, elite competitors, and Olympic medallists.Mr. Ahmed Yahya Al-Nuaimi, Assistant Secretary General of the Qatar Shooting and Archery Federation and Deputy Championship Director, praised the high technical standards displayed by the shooters during the opening days of the Skeet competition, noting that the strong start reflects the championship’s growing stature on the international calendar.Al-Nuaimi said that the participation of 315 shooters from 38 countries, including world and Olympic champions, has transformed the Lusail Shooting Ranges into a “mini world championship” gathering the world’s elite shooters. He added that the competition has been highly competitive, with results often decided only in the final targets of the decisive rounds.He also expressed pride in the widespread praise received for Qatar’s organization of the championship, noting the positive feedback from heads of delegations and international federations regarding the professional organization and advanced technical facilities. Al-Nuaimi concluded by emphasizing the organizing committee’s commitment to delivering an outstanding edition worthy of the championship’s name, while providing an ideal competitive environment that reflects Qatar’s reputation as a leading host of major international sporting events. 

Doha hosts FIG Artistic Gymnastics Technical Committee Meeting

Doha: Qatar continues to strengthen its leading position on the global sports map after the Qatar Gymnastics Federation received renewed confidence from the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) to host the Artistic Gymnastics Technical Committee meeting (men and women) for the second consecutive year.The meeting will take place in Doha from 7 to 10 February, with the participation of a distinguished group of experts and officials responsible for the development of artistic gymnastics from around the world.This event comes as a continuation of the growing international trust placed in Qatar by the International Gymnastics Federation, particularly following the significant success achieved by Doha in hosting the FIG Trampoline Gymnastics Technical Committee meeting from 4 to 9 December last year. This success reflects Qatar’s advanced standing in organizing and hosting international technical meetings.In this context, Mr. Ali Al-Hitmi, President of the Qatar Gymnastics Federation, affirmed that hosting the meeting for the second consecutive year represents a source of great pride for the federation and for Qatari sport as a whole. He noted that this renewed confidence reflects the high level of professionalism within the federation, as well as the strong support extended to sport by the wise leadership.Al-Hitmi said: “We highly value the trust of the International Gymnastics Federation and consider it a major responsibility to continue developing the gymnastics system in Qatar and strengthening our presence on the international stage, in a manner that serves the sport at both regional and global levels.”This continued momentum underscores Qatar’s advanced sports infrastructure and world-class facilities, alongside its proven track record in hosting major championships, training camps, and international meetings—further cementing Doha’s status as one of the world’s leading sporting capitals. 

Qatar wins 14 medals at 5th West Asia Para Games

Muscat: The Qatari Para Sports team secured 14 medals— 4 gold, 8 silver, and 2 bronze —during their participation in the 5th West Asia Para Games, currently underway in Muscat, and scheduled to conclude on Sunday.The Games feature 612 athletes representing 11 countries from the West Asia region: Qatar, Yemen, Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Bahrain, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Oman. Competitions are being held across nine sports: athletics, powerlifting, boccia, table tennis, badminton, cycling, swimming, goalball, and wheelchair basketball.Qatar’s medals were achieved as follows: Ali Radi Arshid won gold in the 200m and 400m wheelchair T34 races, silver in the 100m, and silver in the 800m. Abdulrahman Abdul Qader earned silver in javelin, silver in shot put, and bronze in discus. Sarah Hamdi Masoud claimed silver in both javelin and discus, and bronze in shot put. Shamil Shahouf secured gold in the 50m and 100m freestyle swimming events, while Khalifa Al Mutlaq won silver in both the 50m and 100m freestyle swimming races. 

Qatar TotalEnergies Open begins today

Doha: The season’s first WTA 1000-level event – $4.1mn Qatar TotalEnergies Open 2026 will swing into big action at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex Sunday with seven of the Top 10 players in action.The draw for the tournament has thrown up some interesting prospects where defending champion Amanda Anisimova could face Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals, while Mirra Andreeva sits on a collision course with Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina at the bottom.With World No. 1 and former champion Aryna Sabalenka not in the field, three-time champion Iga Swiatek is the top seed, followed by Rybakina, Anisimova, Coco Gauff and Andreeva.Swiatek could run into Italian Jasmine Paolini, seeded sixth, in the last eight. Swiatek has won their first six matches, including the Cincinnati final last year, but Paolini turned the tables at the WTA Finals last year with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 win that took everyone by surprise.Rybakina, fresh off her second Grand Slam title and winner of 20 of her last 21 matches, tops her part of the draw. Her biggest threat is Andreeva, who won the title in Adelaide last month. This section also includes Victoria Mboko, Diana Shnaider and the returning Zheng Qinwen.Anisimova, who won the biggest title of her career here last year (till then), is the top seed in a section that also includes Australian Open semi-finalist Elina Svitolina, fresh into the Top 10. American Emma Navarro and Karolina Muchova are also in this quarter, as are Filipina sensation Alexandra Eala (who will attract a large number of fans in Doha) and 2017 champion Karolina Pliskova.Among the opening day matches would be the meeting between 2019 winner Elise Mertens of Belgium and Anastasia Pavlyucehnkova, scheduled for 3pm on centre court.The first round also features a clash between Czech Linda Noskova, seeded nine, and Australian teen Maya Joint. Noskova, now up to No. 12 in the world will take on Joint in their first meeting in a match between potential future superstars. 

Reed and Hillier show fine form to share Qatar Masters lead

Doha: Patrick Reed continued his stunning start to the season to share the first-round lead with Daniel Hillier at the 2026 Qatar Masters at the Doha Golf Club course on Thursday.A much less windier day than what usually is for the event in Doha meant that the golfers had a less field day. But a predicted windy Friday could add some twist.American Reed, the 2018 Masters Champion recorded his fourth DP World Tour win at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic two weeks ago and was only denied another in a play-off at last week’s Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship.Kiwi Hillier, for his part, goes into the week fifth on the Race to Dubai Rankings delivered by DP World after four top-six finishes in his five events so far including second place at the Dubai Invitational and a tie for fourth in Bahrain - and the pair shared top spot here on seven under par after rounds of 65.Reed hit the ground running with three straight birdies to start his round. A bogey and another birdie meant his first par did not come until his sixth hole, the 15th, and he had only two in an outward nine of 31 thanks to further gains at the 16th and 17th. He birdied the first, fourth and seventh before a bogey at the eighth left him tied with Hillier.The American said: "I hit the ball pretty well, especially early in the round, a lot of my birdies were just kind of kick-ins which is always nice, not having to think too much around there."The golf course, especially when it’s windy like this, it requires a lot of shot-making – you have to work the ball both ways, or flight things down, or take it up in the air. That’s the kind of golf I like."I like to get creative when I’m out there and a golf course like this with a lot of doglegs and cross-winds, it allows you to do that. It’s just one of these places that kind of suits my eye.” Hillier also started from the tenth with a pair of birdies, with another at the 16th taking him out in 33.The New Zealander picked up another three in four holes from the third and after his only bogey of the day at the eighth, a closing eagle provided the perfect finish to his round."Yeah, that was nice,” he said. "I was a little frustrated with a soft bogey there on (my 17th hole) but nice to get a couple back at the end."My game’s feeling really good so I’m just trying to ride the wave, I guess.”There was a Scandinavian flavour to the chasing pack, with Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult, Dane Jacob Skov Olesen and Finland’s Oliver Lindell all at six under. late in the day by Spain’s Angel Ayora and Italy’s Gregorio De Leo, the latter ending his round with a bogey at the ninth hole to deny him a share of the lead.Another Swede, Joakim Lagergren, was five under alongside New Zealand’s Kazuma Kobori.David Micheluzzi provided one of the highlights of the day with a hole-in-one at the third hole. The Australian was one under par for his round.It was a landmark day for the Ireland’s three-time Major Champion Padraig Harrington, who made his 500th start on the DP World Tour and was presented with a silver platter by tournament director Mikael Eriksson to mark the occasion.Harrington also shot a one-under-par 71, with birdies at the ninth and tenth offset by a bogey at the 15th.Play was suspended for the night with four groups still to complete their rounds. Adri Arnaus and Francesco Laporta, both at two under, were the leading players among the 12 with holes still to play. 

Sheikh Joaan attends IOC President’s Welcome Dinner in Milan

Milan: H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Olympic Council of Asia and President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, attended the welcome dinner hosted yesterday by Mrs. Kirsty Coventry, President of the International Olympic Committee, in the Italian city of Milan, on the sidelines of the 145th IOC Session.The session was held in the city of Milan and brought together presidents of national Olympic committees, members of the International Olympic Committee, and presidents of international sports federations.The dinner provided an opportunity to exchange views on a number of issues related to Olympic affairs, within the framework of the side meetings accompanying the IOC Session, which contribute to strengthening communication and coordination among sports leaders at the international level.The dinner was also attended by H.E. Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Qatar Foundation and a member of the IOC Education Commission.