Hamad Bin Khalifa University to Host 2nd GCC Women’s University Sports Tournament

Doha, January 24, 2026: Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development, is set to host the 2nd GCC Women’s Sports Tournament for Universities and Higher Education Institutions from February 6 to 11, 2026.Sponsored by the Ministry of Sports and Youth and hosted for the first time in the State of Qatar, the tournament seeks to strengthen cooperation among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, while also contributing to the regional development of women’s university sports.By bringing together universities and higher education institutions from across the GCC, HBKU is advancing its role as an advocate for regional cooperation, knowledge exchange, and collaborative institutional partnership. Leveraging world-class infrastructure, the tournament advances the University’s academic mission beyond the classroom, reinforcing student development and well-being as core pillars of higher education.Competition takes place across seven venues, six within Education City and one at Qatar University, with the opening ceremony on February 7, 2026, at Al Shaqab’s Longine Indoor Arena. Around 450 female students representing 16 of the region’s universities and higher education institutions will compete across eight sports: football, volleyball, basketball, padel, table tennis, badminton, athletics, with fencing making its first appearance at the tournament.The tournament’s draw ceremony is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, January 28, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m at Education City Stadium. Attendees will include heads of the technical committees from the relevant federations, representatives from participating universities, and members of the supervisory committee.Commenting on the competition, Dr. Maryam Hamad Al-Mannai, Vice President for Student Affairs, HBKU, and Chair of the tournament’s Supreme Organizing Committee, stated: “Hosting this event reflects the University’s academic and societal mission. It is not solely a sporting occasion, but a complementary experience that brings together sport, education, and culture, while highlighting the role of women in our societies. We are working with various stakeholders to ensure a successful tournament promoting women’s university sports.”Beyond competition, the tournament affirms the core values of teamwork, integrity, and resilience, while advancing women’s participation in sport as a catalyst for human development and social progress. 

Qatar beat Saudi in Asian Men’s Handball Championship

Kuwait: Qatar opened their campaign in the main round of the Asian Men’s Handball Championship with a 32-25 win over Saudi Arabia on Thursday.Ahmad Madadi led the scoring for Qatar with eight goals, followed by Frankis Marzo with six, while Rafael Capote and Nasreddine Megdich added four goals each. Qatar will take on Bahrain on Friday, before meeting United Arab Emirates tomorrow in search of a place in the semi-finals.The tournament, currently being held in Sabah Al-Salem, Kuwait, also serves as a qualifier for the World Men’s Handball Championship 

Olympic Champion Duplantis To Open Outdoor Season And Challenge Meeting Record In Doha

Multiple Olympic, world and European champion Mondo Duplantis (SWE) will be hoping it’s third-time lucky when he competes at the Mazzraty Doha Meeting – the opening meeting of the 2026 Wanda Diamond league series – at the Qatar Sports Club on Friday 8 May.A two-time Olympic gold medallist, the dominant 26-year-old has been crowned world champion six times at senior level (three times outdoors, three times indoors), won a hattrick of senior European outdoor titles and won five successive Diamond league titles from 2021-2025 inclusive.He has broken the world record 14 times since 2020, most recently clearing a gravity-defying 6.30m at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo where he successfully defended his global title.He is also unbeaten in this Doha Diamond League fixture, but it’s been far from plain sailing. The 2020 event was postponed due to the pandemic (he won the rescheduled competition with a best of 5.82m), while in 2022 the men’s pole vault was delayed by one day and moved indoors due to high winds. Duplantis cleared 6.02m for the win on that occasion – a mark that still stands as the meeting record.“We’ve had a couple of challenges in the past for sure, but I’ve always loved coming to Doha,” said the 2025 World Athlete of the Year.“Last year was amazing for me. I ticked off a couple of really big goals, stuff that was high up on my bucket list, but my hunger and motivation is still 100% there. My training has gone well over the winter and I’m looking forward to competing indoors – it’s important to have something new to aim for, and for me, I want to successfully defend my European title.“Doha will follow and it’s the perfect meet to kick off my outdoor season. I definitely prefer the warm weather to the cold, so hopefully conditions will be conducive to jumping high, challenging my meeting record, and setting a solid benchmark – and new goals – for the year ahead.”The Mazzraty Doha Meeting is the opening meeting of the 2026 Wanda Diamond League. The series comprises 15 of the most prestigious events in global track and field across four different continents. It concludes with a single final across two days in Brussels (4-5 September). 

3x3 All Star Game at the Match for Hope Fan Festival

Doha: The Naismith Trophy will be displayed for the first time in a public space in Doha, the host of the next FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2027.The World Cup trophy will take centre stage at the Match for Hope Fan Festival, set to take place from the 24th to the 31st  January 2026 at Place Vendome Mall (Gate 1 Eiffel, 2nd floor) in Lusail.All fans will have the opportunity to witness the most coveted prize in basketball, stand proudly next to it and take a picture.The FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027 Local Organizing Committee and the Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF) have joined forces with Qatar’s International Media Office (IMO) and Education Above All Foundation (EAA) to create a unique basketball fan engagement experience.The Match for Hope Fan Festival will run for eight consecutive days. Basketball fans are going to have the opportunity to test their skills playing in an official World Cup 3x3 basketball court, coached by Qatar National Team technical staff, participate in shooting contests and can earn prizes, including tickets for Qatar’s National Team upcoming games in FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers Window 2.The highlight of the basketball activation at the Match for Hope Fan Festival will be the 3x3 All Star Game on the 28h January 2026 with the participation of Qatar and Lebanon’s National Team players and famous content creators that will travel to Doha.The basketball activation at the Match for Hope Fan Festival will tip off on the 24th of January 2026 with exciting performances of the school teams that participate at the Mini World Cup, and Qatar’s National Women’s basketball Team will visit the Fan Festival the same day to meet with the fans.Match for Hope is a charity football match that is held annually in Doha. Football legends and famous content creators participate in this admirable effort. All the proceeds go to support quality education for disadvantaged young people across the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Since 2024, Match for Hope has raised over $19.5 million, giving thousands of children hope for a brighter future. This year the Match for Hope will take place on the 30th January 2026 at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.Saadoun Sabah Al-Kuwari, FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027 LOC Executive Director of Sport Directorate said: “Education is one of the priorities for Qatar Basketball Federation. We firmly believe that basketball can be used to raise awareness for the right to education. Qatar National Team is one of the very best in Asia and our star players are excited with the opportunity to be part of the basketball activation at the Match for Hope Fan Festival. We extend an invitation to the basketball community of our great country to visit the Fan Festival and take part in all the activities”. 

Doha Fencing Grand Prix 2026 to begin on Friday

Doha: The competitions of the Doha Fencing Grand Prix 2026 (men’s and women’s épée) will get underway tomorrow, Friday, at Aspire, and will continue for three days. The event is organised by the Qatar Fencing Federation under the supervision of the International Fencing Federation (FIE).The championship features the participation of 433 athletes (254 men and 179 women) representing 53 countries, including eight Arab nations: Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Kuwait, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates.The Qatar Fencing Federation has completed all preparations through its ten organising committees to ensure the championship is delivered to the highest standards and to present an exceptional and distinguished edition of the event.The tournament will bring together world and Olympic champions, including the top three-ranked athletes globally in both categories. Among them are Japanese fencer Koki Kano, gold medallist at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, several Olympic champions from Tokyo, as well as Belgian fencer Neisser Loyola, the winner of the previous edition of the Doha Grand Prix.Qatar will be represented by nine fencers (five men and four women): Youssef Abdel Tawab, Mohammed Abdulali, Mohammed Al-Hazzaz, Abdulrahman Al-Jidrah and Ali Al-Khalaf, in addition to Fatima Al-Madeed, Zikrayat Al-Abdullah, Wadha Al-Abdullah and Sheikha Ali.Qatari national team athletes are aiming to progress to the advanced rounds and achieve strong results to improve their international rankings. They have prepared thoroughly for the championship through participation in several continental and Arab tournaments, as well as through local and overseas training camps.The competitions will be officiated by 19 referees, including three Qatari referees: Mohammed Al-Tairi, Mohammed Basahil and Bashir Al-Sharbaji.This edition will also see the participation of a large number of volunteers, with their number exceeding 150 volunteers, contributing to the successful organisation of the championship.The championship offers total prize money of USD 22,000, with USD 11,000 allocated to the men’s competition and an equal amount to the women’s competition. The first-place winner in each category will receive USD 5,000, the runner-up USD 3,000, while both third-place finishers will receive USD 1,500 each.The Doha Epée Grand Prix 2026 is considered one of the top three fencing tournaments worldwide, alongside the Grand Prix events in Hungary and Colombia. Leading international fencers are keen to participate annually due to the significant ranking points awarded, which have a major impact on the world rankings.Mr. Hamad Saad Al-Jassim, Deputy Tournament Director, confirmed that all arrangements have been finalised for the launch of the championship tomorrow, aiming to deliver an outstanding edition that adds to the Qatar Fencing Federation’s record of successful hosting.In statements to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Al-Jassim said that the organising committee has fully prepared the competition hall, where bouts will be held across 16 pistes, in addition to the main piste designated for the finals.He noted that all participating delegations have arrived in Doha and conducted training sessions on Wednesday and Thursday at Aspire, following comprehensive inspection and testing of all equipment.Al-Jassim explained that competition will begin tomorrow with the women’s preliminary rounds, followed by the Round of 128, concluding the first day with the Round of 64. Men’s competitions will take place on Saturday, starting with preliminary rounds and followed by the Round of 64.The championship will conclude on Sunday, with the continuation of the women’s Round of 64, then the Round of 32, Round of 16 and quarter-finals. Men’s competitions will then resume from the Round of 64 through to the quarter-finals, followed in the evening by the semi-finals and finals for both men and women, and the medal ceremonies.He also confirmed that medical teams, the anti-doping control committee, and the Qatar Red Crescent will be present throughout the three days of competition 

Qatar to Face Saudi Arabia in Asian Handball Main Round

KUWAIT – Defending champions Qatar will begin their main round campaign at the 22nd Asian Men’s Handball Championship with a crucial clash against Saudi Arabia tomorrow, Thursday, as the tournament continues in Kuwait until January 29.The championship also serves as a qualifier for the 2027 IHF World Handball Championship, scheduled to be held in Germany.Team Qatar advanced to the main round after finishing second in Group A. The holders opened their campaign with a convincing 27–15 victory over Oman, before narrowly losing 32–31 to South Korea in their final group match. South Korea topped the group, with both teams securing qualification to the main round.In the main round, Qatar will compete in Group B alongside Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, while Group A features Kuwait, Iraq, Japan, and South Korea.The Qatari side is aiming for a strong start against Saudi Arabia before facing Bahrain on Friday and wrapping up their group fixtures against the UAE on January 25.The top two teams from each main round group will advance to the semifinals and secure direct qualification for the 2027 World Championship.Qatar are targeting a seventh consecutive Asian title, having lifted the trophy in the last six editions, and are also chasing their 11th appearance at the World Championship. Their best-ever World Championship finish came in 2015, when they claimed silver on home soil.The Qatari national team claimed the Asian crown in the previous edition, held in Bahrain last year, after defeating Japan 30–24 in the final, and now look to continue their dominance on the continental stage.