Qatar Handball Team arrive in Kuwait for Asian Championship

Kuwait: The Qatar national handball team delegation arrived in Kuwait today to take part in the 22nd Asian Men’s Handball Championship, scheduled to be held from January 15 to 26. The tournament serves as a qualifier for the 2027 IHF Men’s Handball World Championship in Germany.Qatar will begin their campaign by facing Oman on Friday, as part of Group A competition, before taking on South Korea next Tuesday.The draw for the Asian Championship placed Qatar in Group A alongside South Korea and Oman.Group B includes Bahrain, Iraq, China, and Jordan, while Group C features Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, and India. Group D comprises Japan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Australia.The top two teams from each group will advance to the main round, which will feature eight teams divided into two groups playing a round-robin format. The top two teams from each main-round group will qualify for the semifinals, in addition to securing direct qualification for the 2027 World Championship.The Qatar national team is aiming to retain the Asian title it has won in the last six consecutive editions and to qualify for the World Championship for the 11th time in its history. Qatar’s best-ever result at the World Championship came at the 2015 edition in Doha, where the team finished as runners-up.Qatar were crowned champions of the most recent 21st edition of the Asian Men’s Handball Championship, which was held in Bahrain last year, after defeating Japan 30–24 in the final. 

Strong Start for Skeet Competition at Asian Shotgun Championship Doha 2026

Doha :The skeet competitions for men, women, juniors, junior women, and team events got underway today at the Lusail Shooting Complex on the second day of the Asian Shotgun Championship Doha 2026, which continues until January 21. The championship features the participation of 196 shooters, men and women, representing 17 countries.In the men’s category, shooters competed over 50 targets across two rounds (25 targets per round). Kuwaiti shooter Mohammed Al-Daihani topped the standings with a perfect score of 50. Emirati shooter Mohammed Ahmed finished second with 49, followed by his compatriot Saif bin Futtais in third place with 48. Uzbekistan’s Bekruz Sharapov placed fourth with 48, while Qatari shooter Rashid Saleh Al-Athba secured fifth place with the same score.In the women’s competition, shooters also contested 50 targets over two rounds. Qatari shooter Reem Al-Sharshani claimed first place with 49 targets, edging Kazakhstan’s Orenbai Asim, who finished second with the same score. Kazakhstan’s Olga Kailova placed third with 48, followed by Korea’s Koki Jang in fourth with 48, while Qatari shooter Hajar Mohammed finished fifth with 47.In the junior men’s category, shooters competed over 75 targets across three rounds. Kazakhstan’s Vladislav Zavodilenko claimed first place, while his compatriot Maxim Bushivalov finished second with 67 targets. Qatari shooter Mutib Ali Al-Marri secured third place with 66.In the junior women’s category (Asian Grand Prix event), which featured eight shooters competing over 75 targets across three rounds, Kazakhstan’s Evelina Sik took first place with 66 targets. Her compatriot Lidiya Basharova finished second with 65, while Chinese Taipei’s Yun Jia Shuang placed third with 64.In the men’s team skeet competition, the Kuwaiti team, consisting of Mohammed Al-Daihani, Abdullah Al-Rashidi, and Abdulaziz Al-Saad, claimed first place with a total of 145 targets. The Qatari team, comprising Rashid Saleh Al-Athba, Mohammed Ahmed Al-Kuwari, and Ali Ahmed Al-Ishaq, finished second with 142, while Saudi Arabia placed third with 141.In the women’s team skeet event, the Qatari team of Reem Al-Sharshani, Hajar Mohammed, and Sara Mohammed topped the standings with a total of 142 targets. Kazakhstan finished second with 141, while China placed third with 134.In the junior team skeet competition, Kazakhstan claimed first place with 204 targets. The Qatari team, consisting of Mutib Ali Al-Marri, Jassim Mohammed Al-Yafei, and Abdulrahman Ahmed Al-Haram, finished second with 183 targets, while Kuwait placed third with 153.The championship continues tomorrow, Wednesday, with the qualification rounds of the skeet competition (50 targets), followed by the finals for the junior men’s and junior women’s categories. The finals for the men’s, women’s, and mixed team (junior men and junior women) skeet events will be held on Thursday, with the mixed team (men and women) skeet final taking place the following day.Following the conclusion of the skeet competitions, official training sessions for the trap competition will be held on Saturday. The qualification rounds for the trap events across all categories will take place on January 18 and 19, followed by the junior men’s and junior women’s trap finals on Monday, January 19. The finals for the men’s, women’s, and mixed team (junior men and junior women) trap events will be held the next day, with the championship concluding on Wednesday, January 21, with the mixed team (men and women) trap final.Qatar is represented in the championship by 12 shooters, including Rashid Saleh, Mohammed Al-Rumaihi, Reem Al-Sharshani, Ali Ishaq, Mohammed Al-Kuwari, Saeed Abu Sharb, Angelo Scalzone, and Ray Bassil. Qatari shooters are aiming to continue their strong performances, win medals, and reach the podium. 

Qatar lose to Japan in AFC U-23 Asian Cup

Jeddah: Japan finished top of Group B after cruising 2-0 past Qatar in their AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 tie on Tuesday.The defending champions led from start to finish with goals from Shusuke Furuya and Ryunosuke Sato for a perfect record and will face Jordan in the quarter-finals.Japan head coach Go Oiwa retained just three players from the side that beat the United Arab Emirates 3-0, while Qatar also rang in the changes with Ilidio Vale making five.Having already secured their quarter-final berth with a match to spare, Japan dictated the tempo from the outset with Tokumo Kawai, Yudai Shimamoto and Haruta Kume all seeing their efforts thwarted.Kawai ent close in the 26th minute with his curling free-kick well saved by Qatar keeper Amir Hassan before Yutaka Michiwaki had his headed attempt ruled out three minutes later.Japan’s aggressive approach finally paid off at the half-hour mark when Shusuke Furuya rose highest to nod home Kaito Koizumi’s cross from the right.Shimamoto came close to doubling Japan’s advantage in the 51st minute when Shuto Nagano set up the Shimizu S-Pulse midfielder, only to see his stinging shot from distance saved by Hassan.Qatar almost fell further behind in the 77th minute but Shimamoto was denied by the left post before Japan ramped up the pressure with Ryunosuke Sato pouncing on a calamitous pass from Hassan to slot past the Qatar custodian three minutes later.Japan pushed for a third with Kawai seeing his shot saved by Hassan in the 84th, while Shimamoto missed a sitter in stoppage time after hitting over the bar.

Qatar Handball Team Squad Announced Ahead of Asian Championship

Doha: The Qatar Handball Federation has announced the squad of the men’s national team ahead of the 22nd Asian Men’s Handball Championship, which will be held in Kuwait from January 15 to 26. The tournament serves as a qualification event for the 2027 IHF Men’s Handball World Championship in Germany.The squad selected by head coach Valero Rivera includes: Ahmed Maddi, Abdulrazzaq Murad, Amin Zakkar, Mostafa Haiba, Amin Qahis, Franks Mazur, Aylidre Musovic, Wael Al-Mazoughi, Rafael Capote, Nasreddine Makdessi, Nidal Massoud, Nidal Al-Hadi, Firas Al-Munassif, Jovan Jesevics, Mohammed Ali Lotfi, Ahmed Magdy, Mohammed Rayan Al-Balaqi, Anadin Sulakovic, Filip Saric, Hamdi Ayad, Alaa Al-Din Al-Balrashid, and Abdulrahman Tarek.The draw for the championship placed Qatar in Group A alongside South Korea and Oman. Group B includes Bahrain, Iraq, China, and Jordan, while Group C features Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, and India. Group D comprises Japan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Australia.The top two teams from each group will advance to the main round, which will feature eight teams divided into two groups playing a round-robin format. The top two teams from each main-round group will qualify for the semifinals, in addition to securing direct qualification for the 2027 World Championship.The Qatar national handball team is aiming to retain the Asian title it has won in the last six consecutive editions and to qualify for the World Championship for the 11th time in its history. Qatar’s best-ever result at the World Championship came at the 2015 edition in Doha, where the team finished as runners-up. 

WTT Star Contender Doha qualifying round sees intense action

Doha: The WTT Star Contender Doha 2026 kicked off at the Lusail Sports Hall on Tuesday. The tournament will continue until January 18, with the participation of 170 male and female players from various countries around the world, and with prizes amounting to $300,000.The tournament competitions are held in five categories: men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles.The first day of the tournament was intense and exciting, featuring the preliminary rounds of the tournament, during which players sought to secure their places in the main table amidst a highly competitive atmosphere.In the men’s singles, Saudi Arabia’s Ali Al Khadrawi lost to South Korean Lim Jong-hoon with a score of (3-1), Iranian Navid Shams defeated Norwegian Borgar Haug (3-2), while Romanian Raris Cebus triumphed over Qatari player Nawaf Al Malki three sets to none. Egyptian Mohamed El Beily achieved victory over Qatari player Abdullah Abdulwahab (3-2). Czech player Lubomir Jankarc defeated Hong Kong player Lam Siu-Hang (3-1), Chinese player Yuan Lizin defeated Hong Kong player Ho Kwan Kit(3-2), Chinese player Xu Yingbin triumphed over Frenchman Florian Bourasud(3-0), and India’s Ankur Bhattacharjee achieved victory over Singaporean Pang Keun with the same score.Qatar’s Youssef Abdullah also lost to China’s Hsu Hsin Chia 3-0. In an exciting match, Saudi Arabia’s Abdulaziz Bushlaibi lost to India’s Akash Pal (2-3) while America’s Ma Jinbao defeated Lebanon’s Michel Abi Nader (3-0).In the women’s singles, Qatar’s Alia Al-Baz lost to India’s Swastika Ghosh (3-0), India’s Yashasvini Gurpadeh defeated Hong Kong’s Lee Hoi Man (3-0), and in another match, China’s Han Feier defeated Taiwan’s Chen Chi-chuan (3-0).The Star Contender Doha 2026 witnesses the participation of a large number of top-ranked players who excelled in the WTT Champions Doha 2026 tournament, most notably Chinese Taipei player Lin Yun-ju, the men’s singles champion in the previous tournament, along with the top-ranked Chinese player Lin Shidong, the Japanese player Tomokazu Harimoto, and the Brazilian Hugo Calderano, which raises the bar for the challenge and increases the strength of the competitions.In the women’s competition, Macau’s Zhou Yuling, the WTT Champions Doha 2026 champion, continues her participation, along with defending champion Kwai Man, Korea’s Shin Yeo-bin, Puerto Rico’s Adriana Diaz, and China’s Chen Yi, ranked among the top ten in the world.In women’s doubles, the competition is led by Korean and Japanese pairs, while in mixed doubles, attention is focused on the Korean pair Lim Jung-hoon and Shin Yu-bin, champions of the WTT Hong Kong 2025 finals, along with the Hong Kong pair Wong Chun-ting and Do Hui-kim, and the Spanish pair Alvaro Robles and Maria Chiao.Following the conclusion of the “Star Contender”, the “Contender Youth” tournament will take place from January 19 to 22, followed by the “Star Contender Youth” tournament from January 23 to 25, and concluding with the “Feder” tournament from January 27 to 31. 

Asian Shotgun Championship 2026 Kicks Off

DOHA - The opening ceremony of the Asian Shotgun Championship 2026 was held at the Lusail Hall in the Qatar Olympic Committee headquarters on Monday. Taking place at the Lusail Shooting Complex, the event will continue until January 21, with 196 male and female shooters from 17 countries participating.The opening ceremony was attended by President of the Asian Shooting Confederation Sheikh Salman Al Hamoud Al-Sabah and President of Qatar Shooting and Archery Federation and Chairman of the Organizing Committee Dr. Mishaal Ibrahim Al Nasr, along with federation officials and a number of guests.The ceremony featured a variety of entertaining segments, beginning with a video on the Asian Shotgun Championship Doha 2026, followed by a video presentation showcasing the Qatar Shooting and Archery Federation's achievements, organization, and excellence in the sport of shooting. A traditional Qatari dance performance, known as Ardha, was then presented, reflecting the rich heritage of Qatari identity. The ceremony concluded with the presentation of the list of participating countries.In a speech during the ceremony, President of the Qatar Shooting and Archery Federation Dr. Mishaal Ibrahim Al Nasr expressed his immense pleasure at the record-breaking participation in the Asian Shotgun Championships - Doha 2026, featuring a distinguished group of world and Olympic champions who will compete for podium finishes at the Lusail Shooting Range.The Federation President extended his sincere gratitude to the wise leadership for their support of sports federations, especially the Shooting Federation, which is witnessing significant development across all levels.He welcomed the elite shooting champions from across Asia to the Lusail International Shooting Range in a sporting atmosphere that reflects the spirit of fair competition and excellence, wishing all the shooters successful competitions and an enjoyable experience filled with excitement and thrill.Al Nasr pointed out that organizing major championships provides a platform to showcase the competence of Qatari personnel and their high level of professionalism in managing large-scale sporting events, making each championship held in Doha a new benchmark for excellence.For his part, President of the Asian Shooting Confederation Sheikh Salman Al Hamoud Al-Sabah praised the significant and unwavering support given by the wise leadership in Qatar to sports, which made Qatar a beacon of global sports. He noted that Doha has become a pivotal center for shooting worldwide, thanks to its advanced infrastructure, most notably the Lusail Shooting Complex, which is considered one of the best sports facilities in the world.The President of the Asian Shooting Confederation affirmed that the Confederation has complete confidence in the Qatari organizing committee's ability to deliver an exceptional and impressive edition of the Asian Shotgun Championship 2026, following its success in hosting numerous continental and international shooting championships, most recently the ISSF World Cup Finals for rifle, pistol, and shotgun, which concluded last December. He wished all participating delegations success in achieving the desired goals of this important sporting event, which contributes to raising the level of shooting sports in Asia.He explained that Doha's hosting of the World Shooting Championships next November, during which 36 qualifying spots for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will be awarded, is clear evidence of the development of sports in Qatar. He expressed his pride in the excellence and impressive performances of the Qatar Shooting Federation, headed by Dr. Mishaal Ibrahim Al Nasr, its members, Qatari shooters, and technical and administrative staff in various championships.He added that Asia is proud of the development of Qatari sports, and that they have plans for Qatar to be among the countries receiving Asian qualifying slots in shooting in the near future. He expressed his hope that Qatar would secure more Olympic qualification slots at the upcoming World Championships in Doha and that Qatari shooting would continue its success at future Olympic Games, following Nasser Al-Attiyah's bronze medal win at the 2012 London Olympics.The President of the Asian Shooting Confederation stated that the participation of 17 countries in the Asian Shotgun Championship - Doha 2026, with more than 250 athletes, coaches, and administrators, demonstrates the importance of the tournament, hoping to witness high levels of competition, especially since it is a championship sanctioned by the International Shooting Sport Federation, and the records set will be announced.The championship competitions kicked off today with official practice sessions for the skeet (75 targets) event. The skeet competition for the junior and youth categories will take place tomorrow, while the men's and women's categories will compete in the skeet (50 targets) event. The competitions continue on Wednesday, with the qualifying rounds for the skeet (50 targets) event, followed by the finals for the junior and youth categories. The finals for the men's, women's, and mixed team (junior and youth) skeet events will be held on Thursday, with the mixed team (men's and women's) skeet final taking place the following day.Following the skeet competitions, official practice for the trap shooting event will take place on January 17. Qualifying rounds for the various categories will be held on January 18 and 19, followed by the finals for the junior men's and women's trap categories on January 19. The following day will see the finals for the men's, women's, and mixed team trap events. The championship will conclude on January 21, with the mixed team trap final.The Qatari national team is represented by 12 shooters, including Rashid Saleh, Mohammed Al Rumaihi, Reem Al Sharshani, Ali Ishaq, Mohammed Al Kuwari, Saeed Abu Sharib, Angelo Scalzone, and Ray Basil. The Qatari shooters are aiming to continue their winning streak, win medals, and reach the podium.