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6 Sep’ 2026
Qatar U-20 Suffer Narrow Defeat to Saudi Arabia in AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers
Doha: Qatar's U-20 national football team suffered a 1-0 defeat to Saudi Arabia on Sunday in the third and final round of Group E action in the qualifiers for the AFC U-20 Asian Cup China 2027.
Talal Ibrahim scored the decisive goal for Saudi Arabia in the 81st minute to secure all three points and maintain his side's perfect record in the group.
In the other Group E match played on Sunday, Oman and Hong Kong drew 1-1 at Hamad Bin Khalifa Stadium.
Saudi Arabia finished top of the group with nine points from three matches, followed by Oman on four points, Qatar on three and Hong Kong on one.
The result saw Saudi Arabia secure direct qualification for the AFC U-20 Asian Cup China 2027 as Group E winners.
Saudi Arabia had opened their campaign with a 2-0 victory over Hong Kong, while Oman beat Qatar 2-1 in the opening round.
In the second round, Saudi Arabia edged Oman 3-2, while Qatar recorded their only victory of the qualifying campaign with a 3-0 win over Hong Kong.
Under the qualification format, the winner of each group qualifies directly for the finals, along with the seven best second-placed teams from the eight qualifying groups.
The final tournament will be hosted by China in 2027. (QNA)
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Al Buenain Visits Team Qatar Delegation
H.E. Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain, Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee, visited Team Qatar’s delegation headquarters at the Athletes’ Village today, ahead of the opening of the 20th Asian Games – Aichi-Nagoya 2026.Upon his arrival at Team Qatar’s delegation headquarters in the Athletes’ Village, Al Buenain was welcomed by Ahmed Al Darwish, Head of Team Qatar’s Administrative Delegation, and a number of delegation members.Al Buenain also visited the various facilities at Team Qatar’s delegation headquarters, where he was briefed on the ongoing work and arrangements being undertaken by the administrative delegation to provide athletes and technical staff with their various requirements and facilitate the delegation’s operations throughout their participation in the Games.Al Buenain praised the efforts of the administrative delegation members, stressing the importance of continuing their work and coordination to provide Team Qatar athletes with the best possible conditions, enabling them to focus on their competitions and perform at their best throughout the Games.The 20th Asian Games – Aichi-Nagoya 2026 – will officially open tomorrow, Saturday, and continue until 4 October, with 45 Asian nations competing across a wide range of sports.Qatar are participating in the 20th Asian Games – Aichi-Nagoya 2026 – with a delegation of 427 members, including 243 athletes – 184 men and 59 women – in addition to 142 technical and administrative staff, 23 members of the administrative delegation and 16 members of the media delegation.Team Qatar athletes will compete in 26 sports and 32 disciplines through 18 sports federations, with ambitions to achieve outstanding results and further strengthen the presence of Qatari sport on the Asian stage.Qatar will compete in athletics, football, basketball, 3x3 basketball, handball, volleyball, beach volleyball, squash, padel, taekwondo, judo, artistic gymnastics, golf, shooting, swimming, jiu-jitsu, esports, sailing, equestrian, karate, fencing, archery, wrestling, boxing, weightlifting and table tennis.
Aichi-Nagoya 2026
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Volleyball
Qatar Women’s Volleyball Team Face Hong Kong
Qatar women’s national volleyball team will face Hong Kong today in the third and final round of Group D at the 20th Asian Games – Aichi-Nagoya 2026 – in Japan. Qatar will be looking for victory to bounce back from yesterday’s 3-0 defeat to South Korea in the second round of Group D. The sets ended 25-6, 25-6 and 25-10.Qatar began their campaign with a 3-0 defeat to Vietnam.The women’s volleyball competition features 14 teams divided into four groups, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarter-finals.Qatar women’s volleyball team will be aiming to finish the group stage with a victory and a positive result that builds on the experience gained from their participation in the Asian Games, which provides an important opportunity to compete against continental opposition and gain further experience for the future.
Head of the Media Delegation Abdullah Al Marri: Comprehensive Media Preparations in Place for Asian Games in Japan
Abdullah Al Marri, Head of Team Qatar’s Media Delegation at the Asian Games, confirmed that media and organisational preparations are largely complete as delegation members, national teams and Qatari squads arrive in Nagoya ahead of their participation in the major Asian sporting event.Al Marri said the Asian Games represent one of the continent’s largest sporting events, requiring comprehensive planning from an early stage to address all aspects of Qatar’s participation, whether from a media, organisational or logistical perspective.He noted that the Media Committee has worked over the past period to complete all necessary arrangements to cover Team Qatar’s participation and highlight the presence of Qatari sport at this major gathering, a continental sporting celebration held every four years that brings together Asia’s leading athletes across a wide variety of sports and competitions.He added that the media operation is not limited to covering competitions and results, but extends to all aspects of Qatar’s participation, highlighting the efforts of athletes and national teams and providing audiences and followers with a complete picture of the delegation’s activities.Comprehensive Media ReadinessAl Marri explained that the Media Committee began preparing for the Games well in advance, developing a comprehensive media coverage plan that includes following the news of Qatari national teams and squads, reporting competition results and continuously providing content covering Team Qatar’s participation.He noted that the nature of the Asian Games, with extensive participation from countries across the continent, requires a significant media effort, particularly given the large number of sports and competitions spread across multiple venues and locations.He added that this prompted the Media Committee to adopt an organised working mechanism that ensures the rapid delivery of news and information, as well as continuous coordination with all parties across the delegation, to provide comprehensive and ongoing coverage of Qatar’s participation.Al Marri said: “From the outset, we were determined to ensure that our preparations reflected the importance of this major Asian sporting event and to provide the delegation with all the media support it requires. Our aim is to present an accurate picture of Qatar’s participation and bring the efforts of our athletes and national teams closer to audiences and followers.”Speaking about preparations for the Games, Al Marri explained that the work has not been limited to media operations, but has also covered the various details required to help delegation members perform their duties efficiently, including coordination and communication, as well as providing information on competitions, transportation and daily programmes.He confirmed that the Media Committee will be present across the various competition venues to follow Qatari athletes, cover their participation and provide them with media support, reflecting the extensive efforts being made to ensure the success of Qatar’s participation in this continental event.Al Marri expressed his hope that the Games will bring results that match Qatar’s ambitions and that Team Qatar athletes will produce performances that reflect their preparations and aspirations, while adding new chapters to Qatar’s sporting achievements on the Asian stage.The Head of the Media Delegation concluded by stressing that the Media Committee will continue its work throughout the Games, covering Team Qatar’s participation across the various sports and competitions. He expressed his hope that Qatar’s participation in the Asian Games in Japan will produce many memorable moments and achievements that bring joy to the fans and raise the Qatari flag high on the Asian stage.
Qatar and Saudi Arabia Meet in Crucial Encounter
Qatar’s U23 national football team will face Saudi Arabia in a challenging second-round Group D encounter at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games. The match will kick off at 1:30 pm Doha time at Mizuho Park in Nagoya, with Team Qatar looking to bounce back from their opening-round defeat to South Korea.Qatar enter the match determined to regain their momentum following a difficult start against South Korea, which ended in a 4-1 defeat. During the latest training sessions, the technical staff, led by head coach José Ángel, worked on addressing the mistakes that emerged in the opening match.Team Qatar are aware that the encounter against Saudi Arabia will not be easy, given the strength of their opponents and their own determination to secure a positive result that strengthens their position in the group.The match carries significant importance for Qatar, who will be looking to turn the page after their opening defeat and keep their hopes in the competition alive by securing a positive result against Saudi Arabia before the final round of the group stage.