Riyadh – The Qatari national volleyball team lost 3–0 to Iran on Thursday in its second match at the Islamic Solidarity Games, which began on Tuesday in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. The Games will be officially inaugurated on Friday and will continue until November 21.

Qatar will next face Chad on Saturday in its third match of the competition.The Qatari squad includes Bilal Abunabot, Mubarak Al-Kuwari, Naji Mahmoud, Othman Abdulwahid, Mahdi Samoud, Mohammed Al-Waleed, Youssef Al-Yafei, Abdulrahman Bakri, Abdullah Naseem, Ibrahim Jumaa, Youssef Ghallaf, and Abdullah Hassanein.

The sixth edition of the Islamic Solidarity Games brings together more than 3,000 athletes from 57 countries competing across 23 sports, including athletics, fencing, 3x3 basketball, swimming, handball, table tennis, camel racing, volleyball, karate, Muay Thai, judo, weightlifting, futsal, wrestling, taekwondo, esports, wushu, boxing, show jumping, duathlon, jiu-jitsu, and athletics and weightlifting for athletes with disabilities.

Team Qatar is represented by 82 male and female athletes competing in 16 sports: athletics, duathlon, 3x3 basketball, karate, equestrian, wrestling, volleyball, handball, taekwondo, table tennis, judo, weightlifting, camel racing, swimming, fencing, and para-athletics.

Qatar enjoys a distinguished record at the Islamic Solidarity Games, having launched its success story in Makkah in 2005 with its first gold medal. The achievements continued in Palembang 2013 with a total of five medals, and in Baku 2017, Qatar made a significant leap, claiming 12 medals ،two gold, three silver, and seven bronze. In Konya 2022, Qatar maintained its total medal count while increasing its gold tally to four. In total, Qatar’s athletes have won 30 medals throughout the Games’ history،  eight gold, eight silver, and fourteen bronze underscoring the nation’s consistent excellence and determination to shine once again at Riyadh 2025.

Meanwhile, the administrative delegation of Team Qatar continues to work diligently to ensure optimal conditions for the athletes throughout their participation in the Games. The delegation is closely monitoring all logistical and organizational aspects, including accommodation, transportation, training programs, and the coordination of daily schedules for the teams.

The delegation is committed to providing an ideal environment that allows athletes and technical staff to focus fully on performance, reflecting the professionalism that characterizes Qatar’s participation in international events.

In this regard, Mr. Salah Al-Saadi, Head of the Qatari Administrative Delegation, affirmed that operations are proceeding according to a comprehensive plan developed by the Qatar Olympic Committee in collaboration with national sports federations. He said:

“We are keen to ensure that all organizational and administrative matters run smoothly, providing every athlete with the right environment to perform at their best. Participation in such events is a vital step in preparing our athletes, and our role is to support them and meet all their needs so they can represent Qatar in the best possible way.”

Al-Saadi concluded by emphasizing that the administrative delegation works as one team to serve the athletes and national teams, ensuring that Team Qatar’s participation in Riyadh stands as a model of organization and discipline.