Athletics stars to lead Qatar’s medals charge at Asian Games in Japan

Athletics stars will be among the leading medal hopefuls for Qatar at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, which begins on Saturday and runs until October 4.

The athletics team features a strong line-up of established performers and emerging talents across track, field and jumping events, with the athletes aiming to add to Qatar’s impressive record at the continental showpiece.

Ammar Ismail and Ashraf Osman will compete in the 400m, while Abderrahman Samba and Bassem Mohamed will line up in the 400m hurdles.

Hatem Hameed and Abubaker Haydar will contest the 800m, with Mohamed Waheed and Ibrahim Abbas entered in the 1500m. Zakaria Ibrahim will compete in the 3000m steeplechase.

In the field events, Moaaz Ibrahim will take part in the discus throw, while Ashraf El-Seify and Abderrahman Ibrahim will compete in the hammer throw. Ahmed Jebrin will contest the shot put.

Mutaz Barshim will lead Qatar’s challenge in the high jump, while Saif Mohamed will compete in the pole vault.

Qatar won six athletics medals at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou, including three golds. Barshim won in high jump, Mohamed Al-Garni took the 1500m title and Samba claimed gold in the 400m hurdles.

The three silver medals came from the 4x400m relay team of Samba, Bassem Hemeida, Ismail Daoud and Ashraf Osman, El-Seify in the hammer throw and Hemeida in the 400m. The athletics team will be hoping to maintain that momentum and deliver another strong showing in Japan.

Meanwhile, Abdullah Al Marri, Head of the Media Delegation for Team Qatar at the Asian Games said that media and logistical preparations are largely complete. He stressed that the Asian Games represent one of the continent’s premier sporting events. This status necessitated the early development of a comprehensive plan to manage every aspect of Qatar’s participation—spanning media, organizational, and logistical domains.

“We have confidence in the abilities of our athletes and look forward to them performing at the expected level. Reaching the Olympiad is a significant achievement, but our ambition goes beyond mere participation; we aim to compete and secure the best possible results,” he said.

Qatar women seek winning finish in volleyball

Qatar’s women’s volleyball team will look to end its Asian Games campaign on a positive note when it faces Hong Kong in the third and final round of Group D on Friday.

The Qatari side is seeking a response after suffering a heavy straight-sets defeat to South Korea in its second group match, going down 25-6, 25-6, 25-10. Qatar had also lost its opening match to Vietnam in straight sets.

With the top two teams from each of the four groups advancing to the quarter-finals, Qatar’s final group match will provide an opportunity for the players to gain valuable experience,

The team will be keen to show improvement and finish its campaign with a competitive performance, using the experience gained in Aichi-Nagoya as a platform for future development.

Qatar 3x3 teams set sights on strong Asian Games showing

Qatar’s 3x3 basketball teams will be looking to make an impact at Asian Games, with the men’s side targeting a strong run on the continental stage.

The men’s team features Mohammed Hashim, Hamad Yassin, Nizar and Mubarak Jama. Qatar begins its campaign on September 21 against Indonesia before taking on Chinese Taipei.

The team has stepped up preparations with a training camp in Doha, where it held intensive sessions and played a series of warm-up matches, including games against Serbia.

The fast-paced and physical nature of 3x3 basketball leaves little room for error, and Qatar will look to make a positive start through disciplined defence, accurate shooting and efficient finishing.

The opening matches will provide an early test as the team seeks to build momentum and progress to the later stages of the competition.

The women’s 3x3 competition begins on September 22, with Qatar facing Sri Lanka and China.

Both teams will be aiming to make the most of their Asian Games experience and strengthen Qatar’s presence in the rapidly growing 3x3 format.

Qatar U-23 seek response against Saudi Arabia

Qatar’s U-23 football team will look to revive its Asian Games campaign when it takes on Saudi Arabia in the second round of Group D at Mizuho Park Stadium in Nagoya today.

The match kicks off at 1:30pm Doha time, with Qatar seeking a positive result after suffering a 4-1 defeat to South Korea in its opening game.

Head coach Jose Angel Lacunza and his staff have used the training sessions since that defeat to address the shortcomings exposed against South Korea and prepare the players for another demanding encounter.

Saudi Arabia will pose a different challenge, but Qatar knows it needs to collect points to keep its hopes of advancing from the group alive.

The players will be determined to put the opening result behind them, improve their performance and produce a stronger display against their Gulf rivals.

Qatar will be represented by 243 athletes, comprising 184 men and 59 women. Qatari athletes will compete in 26 sports and 32 disciplines under 18 national sports federations.

The sports include 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.