Qatar volleyball teams to face off in Round of 16 at Sanya Games

Doha, Qatar: All eyes are on an all-Qatari clash in the Round of 16 of the beach volleyball competition at the Asian Beach Games - Sanya 2026, as Qatar’s men’s teams meet today at the start of the knockout stage.

The matchup follows the first team of Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan finishing top of Group B after a 2-1 win over Iran yesterday (21-11, 21-23, 15-13), underlining their title credentials. The second team, Mohamed Ehab and Moussa Al-Khair, placed second in their group after a 0-2 loss to hosts China, setting up a direct encounter with their compatriots.

The fixture guarantees Qatar a place in the quarter-finals and highlights the team’s strong group-stage performance. Younousse and Tijan opened with wins over the Maldives and Uzbekistan, while Ehab and Al-Khair defeated Saudi Arabia and Macau before their loss to China. grenadier.co.za

In the women’s competition, Haya Abu Issa and Laila Mohammed exited after a 0-2 defeat to China on Saturday.

Qatar is represented by four teams—two men’s and two women’s—reflecting growing participation and the sport’s expanding continental presence.

Meanwhile, Qatar’s beach handball team faces Thailand today, aiming to secure a place in the semi-finals and continue its title defence. The team enters the match in strong form, having recorded five consecutive wins against Pakistan, Oman, Bangladesh, Mongolia and Jordan to top the group with 10 points. Drawn in a competitive group that also includes the Maldives and Thailand, Qatar has maintained a high level from the outset.

Bright start for Qatar’s men’s 3x3 basketball team

Qatar’s men’s 3x3 basketball team opened their Asian Beach Games – Sanya 2026 campaign with two wins, defeating Bahrain 21-11 and Kazakhstan 22-15 to boost their qualification chances.

The team delivered strong performances in both matches, imposing a fast pace and making the most of scoring opportunities through effective teamwork to secure a perfect start. In contrast, the women’s team lost their opener 5-21 to China.

Qatar’s men are in Group C alongside Bahrain, India and Kazakhstan, while the women compete in Group A with China and Kazakhstan.

The knockout rounds begin on Tuesday, with the competition concluding on Wednesday with the semi-finals and final.

Elsewhere, Qatar’s sailing team continues its participation at the Sanya 2026 Asian Beach Games, with Tamim Shams set to compete in the sixth and seventh races of the Optimist class for boys, while Thani Shams will race in the sixth and seventh rounds of the ILCA 4 class.

China extended its lead in the medal standings at the Asian Beach Games – Sanya 2026 after yesterday’s events, with 19 medals (9 gold, 8 silver, 2 bronze). Thailand moved into second with eight medals (3 gold), followed by the Philippines in third with six (3 gold). The United Arab Emirates ranked fourth with six medals (2 gold), while Vietnam placed fifth with five medals (2 gold), as competition remains tight heading into the final stages.

أكد الإيطالي جياني ميرلو، رئيس الاتحاد الدولي للصحافة الرياضية وأحد أبرز القيادات في مجال الإعلام الرياضي العالمي، أن سعادة الشيخ جوعان بن حمد آل ثاني، رئيس المجلس الأولمبي الآسيوي رئيس اللجنة الأولمبية القطرية يتمتع برؤية واضحة وقدرة فاعلة على توحيد القارة الآسيوية في ظل التحديات الراهنة، مشددًا على أن قيادته تأتي في توقيت بالغ الأهمية، تفرض إعادة تعريف دور الرياضة على مستوى القارة.
وأكد ميرلو، في مقابلة خاصة مع الوفد الإعلامي المرافق للبعثة القطرية المشاركة في دورة الألعاب الآسيوية الشاطئية – سانيا 2026، أن قيادة الشيخ جوعان تفتح المجال أمام فرصة حقيقية لتعزيز دور القارة الآسيوية على الساحة الدولية، مشيرًا إلى أن هذه المرحلة تمثل اختبارًا حقيقيًا لقيادة المجلس الأولمبي الآسيوي، في وقت لم تعد فيه الرياضة مجرد منافسة، بل أداة أساسية لتعزيز التقارب وإعادة بناء العلاقات بين الدول.
وأوضح ميرلو أن تولي سعادة الشيخ جوعان رئاسة المجلس الأولمبي الآسيوي يأتي في ظرف استثنائي، حيث تتقاطع التحديات الرياضية مع متغيرات إقليمية ودولية تفرض على الرياضة أدوارا تتجاوز حدود المنافسة.
أوضح ميرلو أن المرحلة المقبلة تمثل محطة حاسمة، لاسيما مع اقتراب الاستحقاقات الانتخابية.
وبيَّن أن هذه المحطات لا تقتصر على اختيار قيادة جديدة، بل تعكس توجهات القارة ورؤيتها المستقبلية، مؤكدًا أن الاستقرار والاستمرارية عنصران أساسيان لضمان نجاح أي مشروع رياضي على المدى الطويل.
وتحدث ميرلو عن تجربة دولة قطر، مؤكدًا أنها تمثل نموذجًا بارزًا في التحول الرياضي على المستوى الدولي.
وأشار إلى أن قطر، التي كانت في مراحل سابقة في بدايات حضورها الرياضي الدولي، نجحت خلال فترة وجيزة نسبيا في ترسيخ مكانتها كأحد أبرز مراكز تنظيم الأحداث الرياضية الكبرى.
وقال: “من خلال الرياضة، وضعت قطر نفسها على خريطة العالم”.
وكشف ميرلو عن تغير نظرته تجاه إمكانية استضافة قطر للألعاب الأولمبية، مشيرًا إلى أنه كان متحفظًا في السابق، إلا أن التطور الكبير الذي شهدته الدولة غيَّر هذا التقييم بشكل واضح.
وأوضح أن قطر تمتلك اليوم معظم المقومات الأساسية، بما في ذلك المنشآت الرياضية المتطورة، وشبكات النقل الحديثة، والبنية التحتية الإعلامية المتقدمة.

Mohamed Salah limped off with a hamstring injury on Saturday, raising the possibility that it might have been his last game for Liverpool.

Mohamed Salah may have made his final appearance for Liverpool after he limped off with a suspected hamstring injury during the Reds’ 3-1 win over Crystal Palace at Anfield. The forward went off in the second half and applauded all sides of the stadium as he left the pitch.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot said it was too early to determine the severity of the problem, but he admitted immediate concern after the match. After the match, Slot said: “It’s too early to say, but we all know Mo and how hard it is for him to leave the pitch.”

The injury comes a month after Salah announced he will leave the club at the end of the season, bringing his nine-year spell at Anfield to a close.

The setback overshadowed an important Liverpool win. Alexander Isak, Andy Robertson, and Florian Wirtz scored against Palace as Liverpool moved up to fourth in the Premier League and strengthened their push for Champions League qualification.

Liverpool have not yet announced a recovery timeline. However, with the season close to its end, the hamstring problem has raised the possibility that the Palace match could stand as the last Liverpool game for Mohamed Salah at the club.

The post Salah Hamstring Injury Raises Prospect of Final Liverpool Game appeared first on KingFut.

Doha, Qatar: France’s Cyrine Cherif delivered a composed performance to win the Diamond Round 150cm class during the eleventh round of the Longines Hathab – Qatar Equestrian Tour held at the main arena of the Qatar Equestrian Federation yesterday.

Cherif guided Triple T Calamando Blue to a faultless finish in 31.48 seconds. Saudi Arabia’s Khaled Aleid secured second place aboard Rakker Dmc in 32.11 seconds, while Qatar’s Mohammed Saeed Haidan finished third riding Wathnan Stand By Me in 32.36 seconds.

Speaking after her victory, Cherif said: “My horse was a bit slow today so I was cautious and stayed steady and it worked. I’m glad to have won but I would have been happy with any podium finish. My horse had too much to do through the season and the Doha Equestrian Tours. But yes, having won a Grand Prix at DET, even 1.50m now appears smaller when I go into the arena.”Judges Irina Makanami and Mariam Al-Jaidah presented the awards to winners of the dressage competitions.

In the Bronze Tour 120cm, Qatar’s Hussain Saeed Haidan claimed first place riding D Saucedo in 28.77 seconds. Saudi Arabia’s Khaled Al Hadi finished second aboard Carlton de Sauvageonn in 29.33 seconds, while Kuwait’s Annaz Al Annaz took third place with Be Bop de Lyons in 29.41 seconds.

In the Bronze Tour Teams event, Marwan Al Shaqab secured first place with a clear round in 61.93 seconds, followed by Ajwad in second place with 72.89 seconds, while Gazal

Al Shaqab finished third after incurring four faults in 63.70 seconds.

In the Future Riders 90cm class, Qatar’s Salha Khalid Al Obaidli claimed first place riding Violet Van Het Koetshuis in 21.57 seconds. Alqaqaa Tamim Al Thani finished second aboard Bon Suela in 22.34 seconds, while Fahad Talal Al Naimi secured third place with Kroaat Van Orchid’s in 23.05 seconds.

Meanwhile, in the first dressage competitions, Sharifa Ahmed Al Ansari was crowned Amateur (Introductory Level) champion in Group 7 with a score of 70.119 points.

Georgina Roy Khan won the Introductory Level 2 title in Group 7 with 72.625 points, while Hamad Nasser Al Marri recorded 71.5 points to top the Junior category for the Introductory Level 2 test. Michelle Grimes also claimed first place in the Dressage Level 1 class in Group 7 with 70.425 points.