Browsing: Sports
The 12th edition of the “Ramadan Sports Festival 2026,” organized by Aspire Zone Foundation, will kick off on Sunday evening, February 22, 2026, the festival has established itself as one of Qatar’s leading Ramadan sporting events. The festival will start from February 22 to March 6, 2026, daily from 8pm until midnight, featuring a comprehensive program of championships and activities across the foundation’s various venues. The festival is organised in line with the foundation’s strategy to promote physical activity and encourage a healthy lifestyle during the holy month. It offers a fully integrated sporting experience that combines fair competition with community engagement, reflecting the sporting and humanitarian values that Aspire Zone has upheld since its inception. Spanning 12 consecutive days, the festival includes 11 sports and fitness events targeting various age groups and interests, highlighting diversity and openness to both competitive and community-based sports. The programme features football tournaments — “Embassies” and “Aspetar” — in addition to basketball competitions for men, women, and youth; table tennis for people with disabilities; swimming competitions at the Hamad Aquatic Centre; Aspire Academy’s beach volleyball championship on the academy’s outdoor courts; a women’s padel tournament at Padel In Courts; and a women’s futsal championship. The programme also includes the Night Family Run, organised in cooperation with the Qatar Sports for All Federation at Aspire Park, adding a strong community dimension that encourages family participation and reinforces the concept of sport as a way of life. The opening chapter of the festival will feature the “Embassies” football tournament at Pitch No 5, from February 22 to March 6, with the participation of 24 teams divided into eight groups, reflecting remarkable cultural diversity and international representation. Group One includes South America, Tanzania, and Senegal; Group Two includes South Africa, Spain, and Oman; Group Three includes Chad, Jordan, and Mali; Group Four includes Finland, Algeria, and India; Group Five includes Syria, Ghana, and Thailand; Group Six includes Togo, Russia, and Iraq; Group Seven includes Sudan, Eritrea, and Somalia; and Group Eight includes Iran, Egypt, and Malaysia. The opening day will feature three strong matches: South America vs Tanzania at 9pm (Group One), followed by South Africa vs Spain at 10pm (Group Two), and Chad vs Jordan at 11pm (Group Three). The preliminary round matches will continue until March 1. The Round of 16 will take place on March 2 and 3, followed by the quarterfinals on March 4 and the semifinals on March 5. The championship will conclude with the final match on March 6 in a highly anticipated Ramadan evening for football fans. In this context, Nasser Abdullah al-Hajri, Chief Marketing officer at Aspire Zone Foundation, said: “At Aspire Zone Foundation, we take pride in the Ramadan Sports Festival becoming an annual gathering point for different segments of the community in a refined sporting atmosphere that reflects the spirit of the holy month. Organising the 12th consecutive edition embodies our strategic commitment to promoting physical activity and establishing a healthy lifestyle, not only during Ramadan but throughout the year. Nasser Abdullah al-Hajri, Chief Marketing officer at Aspire Zone Foundation. “This year, we ensured a diverse program featuring 11 sports and fitness events to guarantee broader participation across different segments of society — men, women, youth, people with disabilities, and families. Our goal is for Aspire Zone to remain an open space for all and a platform where sport meets community and humanitarian values.” Al-Hajri added: “We believe that sport is a universal language that unites nations. The Ramadan Sports Festival is a living embodiment of this concept, bringing together diverse cultures under the umbrella of fair competition and mutual respect. We look forward to an exceptional edition that further strengthens the festival’s position as one of Qatar’s premier Ramadan events.” Aspire Zone Foundation remains committed to providing an integrated sporting environment in terms of infrastructure, organisation, and technical standards, ensuring an outstanding experience for participants and spectators alike, and reinforcing the festival’s status as a key annual event in Qatar’s Ramadan sports calendar. Related Story Source link
Wang Xindi won the freestyle skiing men’s aerials at the Winter Olympics yesterday, strengthening China’s dominance in the discipline and bringing another gold medal into the family. The victory came two days after Wang’s wife Xu Mengtao retained her Olympic title in women’s aerials, and the couple could be set for more glory in today’s mixed team final.“We celebrated her gold, but I was also quick to refocus on to my own event”, he said. “We’ve battled together for years, but we’re also professionals.” He said Xu, a five-times Olympian with a record number of World Cup victories, sometimes shares “pointers” with him, “but also doesn’t want to say so much. But in my heart, I also understand what she wants to say.” The couple’s Milano Cortina double-act adds to China’s Beijing 2022 tally of two gold medals in men’s and women’s aerials and silver in mixed teams. Yesterday, world champion Noe Roth of Switzerland won silver, while another Chinese freeskier, Olympic first-timer Li Tianma, got bronze. “We knew we (Chinese) had an advantage because of the quality of our squad. We were pretty confident of winning a gold today, it’s just down to who performs on the day,” Li said. All four Chinese competitors made it to the final, from an initial pack of 24, including defending champion and five-times Olympian Qi Guangpu, who came sixth. Qi, who is 35, said it was the end of his Olympic career, even if Wang urged him not to retire and hailed him as a role model. The new Olympic champion took top spot with a remarkable score of 132.60, out of a maximum of 150. Roth was close behind on 131.58, while Li got 123.93. The field was whittled down over four rounds held in snowy, overcast conditions in the Alpine resort of Livigno, leaving six competitors, four from China and two Swiss – with Roth joined by compatriot Pirmin Werner – to contest the final run. “I want to thank myself for not giving up,” Wang said. “For my dedication. When things were hard, when I was down … I’d like to give myself a big hug.” American Quinn Dehlinger had to pull out before the start, due to a knee injury suffered during training. Aerials is a gravity-defying discipline that has been part of the Winter Games since 1994. Athletes jump off a near vertical ramp, launching themselves in the air and performing complex aerobatics, reaching speeds of up to more than 65 km per hour. They are judged on height, distance, style, degree of difficulty and landing. Netherlands’ Rijpma-de Jong grabs 1,500m gold Dutchwoman Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong won the women’s 1,500 metres at the Milano Cortina Games yesterday, securing the first Olympic gold of her career and her nation’s third speed skating title of these Games. Norway’s Ragne Wiklund took silver, while Canada’s Valerie Maltais claimed bronze to round out the podium. Rijpma-de Jong – who finished behind now-retired Dutch great Ireen Wust and Japan’s Miho Takagi to take bronze in this distance at Beijing 2022 – stopped the clock at one minute 54.09 seconds, earning her second medal of these Games after winning silver in the team pursuit. She finished 0.06 seconds ahead of Wiklund. Competing at her fourth Olympic Games, the 30-year-old Rijpma-de Jong joins Jutta Leerdam and Femke Kok as Dutch speed skating champions at Milano Cortina. Considered one of the favourites in the distance after finishing second behind Takagi in the 2025-26 ISU Speed Skating World Cup standings, Rijpma-de Jong was drawn in the penultimate pairing. She skated in the outer lane, with American Brittany Bowe alongside her in the inner lane. Once she crossed the line, all eyes turned to Takagi, who set off in the 15th and final pair with the Czech Republic’s Nikola Zdrahalova, but the 31-year-old Japanese great could only manage the sixth-fastest time. Source link
Feb 19, 2026; Pacific Palisades, California, USA; Rory McIlroy lines up his putt on the 18th green during the first round of the The Genesis Invitational…
Jessica Pegula shook off a first-set stumble to beat fellow American Amanda Anisimova 1-6 6-4 6-3 in the semi-finals of the Dubai Tennis Championships yesterday, reaching the eighth WTA 1000 final of her career. World number six Anisimova took less than half an hour to win the first before building a 3-1 lead in the second set. But Pegula held her nerve and broke Anisimova three times in a row to win the second set, before securing victory in the decider. In the final today, Pegula will take on Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina who beat world number four Coco Gauff in the second semi-final. Svitolina won 6-4, 6-7, 6-4 in the three gruelling sets. “It’s not like we have really easy matches … we had a lot of cat and mouse points and they mostly went my way so that was good,” world number five Pegula said after her fifth straight win over Anisimova. Anisimova, who reached the finals of Wimbledon and the US Open last year, yesterday frustrated Pegula with aces throughout the match. But Pegula, who won only six of her 16 service points in the first set, drew her opponent into longer rallies as she plotted her comeback. Pegula made Anisimova run back and forth with short slices and won the second set with a powerful backhand, as Anisimova’s hasty return went long. An exhausted Anisimova found the net while attempting a drop shot, setting up Pegula’s break point to take a decisive 3-1 lead in the third set. Source link
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football – Carabao Cup – Semi Final – Second Leg – Manchester City v Newcastle United – Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain – February…
Former Brazil captain Neymar said he is thinking of retiring at the end of the year after being hampered by injuries but hopes to go to the World Cup first. The ex-Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain striker returned in January 2025 to his boyhood club Santos from Saudi club Al Hilal.After an injury-interrupted first season he extended his contract until the end of 2026 but then missed the start of the Brazilian season in January after undergoing knee surgery in late December. “I don’t know what will happen from now on, I don’t know about next year,” the striker told Brazilian online channel Caze. “It may be that when December comes, I’ll want to retire. I’m living year to year now.”He made his return as a second-half replacement in a Sao Paulo championship match on February 16, 11 days after his 34th birthday. “Obviously, I wanted to come back to help my team in the best way possible, but I ended up holding back a little so I could come back 100 per cent,” he said.Neymar is the all-time leading scorer for Brazil, with 79 goals, two more than Pele, but has not played for the national team since October 2023 when he suffered a serious knee injury against Uruguay.Carlo Ancelotti has not called up Neymar since taking over as Brazil coach last May. “This year is a very important year, not only for Santos, but also for the Brazilian national team, as it’s a World Cup year, and for me too,” Neymar said. “So it’s a huge challenge.”IOC chief Coventry says unaware of Infantino’s presence at Board of Peace meeting, will look into matterInternational Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry said she was unaware of world football body (FIFA) chief Gianni Infantino’s presence at the first meeting of The Board of Peace along with US President Donald Trump, and said she would look into the matter.Infantino, who is also an IOC member, took part in the meeting of The Board of Peace, established under Trump with a focus on Gaza’s reconstruction fund, and aimed at rebuilding the territory once Hamas disarms.The FIFA chief appeared on stage with several politicians, sported a red hat with ‘USA’ on the front and the numbers 45-47, for the two non-consecutive presidencies of Trump. Infantino also displayed the FIFA collaboration agreement with The Board of Peace, which includes building 50 mini-pitches near schools and residential areas in Gaza, five full-size pitches across multiple districts, a state-of-the-art FIFA academy and a new 20,000-seat national stadium.”I wasn’t aware of that, that we had an IOC member front and centre,” Coventry told a press conference during the Milano Cortina Olympics. “Now that you guys (journalists) made us aware of it we will go back and have a look at it,” she said. “The IOC Charter is very clear what it expects of its members. We will go and research into the alleged signing of documents.”The Olympic Charter states that members must always act independently of commercial and political interests. They also cannot accept “from governments, organisations, or other parties, any mandate or instructions liable to interfere with the freedom of their action and vote,” the Charter says.”I think from the IOC’s point of view we will continue to be politically neutral,” Coventry said. “That’s the only way for us as an organisation to ensure that we allow for there to be fairness on the field of play. That’s what we will continue to do as we walk into the future.”Trump has met Infantino several times, with the United States co-hosting this summer’s soccer World Cup along with Mexico and Canada.The US President was also awarded FIFA’s inaugural peace prize in December for his efforts to promote dialogue and de-escalation in some of the world’s biggest hotspots, the soccer body said at the time.Coventry, elected in 2025, has not yet met Trump, with the 2028 Summer Olympics to be held in Los Angeles. Source link
Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten celebrate after beating Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool in the final of the doubles title clash at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open…
Britain’s Scott Brash and his evergreen partner Hello Jefferson extended their flawless run on the second day of the 13th edition of CHI Al Shaqab, producing another commanding performance to win the CSI5* 1.55m jump-off class at Al Shaqab’s Longines Arena on Thursday.Fresh from victory in Wednesday’s 1.50m CSI5* competition, the celebrated duo once again proved unbeatable, underlining their remarkable consistency as one of the sport’s most successful partnerships.Following a competitive first round that featured 37 combinations, eleven riders progressed to the jump-off over Italian course designer Uliano Vezzani’s demanding track, with ten returning for the decisive round.Brash guided the 17-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding to a brilliant fault-free round in 39.93 seconds, finishing just under a second clear of Germany’s Hans-Dieter Dreher aboard Vestmalle des Cotis, who stopped the clock in 40.82 seconds. Brazil’s Santiago Lambre secured third place with Zeusz after another double-clear effort in 40.86 seconds.“Jefferson was incredible yet again,” Brash said after sealing his second consecutive victory of the week. “He has such an amazing career now. He is 17 years old and probably in the form of his life. The whole team behind him keeps him in top shape.”Saudi Arabia’s Abdulrahman Alrajhi finished fourth riding Lorenzo ES, narrowly ahead of Portugal’s Duarte Seabra on Dourados 2, while Belgium’s Niels Bruynseels also impressed by qualifying for the jump-off and eventually placing 10th with Oaky Flandria.Italy’s Emanuele Gaudiano emerged as another standout performer, securing victories in both CSI5* and CSI3* competition. In the CSI5* 145cm Table C (LR-D) class, speed proved decisive as Gaudiano piloted Julius.D to victory in 59.76 seconds. Britain’s Millie Allen followed in second with Quick Diamant HR (60.80s), while American rider Kristen Vanderveen placed third aboard Bull Run’s Amen (62.33s).Gaudiano later returned to the arena to win the CSI3* 140cm Faults and Time class with Diarouge Blue PS, narrowly edging Egypt’s Ismail Osama El Borai and Gin Lady Tivoli Z by just 0.12 seconds. Qatar’s Ghanim Nasser al-Qadi completed the podium riding Isis, drawing strong home support.Saudi Arabia’s Khalid Al Hadi claimed top honours in the CSI3* 130cm Faults and Time competition with a fluent clear round aboard Capoen in 59.42 seconds. Egypt dominated the remaining podium places through Abdallah Haitham on Consagros and Seif Eldin Essam Abbas riding Heathcliff Blue.In the CSI1* 110cm Special Two-Phase event, Abdullah Ibrahim Abdullah of Saudi Arabia delivered the fastest double-clear performance with Erosa (25.36s). Qatar’s Abdullah bin Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani secured second with Cassandra 352, while Egypt’s Fatima Mohanad Alkishawi finished third riding Ippocampo de Maor.Young Qatari riders featured strongly in the CSICh-B 105cm class, where Abdullah bin Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani guided Let It Be des Hurlevents to victory ahead of compatriot Abdulla Ahmed al-Khulaifi on Quenta van de Corsendonksehoeve. Sheikh Nasser Hamad al-Thani completed an all-Qatari podium aboard Equinoxe de l’Aulne.The para dressage programme showcased high technical standards across all CPEDI3* Grand Prix A grades. Brazil’s Luiz Felipe Queiroz Menin topped Grade I aboard Ocaso Do Luar, while USA rider Fiona Howard produced the leading performance in Grade II with Ferguston (73.506). Italy’s Francesca Salvade won Grade III with Escari, and the Netherlands’ Sandra Jeuken secured Grade IV honours riding Nespresso. Sweden’s Lena Malmström claimed victory in Grade V aboard Fabulous Fidelie.Qatar celebrated further success in the CDI1* Prix St-Georges, where Jassim al-Kuwari and Jack Sparrow delivered a winning score of 69.608 ahead of compatriot Wejdan Majed al-Malki and Maryam Ahmad al-Boinin. Source link
Top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz of Spain advanced to the final of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open on Friday, defeating defending champion Andrey Rublev in a closely contested semifinal match. Alcaraz won 7-6(3), 6-4 after converting his sixth match point, overcoming significant resistance from the Russian fifth seed. The hard-fought win positions the World No. 1 to compete for his first career title at the Doha tournament. Rublev, who previously won the event in 2020 and 2025, heavily tested the Spaniard’s resolve throughout the match. Despite the pressure, Alcaraz maintained his composure during the final exchanges to close out the match and seal his passage to the championship round. “I know what I am able to do every time I step on the court, what I am capable of doing,” Alcaraz said when asked if he is ever amazed by himself. “The way that I am approaching every match, I’m just really proud about it. It’s something I am trying to be better at and it’s paying off. I’m proud of myself (for) getting better and maturing,” he added. “If you want to find a solution to a problem, you should find it in a calm place,” Alcaraz said. “It’s something I am working on. When I am playing and getting mad, seeing I’m not at my best, I just get frustrated. That is not the place you will find solutions. In these matches, I have been really calm, thinking clearly and being positive. It’s in those places where you can find the solutions to a problem,” Alcaraz explained. The No. 1 player in the ATP Rankings battled for a gripping victory under the lights in Doha to extend his perfect start to 2026 to 11 matches. Although he twice failed to serve out the opening set and saw a 3-0 lead in the second quickly erased, Alcaraz remained steady under pressure to advance to the Qatari ATP 500 final for the first time after two hours, two minutes. Since capturing the Australian Open crown in January to become the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam, the 22-year-old Alcaraz has played with assurance, but his path in Doha has required persistence. After rallying past former champion Karen Khachanov in three sets in the quarter-finals, the top seed faced more challenges against Rublev but still fought his way to an impressive win. Alcaraz stayed composed through a nervy end and eventually converted his sixth match point to secure victory and advance to his 34th tour-level final. The World No. 1 is 25-8 in career finals. Source link
Australia demolished Oman by nine wickets in their final Twenty20 World Cup group match on Friday, delivering a dominant display that ultimately came too late to salvage a disappointing campaign with both sides already eliminated.Chasing a modest target of 105 in Pallekele, skipper Mitchell Marsh was in no mood to hang around and ruthlessly dispatched Oman's bowlers to all corners of the park, bringing up his 50 off just 26 balls inside the first powerplay.Oman's Shakeel Ahmed collided with wicketkeeper Vinayak Shukla when he had Travis Head caught and bowled off a top edge for 32, but the 38-year-old spinner was so overjoyed he brought out Cristiano Ronaldo's trademark goal celebration.Marsh remained unbeaten on 64 with seven boundaries and four sixes to guide Australia home with 62 balls to spare, equalling the T20 World Cup record for the fastest chase of a total over 100.Australia finished third in the group with two wins and two defeats, with Marsh describing the 2021 champions' campaign as a ‘missed opportunity’, while winless Oman propped up the table with no points.’Unfortunately we didn't play our best in a couple of games that we needed to and that's tournament play,’ Marsh said.’You lose that game to Zimbabwe and you're under pressure and fair play to them, wish them all the best. But we're a very disappointed group.’CLINICAL BOWLING DISPLAY FROM AUSTRALIAAustralia produced a clinical bowling display to dismiss Oman for 104 after winning the toss and opting to field, with Adam Zampa finishing with figures of 4-21.Fast bowler Xavier Bartlett set the tone with a wicket off the very first ball, removing Aamir Kaleem before he had skipper Jatinder Singh also bowled.Oman attempted to rebuild but none of their batters converted their starts while Wasim Ali stood out with a gritty 32, offering the only meaningful resistance.Zampa claimed his fourth four-wicket haul in T20 World Cups.’It's been a rough few days, there's a few quiet voices around the team at the moment,’ he said after picking up the player of the match award.’We're feeling pretty flat about the World Cup ending so soon for us. We feel like we've built something over the last few years.’We played a specific brand of cricket that we thought was going to work and under pressure it unfortunately didn't for us. So yeah, we're disappointed.’BRIEF SCORESAustralia 108 for 1 (Marsh 64*, Head 32) beat Oman 104 (Wasim 32, Zampa 4-21, Maxwell 2-13, Bartlett 2-27) by nine wickets Source link