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Longines Hathab – Qatar Equestrian Tour Khaled Mohammed al-Emadi crowned a standout performance by winning the Diamond Tour as the ninth round of the Longines Hathab – Qatar Equestrian Tour concluded at the main arena of the Qatar Equestrian Federation.Competing over fences set at 150cm, al-Emadi secured first place aboard Thor Ter Wilgen Z with a time of 72.68 seconds. Hamad Nasser al-Qadi finished second on Edison Z in 74.84 seconds, while Faleh Suwaid al-Ajami claimed third place on Karmalensky with a time of 75.75 seconds.The ninth round featured a full program including Level 1 and Level 2 dressage competitions, the preliminary dressage test, the FEI World Equestrian Challenge, the Future Riders class at 90cm, the Bronze Tour at 120cm (individual and team), and the Diamond Tour at 150cm.In the Bronze Tour (120cm) individual competition, Ibrahim Khalid al-Kuwari took first place on Flexy Bel Z with a time of 45.51 seconds. Khalid al-Hadi finished second on Capoen (48.43 seconds), followed by Ghanem Nasser al-Qadi in third on Harry UP (48.75 seconds).In the team standings, Al Shaqab claimed first place with a combined time of 112.86 seconds, ahead of Ajwad in second (107.88 seconds) and The Dome in third (109.89 seconds).Dressage competitions also delivered strong performances. In the preliminary test, Noura Fathi Nassar topped the standings with 63.571 points, followed by Al Anoud Rashid al-Nuaimi on 60.357 points.In Level 2 dressage, Mona Mohammed Hammoudi claimed first place with 68.880 points, ahead of Hamad Nasser al-Marri (66.293 points) and Caroline Featherstone (64.741 points). In the junior Level 2 category, Hamad Nasser al-Marri finished first, followed by Hadi Nasser al-Hajri and Moza Hamza al-Kuwari.Level 1 dressage honors went to Hemyan Khalifa al-Kuwari with a score of 68.642 points, narrowly edging Youssef Asamli in second (68.600 points), while Michelle Germes placed third with 67.067 points.The FEI World Equestrian Challenge saw Suhaim Hamad al-Yafai take first place in 50.27 seconds. Ahmed Ali al-Jaber finished second (53.96 seconds), while Tamim bin Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani placed third with a time of 57.01 seconds.Awards were presented by Bader bin Mohammed al-Darwish, President of the Qatar Equestrian Federation, and Mohammed bin Jaber al-Khayarin, Director of Equestrian Education at Al Shaqab.In the Future Riders class at 90cm, Layan Sultan al-Thani won the title with a time of 17.84 seconds. Khalifa bin Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani finished second (18.13 seconds), while Salman Faisal al-Marri placed third with a time of 19.47 seconds. Source link
India’s Arshdeep Singh (centre) celebrates with teammates Harshit Rana (right) and Hardik Pandya after taking the wicket of South Africa’s Reeza Hendricks during the third Twenty20…
Football icon Lionel Messi’s second day in India passed smoothly yesterday, after a chaotic opening to his three-day tour, as the World Cup winner kicked balls into the crowd and met cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.Messi greeted excited fans decked out in Argentina football jerseys at a packed Wankhede stadium in India’s financial hub Mumbai, as supporters chanted his name.The 38-year-old Argentina and Inter Miami superstar took centre stage in the presence of India’s sporting royalty including Tendulkar and football star Sunil Chhetri.Messi along with his Inter Miami teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul are part of a so-called GOAT Tour of a cricket-crazy nation.Cricket great Tendulkar presented Messi with his iconic number 10 jersey from India’s 2011 World Cup triumph at the same venue.”I have spent some incredible moments here,” said batting star Tendulkar.”Mumbai is a city of dreams and number of dreams have seen the finish line here on this very venue and without your support we could never have seen those golden moments in 2011.”And today having all three greats of game here is indeed a golden moment for Mumbai, Mumbaikars and India.”Although a cricket powerhouse, the nation of 1.4 billion struggles on the football pitch and are 142nd on the FIFA rankings.”Thank you for being here and encouraging youngsters,” said Tendulkar. “I hope football here in India also reaches the heights that we all aspire.”The Mumbai event went smoothly compared to Saturday’s in the eastern city of Kolkata where heavy security left fans struggling to catch a glimpse of Messi.Frustrated fans, many having paid more than $100 for tickets, broke down barricades and stormed the pitch after the superstar abruptly left the arena.Spectators also ripped out stadium seats and hurled water bottles onto the track.One person has been arrested for the incident.Before the chaos erupted, Messi unveiled a 21-metre (70-foot) statue which shows him holding aloft the World Cup in 2022.The footballer was in Hyderabad city later on Saturday where he addressed the crowd briefly in Spanish.Messi wraps up his India tour on Monday, with a possible meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The footballer won his second consecutive Major League Soccer Most Valuable Player award this week after propelling Inter Miami to the MLS title and leading the league in goals.The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward will spearhead Argentina’s defence of the World Cup in June-July in North America. Source link
Visit Qatar has successfully concluded the inaugural Qatar T100 Triathlon World Championship Final, held from December 10 to 13 in Lusail, marking a major milestone in Qatar’s growing international sporting calendar. The four-day event brought together elite athletes, amateur competitors and community participants from across the world, reinforcing Qatar’s position as a leading host of world-class endurance sport.The event attracted a total of 5,171 participants across all race categories, reflecting strong international interest and community engagement. Running events saw 3,087 participants, with 2,334 runners competing in the 5km community run and 753 children taking part in the 1km run. Triathlon participation totalled 2,084 competitors, including 63 athletes in the Youth Super Sprint, 1,125 competitors in the 100km Open race, 255 participants in the inaugural T100 Age Group World Championship, and 642 athletes in the Sprint Triathlon. Participants from the United Kingdom topped the list of nationalities, accounting for 11% of competitors, followed by Qatar at 10%, the Philippines at 6%, France at 2%, and Germany at 1%.Ahmed Al Binali, director of Festivals and Events at Visit Qatar, said: “The Qatar T100 Triathlon World Championship Final delivered an outstanding celebration of elite sport, complemented by strong community participation. From world-class competition in Lusail to thousands of participants across running and triathlon events, the four-day programme highlighted Qatar’s proven capability to host major international sporting events that engage athletes, residents and visitors.”In the men’s professional race, New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde was crowned T100 Triathlon World Champion after completing a perfect season, winning every T100 race he entered. He was joined on the podium by Morgan Pearson of the United States in second place and Belgium’s Marten Van Riel in third.In the women’s race, Great Britain’s Kate Waugh secured her first T100 World Championship title following a consistently strong season. She was followed by fellow Briton Georgia Taylorbrown in second place, with Swiss Olympian Julie Derron completing the top three.The 2025 T100 Triathlon World Tour features more than $8mn in total athlete prize money and compensation. The individual men’s and women’s winners of the T100 Race to Qatar series each received $200,000, in addition to race-specific prize earnings from the Qatar T100 Triathlon World Championship Final.Qatar’s global positioning as a hub for international sporting excellence continues to grow, with the 2025 T100 Triathlon World Championship further enriching its sporting legacy and highlighting its position as a leading destination for world-class sporting events. Related Story Source link
Football icon Lionel Messi’s second day in India passed smoothly yesterday, after a chaotic opening to his three-day tour, as the World Cup winner kicked balls into the crowd and met cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.Messi greeted excited fans decked out in Argentina football jerseys at a packed Wankhede stadium in India’s financial hub Mumbai, as supporters chanted his name.The 38-year-old Argentina and Inter Miami superstar took centre stage in the presence of India’s sporting royalty including Tendulkar and football star Sunil Chhetri.Messi along with his Inter Miami teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul are part of a so-called GOAT Tour of a cricket-crazy nation.Cricket great Tendulkar presented Messi with his iconic number 10 jersey from India’s 2011 World Cup triumph at the same venue.”I have spent some incredible moments here,” said batting star Tendulkar.”Mumbai is a city of dreams and number of dreams have seen the finish line here on this very venue and without your support we could never have seen those golden moments in 2011.”And today having all three greats of game here is indeed a golden moment for Mumbai, Mumbaikars and India.”Although a cricket powerhouse, the nation of 1.4 billion struggles on the football pitch and are 142nd on the FIFA rankings.”Thank you for being here and encouraging youngsters,” said Tendulkar. “I hope football here in India also reaches the heights that we all aspire.”The Mumbai event went smoothly compared to Saturday’s in the eastern city of Kolkata where heavy security left fans struggling to catch a glimpse of Messi.Frustrated fans, many having paid more than $100 for tickets, broke down barricades and stormed the pitch after the superstar abruptly left the arena.Spectators also ripped out stadium seats and hurled water bottles onto the track.One person has been arrested for the incident.Before the chaos erupted, Messi unveiled a 21-metre (70-foot) statue which shows him holding aloft the World Cup in 2022.The footballer was in Hyderabad city later on Saturday where he addressed the crowd briefly in Spanish.Messi wraps up his India tour on Monday, with a possible meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The footballer won his second consecutive Major League Soccer Most Valuable Player award this week after propelling Inter Miami to the MLS title and leading the league in goals.The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward will spearhead Argentina’s defence of the World Cup in June-July in North America. Source link
The stage is set for absorbing semi-finals of the FIFA Arab Cup on Monday. The semi-finals are set to be thrilling affairs with three Asian sides looking to lift the coveted trophy.Standing in their way are Morocco, who are aiming to keep the trophy in Africa following the elimination of defending champions Algeria in the quarter-finals. Morocco v United Arab EmiratesUAE showed steely resolve in defeating Algeria in the quarter-finals and will have to produce more of the same against Morocco.While penalties were needed to decide UAE's passage to the last four stage, Morocco saw off the challenge of Syria in 90 minutes, winning 1-0.UAE's hero in the 7-6 penalty shootout win was goalkeeper Hamad Al Meqbali, who denied Yassine Benzia and Mohamed Khacef from the spot.The Shabab Al Ahli shot-stopper paid tribute to UAE head coach Cosmin Olaroiu after his heroics against Algeria.“We deserved the win, and this success has brought us immense joy despite a tough match. The coach instilled positive energy in us, he motivated us in the right way and showed a lot of faith in us, like we were his own sons. That helped us to fight for our flag, for ourselves and for the coach,” said Meqbali.Morocco will be another tough test but Meqbali, who is normally Khalid Eisa's understudy, and his teammates are looking forward to locking horns with the African side.With just days to recover, Lucas Pimenta said it was crucial for UAE to quickly refocus.“We need to prepare and recover in time to face Morocco, and hopefully we’ll manage to win again,” said the centre-back. Saudi Arabia v JordanThese are thrilling times for Jordan and they will head into their semi-final against Saudi Arabia with confidence.Their runners-up finish at the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 was followed by a first-ever qualification for the FIFA World Cup and Jordan are now just two wins away from lifting the FIFA Arab Cup trophy.They showed grit in the 1-0 win against Iraq in the quarter-finals, soldiering on despite losing the creative Yazan Al Naimat to injury in the first half, with his teammates attributing the victory to their determination to continue showcasing Jordanian football.“The injury to Al Naimat was a blow to our morale after he had to leave the match so early but everyone showed real responsibility, and in the end we were rewarded with the win,’ said left-back Mohammad Abu Hashish.“We deserve to be in the semi-finals; we didn’t get here by chance. The next match will be tough, and we’ll prepare for it properly. We hope to deliver a performance worthy of the Jordanian national team.”Saudi Arabia had to work hard to earn their semi-final spot, needing extra-time to see off the challenge of a resilient Palestine.Midfielder Mohammed Kanno was their hero, netting the winner in the final minute of the match for his third goal of the tournament.Head coach Herve Renard has a talent-laden squad at his disposal and will expect to see his side progress. Semi-finals on Monday:Morocco v United Arab EmiratesVenue: Khalifa International Stadium (Al Rayyan)Kick-off: 17:30 (UTC+3)Saudi Arabia v JordanVenue: Al Bayt Stadium (Al Bayt)Kick-off: 20:30 (UTC+3) Source link
After a break of more than six weeks, drifting competitions returned to the spotlight with the second round of the Qatar Drift Championship for the 2025/2026 season.The round was held under the patronage Qatar Racing Club Chairman HE Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad al-Thani and witnessed a large crowd that filled the club’s grandstands, alongside the participation of an elite group of drift champions from the Gulf countries and the wider region.In the local category, Abdullah al-Mouhtasib topped the qualifying standings, ahead of Yasser al-Shater and Mohammed al-Jaber in second and third respectively, while last season’s local category champion Yazan Jabshah finished fourth.The tandem battles also featured strong and intense matchups. Qualifying leader Ali Makhseed advanced to the second round after defeating Meysiar Abu Shaiba. The second matchup was an all-local duel between Yasser al-Shater and Mohammed al-Jaber, which ended in favor of al-Shater, who progressed to the next round.Last round’s runner-up Riyadh al-Mabsali continued his campaign by overcoming Mohammed Al-Azmi, while Salem al-Sarraf secured his place in the second round after defeating Mazen Nasser.On the other side of the elimination bracket, Mohammed Khourshid, who finished second in qualifying, defeated Saleh al-Rumaihi, making his first appearance in the championship, to advance to the second round. Meanwhile, last season’s local category champion Yazan Jabshah moved on after overcoming Bakheet al-Hajri. The matchup between opening round champion Ahmed al-Amri and Saoud al-Abdulhadi produced no surprises, with al-Amri advancing. The final first-round duel brought together Abdullah al-Mouhtasib and Saoud al-Attiya in an all-local contest that ended in favor of al-Mouhtasib.In the second round, Ali Makhseed and Salem al-Sarraf qualified for the first semifinal, with Makhseed defeating Yasser al-Shater and al-Sarraf overcoming Riyadh al-Mabsali. On the other side, Mohammed Khourshid advanced to the second semifinal after defeating Yazan Jabsha, while Ahmed al-Amri completed the semifinal lineup by beating Abdullah al-Mouhtasib.The semifinal battles were extremely tense and evenly matched, with both encounters initially ending in draws, forcing the judges to order reruns to determine the winners. In the first semifinal, last season’s champion Ali Makhseed faced his former runner-up Salem al-Sarraf. Makhseed managed to edge ahead with difficulty to become the first finalist of the second round.In the second semifinal, Mohammed Khourshid defeated last round’s champion Ahmed al-Amri, who later finished fourth overall after losing the third-place playoff to al-Sarraf, allowing the latter to climb onto the podium in third place for the second consecutive round.Attention then turned to the final showdown between qualifying leader Ali Makhseed and qualifying runner-up Mohammed Khourshid. The duel delivered the highest level of excitement seen in the round, but victory ultimately went to Makhseed, who secured his first win of the season, while Khourshid settled for second place and his first podium appearance of the season.QRC Director General Sheikh Jabor bin Khalid al-Thani crowned the top three finishers on the podium. Third round will take place in two weeks’ time. Source link
A superb drive from a bunker with a wood set up Jayden Schaper to beat fellow South African Shaun Norris on the first hole of a play-off and win a European Tour event in Johannesburg.Schaper’s second shot, after a wayward drive on the par five 18th, landed just off the green and he used his putter to claim an eagle and a first victory on the circuit.”That was one of the shots of my career. I had a good angle and a nice lie,” the 24-year-old Johannesburg-born champion told reporters.Norris, 19 years older than Schaper, applauded the shot by raising his hands and clapping for several minutes.Defending champion Norris, seven shots behind going into the final round of a tournament reduced to 54 holes by flooding on Saturday, also had an eagle chance, but his putt veered well left.Schaper, runner-up at another European event in Sun City last weekend, could have clinched first place on the 18th in regulation play, but found a greenside bunker and two putted for a par.He posted rounds of 67, 64 and 67 while Norris, after rounds of 67 and 69 appeared to rule him out of contention, fired a 62, then waited in the clubhouse for some time while Schaper completed his round.”It was a grind, really tough,” said Schaper, who turned professional five years ago, after his triumph at Royal Johannesburg.”Having my family here to see me achieve a historic victory was special. It is unreal, awesome, amazing.”After coming so close last weekend at Sun City I had to keep fighting. Now I am a champion. That is a fantastic feeling.”Spaniard Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra, who took a two-stroke lead into the final round, carded a 70 to finish one shot behind Schaper and Norris.South African Louis Oosthuizen, the sole major winner in the field, finished with a 66 to tie for fourth place.Leading final round scores(RSA unless stated):198 – Jayden Schaper 67-64-67, Shaun Norris 67-69-62Schaper won at first play-off hole199 – Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra (ESP) 63-66-70201 – Oliver Bekker 66-67-68, Christiaan Burke 63-71-67, Louis Oosthuizen 67-68-66202 – Martin Couvra (FRA) 70-69-63, John Parry (ENG) 66-66-70203 – Christiaan Bezuidenhout 67-69-67, Branden Grace 65-67-71, Michael Hollick 70-63-70, Aldrich Potgieter 67-69-67, Samuel Simpson 65-71-67Note: Event reduced to three rounds after course was flooded on Saturday Source link
Coach Herve Renard Sunday said Saudi Arabia are expecting a feisty clash against Jordan in the semi-final of the FIFA Arab Cup today.Renard, who coached Saudi Arabia at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Sunday also said his players won’t adopt half measures against the 2023 AFC Asian Cup finalists.“After reaching this stage of a tournament, all matches are usually difficult and tough, and require the best effort from every player. And certainly all of my players are aware of this andthey are ready for Jordan,” Renard said Sunday at a press conference.“I have confidence in the players’ ability to perform at their best and win so we can reach the final,” Renard said ahead of the match scheduled to take place at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor.“Our preparations have been good for this match. We will be playing to win so we can play the final,” the popular Frenchman added.The Saudi coach added: “Our goal is to to get the win in order to please the Saudi fans who have come to Qatar in large numbers to support the team. We will spare no effort to raise the flag of Saudi football here.”Renard, 57, said that he has ‘a good relationship’ with Jordan’s coach Jamal Sellami.“I know he is focused on working with his own team just like any other coach. I have worked with him for a long time,” he said.Morocco coach Sellami Sunday said: “Our preparations are good, we gave some players a rest and Sunday will be the final preparation.”The coach added: “We will face a strong and a title favourite team. They have no absences while we have a key player missing out. For the first time, we will play without Yazan al-Naimat and Musa al-Taamari together. We will have to defend smart in the match.”Sellami continued: “We know the strength of the Saudi national team. We will have to be at our best.”The Jordan coach admitted Saudi Arabia will be a tough opponent and that his side won’t be thinking of the final just yet.Sellami told reporters Sunday: “My focus is on the next match. We will face a solid team in defence, attack and midfield. They have some of the best players in Asia. They also have Mohammed Kanno, who has returned to his best form.“The most important thing now is to face Saudi Arabia, and then consider the final.“I have a good relationship with Herve Renard and there’s mutual respect also. He deserves respect and is worthy of it.” Related Story Source link
Under the patronage of Egypt’s Ministries of Youth and Sports and Environment, the second edition of the Regional Sustainable Development Forum (RSD) recently concluded in Cairo. Organized by Aspire Community Transformation, affiliated with Aspire Consulting International, and hosted at Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development, the forum served as a regional platform that highlighted transformative initiatives contributing to sustainable development across the Middle East and North Africa. This year’s edition placed special emphasis on the regional recognition of the Generation Amazing Foundation’s pioneering work in sport for development. During a special ceremony on the sidelines of the forum, a number of institutions and leaders were recognized for their impactful contributions to sustainable development. Among them, Generation Amazing Foundation (Qatar) received the Excellence in Sports Award in recognition of its longstanding contributions to social transformation through sport. The forum’s recognition underscored the continued relevance and regional impact of the FIFA World Cup Qatar’s legacy and positioned Generation Amazing Foundation as a model for scalable, community-centered development.Nasser al-Khori, Executive Director of Generation Amazing Foundation, expressed gratitude for the honor, stating: “We were deeply proud to receive this award, which reaffirmed the enduring legacy of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and the power of sport to bring meaningful change to communities. This recognition at a regional platform strengthened our commitment to expand our programmes, deepen our partnerships, and ensure that young people across the region continued to benefit from safe, inclusive, and transformative sport-for-development opportunities.” Celebrating organizations that transform communities through innovative approaches, the award recognizes GA’s long-standing efforts to advance sustainable development through sport, and its achievement in positively impacting more than 1mn beneficiaries across 75 countries since its inception. GA’s sport-for-development methodology uses football and other sports as powerful tools to build essential life skills – communication, leadership, teamwork, compassion -while advancing inclusion, gender equality, and environmental sustainability. The Foundation’s work is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Qatar’s National Vision 2030, and continues to serve as a benchmark for legacy-driven social impact initiatives across the region. Source link