Category: Athletic

Doha: April 28 – Swedish Marcus Svensson won the gold medal in the Skeet Men competition, at the conclusion of the ISSF Final Olympic Qualification Championship Shotgun, which was held at the Lusail Shooting Ranges Complex and qualifies for the 2024 Summer Olympics, while Chile’s Francisca Crovetto won the women’s gold medal.

The competitions on the final day of the tournament were strong and exciting and saw the participation of 207 male and female shooters – 136 male and 71 female shooters – in the fifth and final round, with the 6 best male and 6 female shooters qualifying for the final round. Swedish Marcus Svensson won the gold medal in the skeet competition after coming first with a score of 55 plates, ahead of Estonia’s Peter Juerisson, who came second and won the silver medal with 53 plates, while the Kazakh player Eduard Yechshenko came third and won the bronze medal with 44 plates. The second and third-place holders would qualify for the Paris Olympics due to the first-place holder having previousl
y obtained a qualifying card.

In the women’s category, competitions between the top 6 shooters in the final round saw a tie between the first and second-place players with a score of 54 plates. A tie-breaking round was resorted to, which resulted in Chile’s Francisca Crovetto winning the gold medal in the skeet competition, leaving the runner-up position to the Indian Chauhan Maheshwari, while China’s Jiang Yiting came third place with 45 dishes.

The second-placed Indian Chauhan Maheshwari, and the fourth-placed Swedish Victoria Larsson, received qualification cards for the Paris Olympics, due to the first- and third-placed having previously obtained two qualifying cards.

At the conclusion of the competitions, President of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Luciano Rossi and President of the Qatar Shooting and Archery Association, Dr. Mishaal Ibrahim Al Nasr crowned the winners of the first three places, and honored all the technical committee staff and referees of the tournament, bringing
the curtain down on the ISSF Final Olympic Qualification Championship Shotgun in Doha.

In remarks to Qatar News Agency , Al Nasr said that the ISSF Final Olympic Qualification Championship Shotgun was very strong and saw record participation by shooters from various countries of the world compared to the rest of the tournaments, as it is the last qualifying tournament for the Olympics.

The President of the Qatari Federation pointed out that the skeet competitions today were fierce for sixth place, which enables the holder to enter the final round, as 12 shooters competed for sixth place and the best prevailed.

Regarding the Qatari participation, he explained that the Qatari shooters performed well in the tournament, but were not lucky to reach the podium, expressing his hope that they will achieve the best in the upcoming participations.

The President of the Qatari Federation pointed out that Qatar’s shooting had achieved two tickets to the Paris Olympics in previous participations, with an additional tic
ket for the Tokyo Olympics, saying that the federation aspires to achieve positive results in the Olympics.

Concluding his remarks, Dr. Mishaal Ibrahim Al Nasr thanked Qatar’s wise leadership for making Doha the capital for hosting world championships, as well as HE President of the Qatari Olympic Committee Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani for his support for shooters and the Qatar Shooting and Archery Association.

In his remarks to QNA, President of the Egyptian and African Shooting Sport Federation Major General Hazem Hosny praised Qatar’s distinguished organization of the tournament, stressing that the State of Qatar has a long history of hosting major sporting events, perhaps the most prominent of which is the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, as Qatar has demonstrated its ability to host such events with great success and has dazzled the world.

Hosny said that various factors contributed to the tournament’s success, namely the good hosting and praise from the shooters and participating countries by providing
all means and amenities to achieve the best results. He indicated that the record number of participants from the elite of world champions contributed to the distinction of the tournament from a technical standpoint.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Doha: April 28 – The meetings of the general assembly of the European Conference of Arab Horse Organizations (ECAHO) hosted by Doha over two days wrapped up on Sunday.

The meeting saw the participation of all ECAHO board members and representatives from 28 countries, including Qatari representatives from the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club, Badr Al Darwish, and Saad Al Kubaisi.

Qatar is among the first Arab countries to join ECAHO and has significant experience in organizing Arabian horse beauty championships and participating in international competitions.

The meeting discussed important reports and decisions, including the approval of the budget for 2024 and the treasury secretary elections. The next meeting’s date was set, and plans to expand the Arabian horse beauty championships in the Gulf were discussed, increasing the number of regional championships to four, with an upgrade of a championship in Morocco to ‘Title’ Show.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Riyadh, The Deputy President of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Patama Leeswadtrakul, awarded the Saudi Badminton Federation the ‘Gender Equality and Diversity Award’. The Saudi federation was represented by its Chairman of the Board, Mogren Al-Mogren, who received the award during the BWF General Assembly held in Chengdu, China.

The Saudi federation excelled with 9 outstanding projects, surpassing over 100 advanced countries in badminton, including governance, employment, development that ensured the training of national coaches and referees, local championships, international participation, activating the sport in local clubs, increasing the number of male and female players, medals, and community sports.

Al-Mogren valued this award for the efforts made by the Saudi Badminton Federation, which resulted in remarkable achievements in spreading and developing this sport in the Kingdom, making it one of the best countries in the field of badminton
dissemination and increasing the number of its practitioners. He pointed out that this achievement is one of the most important accomplishments achieved by the federation in the field of spreading and developing this sport, as it is a result of the wise leadership’s support for all sports in the Kingdom.

Moreover, he attributed the achievement to the diligent follow-up by Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, the Saudi Minister of Sports and Chairman of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

ABU DHABI: Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, the 8th Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship will bring together more than 1,500 male and female competitors from more than 30 countries at the Mubadala Arena from 3-8 May.

Organised by the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Union and hosted by the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, the 8th Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship starts with competitions for the adult division from 3-5 May, followed by the youth division from 6-8 May.

Abdulmunem Alsayed Mohammed Alhashmi, Chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, President of the Asian Jiu-Jitsu Union, and Senior Vice President of the International Jiu-Jitsu Federation, said that the sport of jiu-jitsu in the UAE is constantly developing, thanks to the great support of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the guidance of H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan adding that thanks to the wise leadership’s suppo
rt, Abu Dhabi continues to reaffirm its position as a global hub for sporting activities, and a major supporter and developer of jiu-jitsu worldwide.

Alhashmi expressed his gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, stressing that His Highness’s generous patronage guarantees the success of the championship, contributing to solidifying the UAE and Abu Dhabi’s leadership in hosting major international Championship and attracting elite athletes.

Alhashmi added, ‘The UAE and its capital, Abu Dhabi, continue to play an effective and vital role in the development of sports and the advancement of the Jiu-Jitsu scene. Their initiatives in organising and hosting major sports events receive widespread international acclaim, as evidenced by hosting the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship and IMMAF Youth World Championship for three consecutive years, in addition to hosting the fifth Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship back in 2021, which reflects the expertise and capabilities in providing all the elem
ents for the success of major international and continental events and the ability to dazzle the world.

‘We are confident in the success of the eighth edition of the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship. We maintain continuous communication and meticulous oversight to ensure all tournament preparations are completed to the highest standards before its inauguration and throughout the competition.

‘The organising committee has developed and executed a comprehensive plan – addressing organisational and logistical aspects since the beginning of this year. We have been working closely with the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Union and delegations of participating countries, as well as partners, and sponsors to ensure an exceptional edition and a unique experience from the preparation stage to the hosting phase.’

With less than one week left to the competitions, the UAE Jiu-Jitsu national team is at a training camp and aiming to maintain the continental title and build on previous achievements, especially the recent accomplishment at t
he Asian Games in China at the end of last year, which culminated in achieving 10 historic medals for the UAE.

The UAE Jiu-Jitsu national team had successfully retained the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship title for three consecutive years, during its latest edition held in February 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand, achieving 16 medals – 7 gold, 5 silver, and 4 bronze; solidifying the country’s position as the continental champions.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI: Adding another feather to their cap, Emirati athletes continued their impressive showing at the first Gulf Youth Games UAE 2024 as they added a record-breaking 37 medals on the twelfth day.

This remarkable feat established a new record for the highest number of medals attained in a single day since the tournament commenced on April 16.

The UAE is currently hosting the inaugural edition of first-ever Gulf Youth Games, under the theme “Our Gulf is One… Our Youth is Promising.’

Kicked off on16th April and ending on May 2, this event brings together a remarkable 3,500 young athletes, including males and females, competing in a diverse range of 24 sports disciplines.

In 12 competitions took place on Saturday, the UAE secured 18 medals in karate, 10 in swimming, four in judo medals, three in archery, two in cycling medals. This splendid performance further solidified their position atop the medal standings. Their overall tally now stands at 231 medals, comprising 73 gold, 86 silver, and 72 bronze.

Sau
di Arabia also saw an increase in their medal count, reaching 93 in total, with 40 gold, 33 silver, and 20 bronze. Kuwait followed closely behind in third place with 89 medals, including 23 gold, 31 silver, and 35 bronze. Bahrain secured fourth place with 57 medals, boasting 19 gold, 15 silver, and 23 bronze. Qatar advanced to fifth place with 42 medals, consisting of 17 gold, 10 silver, and 15 bronze. Oman secured sixth place with 46 medals, comprising 17 gold, 10 silver, and 19 bronze.

Source: Emirates News Agency

ASTURIAS: A sprint in the rain gave UAE Team Emirates’ Antonio Morgado his second victory as a pro.

After the success obtained last Sunday in the Giro di Romagna, the Portuguese cyclist won stage 2 of the Vuelta Asturias, preceding Albert Torres (Movistar) and teammate Isaac Del Toro, who continues his leadership in the general classification.

The race, which started from Ribeira de Arriba and rolled for 200 km to Ribadesella on a course with one 2nd category climb and five 3rd category hills, the last one at 40 km to go, was controlled perfectly by UAE Team Emirates, that gave freedom to a five riders breakaway, before neutralizing that action at -20 km.

The solo attempt by Samuel Fernandez (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), was neutralised by the Emirati team, and set up the final sprint in which Antonio Morgado prevailed thanks to a powerful acceleration.

This is the 28th victory of the season for UAE Team Emirates, and tomorrow they will try to defend the leader’s jersey of Isaac Del Toro in the final stage at
Benia de Onis-Oviedo (140 km): the main opponent will be Josè Manuel Diaz (Burgos-BH), who is 3rd at 1’09’, while in second place there is Del Toro’s mate Rafal Majka.

Commenting on his win, Morgado said, ‘The race was long and the day cold and with a lot of rain. The team trusted me, and all my mates did a great performance in trying to give me the opportunity to win, so I tried to sprint exploiting a super good lead-out.”

Source: Emirates News Agency