Team Qatar swimmers conclude GCC Games campaign with 26 medals

Team Qatar’s swimming team won eight medals today — including two gold, three silver, and three bronze — on the final day of the swimming competitions at the 4th GCC Games currently taking place in Doha. The Games continue until May 22, with around 1,400 male and female athletes from GCC countries competing across 17 sports. biznow.biz

The first gold medal came through swimmer Saad Al Din Saad Al Din, who claimed first place in the men’s 1500m freestyle after setting a new Games record of 15:19.77 minutes. Bahrain’s Robert Ponsal finished second to take silver in 15:45.05 minutes, while Qatar’s Emil Fouzai secured bronze in 15:50.00 minutes.

Team Qatar added a second gold medal in the men’s 4x100m medley relay through the quartet of Abdullah Al Ghamri, Mohammed Mahmoud, Tamim Al Humaida, and Ali Tamer, who also set a new Games record of 3:45.66 minutes, ahead of Saudi Arabia in second place and Kuwait in third.

In the remaining events, Tamim Al Humaida won silver in the men’s 50m backstroke with a time of 26.19 seconds, behind Bahrain’s Mikhail Arkhangelskiy, who claimed gold and set a new Games record of 25.47 seconds. Saudi Arabia’s Ali Al Issa won bronze in 26.56 seconds.

Mohammed Mahmoud also secured silver in the men’s 200m breaststroke in 2:20.63 minutes, just two hundredths of a second behind Bahrain’s Saud Ghali, who won gold in 2:20.61 minutes, while Qatar’s Hamza Shaalan claimed bronze in 2:21.24 minutes.

In the men’s 100m butterfly, Ali Tamer won silver with a time of 53.77 seconds, while teammate Mohammed Aziz took bronze in 55.15 seconds. Bahrain’s Mikhail Arkhangelskiy claimed gold after setting another Games record of 53.29 seconds.

Team Qatar concluded its swimming campaign with an impressive total of 26 medals, including 13 gold, nine silver, and four bronze medals.

Team Qatar Shooters Win Nine Medals

Team Qatar shooters delivered outstanding performances at Lusail International Shooting Complex, claiming nine additional medals — three gold, one silver, and five bronze — to further strengthen Qatar’s lead at the top of the overall standings of the 4th GCC Games Doha 2026.

The first gold medal came through champion shooter Rashid Saleh Al Athba, who won the men’s skeet individual title after defeating Kuwait’s Mohammed Al Awadh, who took silver, while Saudi Arabia’s Nayef Al Mutairi claimed bronze.

Qatar continued its dominance in the women’s individual skeet event as Reem Al Sharshani captured gold ahead of Bahrain’s Maryam Al Aasam, while Team Qatar’s Hajar Mohammed secured bronze.

Team Qatar women also struck gold in the women’s skeet team event through the trio of Reem Al Sharshani, Hajar Mohammed, and Sara Mohammed, finishing ahead of Bahrain in second place, while Kuwait claimed bronze.

Meanwhile, Qatar’s women’s 10m air rifle team comprising Dalal Al Kubaisi, Al Maha Al Ali, and Retaj Al Yafei secured silver behind Bahrain, while Oman won bronze.

Retaj Al Yafei also won bronze in the women’s individual 10m air rifle event, which was won by Bahrain’s Nouf Al Dosari, while the UAE’s Fatima Al Suwaidi took silver.

Team Qatar shooters concluded their medal haul with four additional bronze medals. The first came through the men’s skeet team of Rashid Al Athba, Ali Al Ishaq, and Mohammed Al Kuwari, in an event won by Kuwait ahead of Saudi Arabia. Abdulrahman Al Sulaiti also secured bronze in the men’s individual 10m air rifle event behind Saudi Arabia’s Misfer Al Omari and Oman’s Salim Al Nabi. Al Sulaiti later teamed up with Ali Al Muhannadi and Khalid Al Sharshani to claim bronze in the men’s 10m air rifle team event behind Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

Team Qatar Athletics Continue Strong Performances

Team Qatar athletics continued its impressive performances at the 4th GCC Games Doha 2026, adding six more medals on the second day of competition — including three gold, one silver, and two bronze medals — during an exciting evening at Suhaim bin Hamad Stadium.

In the men’s hammer throw, Qatar dominated the event as Ashraf Al Saifi won gold with a throw of 70.18m, while teammate Ahmed Al Saifi secured bronze with 65.89m. Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Al Dosari claimed silver with 69.36m.

In the men’s 400m race, Qatari runners delivered another strong performance, with Ammar Ibrahim winning gold in 45.51 seconds and teammate Ashraf Othman taking silver in 45.76 seconds. Oman’s Ahmed Abdulsalam secured bronze in 48.88 seconds.

Samar Al Mansouri also shone in the women’s pole vault, winning gold after clearing 3.50m. UAE athlete Shahad Rashid claimed silver with 3.25m, while compatriot Alyazia Tarek took bronze with 2.80m.

In the men’s 110m hurdles, Qatar’s Omar Abkar secured silver in 14.08 seconds, while Kuwait’s Yaqoub Al Youha won gold in 13.67 seconds and Bahrain’s Salem Bakhit claimed bronze in 15.02 seconds.

At the end of the second day, Team Qatar maintained top spot in the athletics standings with 20 medals — including eight gold, five silver, and seven bronze medals. Bahrain ranked second with 12 medals, while Saudi Arabia came third with 10 medals.

Team Qatar Fencing Wins Gold

Team Qatar fencing team won gold in the men’s team foil event at the GCC Games Doha 2026. The quartet of Khalid Hussein, Abdullah Khalifa, Ali Turki Al Athba, and Abdulrahman Bougrib secured first place, while Bahrain won silver and Kuwait took bronze.

Qatar also claimed bronze in the men’s team épée event through Youssef Abdeltawab, Mohammed Abdulali, Mohammed Al Hazzaa, and Abdulrahman Al Jadera. Saudi Arabia won gold, while the UAE claimed silver.

In the women’s events, Team Qatar secured bronze in women’s team foil through Zikrayat Al Abdullah, Sheikha Ali, and Fatima Al Maadheed.

Team Qatar fencing concluded the Games with five medals after winning gold through Ali Turki Al Athba and silver through Khalid Hussein in the men’s individual foil event on the opening day.

Khalid Suwaid, Director of the fencing competitions, praised the high technical level displayed by the athletes, stating that the performances reflected the significant development of fencing across the GCC countries.

Bashar Hussein Wins Silver in Billiards

Team Qatar billiards player Bashar Hussein won the silver medal in the men’s 9-ball singles event at the billiards and snooker competitions of the GCC Games Doha 2026 after losing in the final to UAE player Mahmoud Sharif.

The billiards and snooker competitions feature ten events — five in billiards and five in snooker — while Team Qatar is represented by seven players: Ali Al Obaidli, Muhanna Al Obaidli, Mansour Al Obaidli, Ahmed Saif, Bashar Hussein, Mishal Turki Al Ali, and Abdul Latif Al Fawal.

Team Qatar Equestrian Ends Campaign with Bronze

Team Qatar equestrian team concluded its participation at the GCC Games Doha 2026 with a bronze medal after rider Bassem Mohammed secured third place in the individual showjumping event held at the Qatar Equestrian Federation indoor arena.

Riding “Wathnan Chakpool,” Bassem Mohammed finished third following strong competition over jumps set at 145cm across two rounds and a jump-off. UAE rider Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi won gold riding “Koenig,” while Kuwait’s Ali Al Kharafi claimed silver riding “Ay.”

With this achievement, Team Qatar equestrian concluded the Games with one gold and one bronze medal after winning the team showjumping gold medal on the opening day through riders Faleh Suwaid Al Ajmi, Salman Mohammed Al Emadi, Khalid Mohammed Al Emadi, and Bassem Mohammed.

Bassem Mohammed expressed his happiness after winning his second medal of the Games following the team gold medal, describing the competitions as highly competitive and challenging.

“I am very happy to add another medal for Team Qatar at the conclusion of our participation in the GCC Games. We were aiming for gold, but the competition level was very high among all riders. Thank God for what we achieved, and I look forward to continuing to work hard and deliver even better performances in future competitions to achieve more accomplishments for Qatari equestrian sport.”

Rabat: France-born Ayyoub Bouaddi has been approved to play for Morocco less than a month before the 2026 World Cup kicks off.

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) confirmed Friday they had received approval from world football governing body FIFA's Status Chamber to change Bouaddi's sporting nationality, making him immediately eligible to represent Morocco in all international competitions.

"This decision means Ayyoub Bouaddi is officially and immediately eligible to represent the Moroccan national team during various international competitions," the FRMF statement added.

Born in Senlis, north of Paris, to Moroccan parents, 18-year-old Bouaddi plays for French Ligue 1 club Lille.

Before choosing Morocco, the midfielder played for the French under-21 team.

Morocco became the first African team to reach the World Cup semi-finals in 2022.

The Atlas Lions open their campaign on June 13 in New Jersey against Brazil in Group C which also includes Scotland and Haiti.

Barcelona: Alex Marquez claimed Catalunya MotoGP sprint victory on Saturday, while Marco Bezzecchi was able to protect his overall lead.

Spanish Ducati-Gresini rider Marquez, who triumphed at the Spanish Grand Prix in April, finished just 0.041sec ahead of Pedro Acosta, who started on pole, and third-placed Fabio Di Giannantonio.

Bezzecchi struggled and ended up ninth but extended his overall lead to two points on his closest competitor, Jorge Martin, who crashed out in the third lap of the 12-lap sprint.

Marquez, who won the Catalan Grand Prix last year, passed KTM rider Acosta on the fourth lap. The younger Spanish rider stayed close but was unable to find a way back in front.

Acosta pushed his compatriot all the way to the finish, for the closest ever victory in a MotoGP sprint.

"I suffered a bit at the end with the front tyre, it's true that at the beginning maybe I pushed just a bit too much," Marquez told DAZN.

"So that's where we need to improve for tomorrow, but apart from that I felt good.

"I think we're in a good mood -- it's true that I don't have that flow I had last year and it's a bit harder for me, but overall I'm feeling good, we took a small step forward today, let's see if we can take another one tomorrow."

Acosta, who claimed KTM's first pole since 2020 and his own first since 2024, said he was pleased with second place despite coming so close to victory.

"In the end honestly I'm happy, because normally we're always on the back foot and today we're a bit further up," he said.

"So we have to take things calmly, we're doing a good job, and this is good information for tomorrow's race."

Last year's champion Marc Marquez was missing through injury and his younger brother Alex climbed above him in the overall standings to seventh.

Martin started strongly but suffered his fourth crash of the weekend to the relief of Bezzecchi who faded and only just claimed ninth.

There was a clash on turn one at the start, with Di Giannantonio and Brad Binder making contact, with the latter taking out Joan Mir.

The Italian was not found culpable and was able to claim a podium spot.

أسدل الستار على منافسات سباقات السباحة ضمن دورة الألعاب الخليجية الرابعة الدوحة 2026 بعد أربعة أيام حافلة بالإثارة والندية، شهدت تفوقا قطريا واضحا على مستوى النتائج والميداليات، في نسخة عكست التطور المتسارع للسباحة الخليجية عموما والقطرية خاصة.

وفرض السباحون القطريون تفوقهم منذ انطلاق المنافسات في 12 مايو الجاري، محققين أرقاما قياسية خليجية جديدة على مستوى التوقيتات والميداليات المتنوعة، مستفيدين من جاهزية فنية وبدنية عالية وخبرات اكتسبوها من المشاركات القارية والدولية الأخيرة، ليواصلوا حضورهم القوي على منصات التتويج طوال البطولة.

وشهدت المنافسات مشاركة نخبة من أبرز سباحي الخليج في سباقات السرعة والمسافات المختلفة والتتابع، وسط تنافس قوي بين المنتخبات، إلا أن المنتخب القطري نجح في حسم الصدارة بفضل الأداء الجماعي المتوازن والنتائج المميزة التي حققها سباحوه في مختلف الفئات.

ونجحت السباحة القطرية في تصدرها لجميع المنافسات لترفع رصيدها إلى 26 ميدالية متنوعة بواقع 13 ميدالية ذهبية و9 ميداليات فضية و4 ميداليات برونزية، لتعتلي الصدارة عن جدارة، مؤكدة مكانتها كواحدة من أبرز القوى الخليجية في الرياضات المائية خلال السنوات الأخيرة.

وجاءت الحصيلة القطرية نتيجة سلسلة من العروض القوية التي قدمها السباحون في مختلف السباقات، حيث نجح عدد من اللاعبين في حصد أكثر من ميدالية، بينما برزت أسماء شابة إلى جانب العناصر صاحبة الخبرة، في مؤشر يعكس نجاح برامج الإعداد والتطوير التي ينتهجها الاتحاد القطري للرياضات المائية لبناء قاعدة قادرة على المنافسة إقليميا وقاريا.

ولم تقتصر الأفضلية القطرية على عدد الميداليات فقط، بل امتدت إلى نوعية الأداء والمستويات الفنية التي ظهرت بها المنافسات، إذ تمكن السباحون القطريون من تحقيق أزمنة مميزة في عدد من السباقات، مع المحافظة على نسق ثابت من النتائج الإيجابية على مدار أيام البطولة، الأمر الذي منح المنتخب أفضلية واضحة في الترتيب العام.

كما شكلت سباقات التتابع إحدى أبرز المحطات التي عززت التفوق القطري، بعدما أظهر السباحون انسجاما كبيرا وقدرة على إدارة السباقات تحت الضغط، في وقت شهدت فيه المنافسات تقاربا واضحا في المستويات بين عدد من المنتخبات الخليجية، ما أضفى مزيدا من الإثارة على المنافسات حتى يومها الختامي.

وسجل السباحون القطريون سعد الدين سامي سعد الدين ومحمد محمود وإيميل فوزي وعبد الله الغمري وتميم الحمايدة وحمزة شعلان ومحمد عزيز إسماعيل حضورا قويا في المنافسات، بعدما قدموا مستويات مميزة وأسهموا بصورة مباشرة في تعزيز الحصيلة القطرية من الميداليات الملونة، مؤكدين تطور السباحة القطرية وقدرتها على المنافسة بقوة في البطولات الإقليمية والقارية.

وبرز السباحون القطريون بشكل لافت في سباقات 1500 متر سباحة حرة، و200 متر صدرا، و400 متر سباحة حرة، إلى جانب سباقات 100 متر فراشة و50 مترا ظهرا، في ظل منافسة قوية بين نخبة سباحي دول الخليج، فيما شهدت البطولة تسجيل رقم قياسي خليجي جديد، في دلالة واضحة على المستوى الفني المرتفع الذي ظهرت به المنافسات طوال أيام البطولة.

بدوره، قال السيد مبارك علي النعيمي رئيس الاتحاد القطري للرياضات المائية، إن المنافسات جاءت قوية ومميزة من الناحية الفنية، مشيدا بالمستويات التي قدمها السباحون القطريون والروح التنافسية العالية التي ظهروا بها طوال البطولة.

وأضاف النعيمي في تصريحات لوكالة الأنباء القطرية قنا أن الحصيلة التي حققتها قطر تعكس حجم الجهود المبذولة خلال الفترة الماضية، سواء على مستوى إعداد المنتخبات أو تطوير برامج التدريب، مؤكدا أن تحقيق 26 ميدالية متنوعة يعد مؤشرا إيجابيا قبل الاستحقاقات المقبلة، وفي مقدمتها النسخة العشرون من دورة الألعاب الآسيوية المقررة في اليابان آيتشي- ناغويا 2026.

وأشار النعيمي إلى أن البطولة الخليجية مثلت فرصة مهمة لاختبار جاهزية السباحين والوقوف على مستوياتهم الفنية في أجواء تنافسية قوية، مبينا أن المرحلة المقبلة ستشهد مواصلة العمل من أجل تعزيز النتائج ورفع مستوى الأداء بما يتناسب مع طموحات الرياضة القطرية في المحافل القارية والدولية.

وعكست المنافسات الاهتمام الكبير الذي توليه دولة قطر للرياضات المائية، من خلال توفير منشآت متطورة وبرامج إعداد متقدمة، ما أسهم في بروز جيل جديد من السباحين القادرين على تمثيل الرياضة القطرية بصورة مميزة في البطولات الكبرى.

ومع ختام منافسات سباقات السباحة، عزز المنتخب القطري صدارته للمنافسات بعدما حصد 26 ميدالية متنوعة، مؤكدا التطور المتواصل الذي تشهده السباحة القطرية وقدرتها على المنافسة بقوة في الاستحقاقات الخليجية والقارية.

Washington: The San Antonio Spurs advanced to NBA Western Conference finals with a 139-109 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, while the Detroit Pistons sailed past the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-94 to force a Game 7 in their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Friday.

Spurs guard Stephon Castle finished with a game-high 32 points, going 11 of 16 from the field, and he was supported by De'Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama, who chipped in 21 and 19 points respectively.

With a 13-point halftime lead, the Spurs pulled clear in the third quarter, extending its lead to an insurmountable 26 points heading into the final frame.

The Spurs will face the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the West finals.

"Of course we're confident, but we need to keep the right confidence level," Wembanyama said. "Right now, I'm not even thinking about it. I'm just thinking about recovering."

Anthony Edwards led the Wolves with 24 points but shot 9-for-26. Reserves Terrence Shannon and Naz Reid contributed 21 and 18 points, respectively.

In the East, Cade Cunningham scored 21 points, including five 3-pointers, to lead the Pistons' win. Jalen Duren and Daniss Jenkins had 15 points apiece, with Duren also grabbing 11 rebounds.

Paul Reed had 17 points and Duncan Robinson 14 as Detroit's reserves outscored Cleveland's 48-19.

Leading 54-51 at halftime, the Pistons opened the second half with a 12-2 run. After the Cavaliers pulled within 74-68 late in the third quarter, the Pistons rolled again with a 13-2 surge and never looked back.

James Harden scored 23 points for Cleveland. Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley had 18 each.

The Pistons host the decider on Sunday.