Qatar to field 180 athletes at Hangzhou Asian Games

The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) announced on Wednesday that 180 athletes will be representing Qatar in the 19th edition of Asian Games, which will be held from September 23 to the October 8 in the Chinese city of Hangzhou. Most notably, Team Qatar stars will be competing in 27 sport disciplines, including shooting, athletics, basketball, boxing, chess, cycling, esports, equestrian, football, fencing, gymnastics, golf, handball, Juji Karate, sailing, squash, swimming, tennis, taekwondo, triathlon, table tennis, volleyball, 3x3 basketball, beach volleyball, weightlifting and archery.
Qatar beach volleyball team will kick off their campaign in the games on September 19, four days away before the event’s opening ceremony – while Qatar football and volleyball teams will play their opening matches on September 20. Qatar U-23 football team were drawn in Group A alongside Japan and Palestine while Qatar Volleyball team will play in group E alongside Thailand and Hong Kong.
Defending champions Qatar handball team will begin their participation September 24 in Group B with South Korea, and Hong Kong. Qatar claimed the men’s handball gold medal at Incheon 2014 Asian Games after a 24-21 victory over hosts South Korea in the final match and they defended the title at Jakarta-Palembang 2018 Asian Games after beating Bahrain 32-27 in the final.
Jassim bin Rashid al-Buainain, Secretary-General of the Qatar Olympic Committee, met on Wednesday with the secretaries of the Qatari sports federations participating at the Asian Games.
He praised the efforts made by the federations in preparing and equipping the Qatari athletes for the games, wishing success to all the federations and hoping to achieve results that reflect the development of Qatari sports and its prominent presence at the continental level.
The Qatari administrative delegation for the Games also made a presentation during the meeting on the ongoing preparations and the latest developments related to Qatar’s participation.
Al-Buenain appreciated Qatar’s participation in these games. He said: “Together we can make these games memorable and successful. Qatar will have a significant presence at the Asian Games, represented by 180 athletes who aspire to deliver impressive performances and reach the podium. We wish all our athletes the best of luck and hope to continue the successes achieved in previous editions, showcasing a positive image of Qatari sports in this major Asian event,”
Al-Buainain pointed out the participation of a significant number of young and promising Qatari athletes as part of the strategy to prepare the teams for the Asian Games – Doha 2030, launched by the Qatar Olympic Committee to support and develop national sports federations and athletes to enhance performance and excellence in the Doha 2030 Asian Games.
QOC’s Secretary-General expressed his confidence in the success of the 19th edition of the Asian Games. “We are confident that our friends in China are capable of organising a remarkable edition of the Games, given the extensive preparations for the event and the organisational expertise gained from hosting several major sports events, including the 24th Winter Olympic Games in Beijing last year.”
Rashid Saeed Adiba, the Chef de mission, stated that preparations for the Qatari delegation’s participation in the Asian Games – Hangzhou 2022 have reached their final stages. He said: “We will spare no effort in supporting all our federations and participating athletes, and we will work to overcome any challenges they may face to enable them to deliver impressive performances befitting Qatar and its sporting status.”
At the last edition of the Asian Games in Jakarta-Palembang, Qatar won 13 medals, including 6 gold, 4 silver and 3 bronze.