Qatar beach volleyball team opened their Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games campaigns with straight-set victories, while the men’s 3x3 basketball team also recorded two wins on Monday.
The men’s skeet team finished the opening day at the top of the standings, while Qatar’s handball team secured its second consecutive victory. The men’s table tennis team also advanced to the Round of 16.
In beach volleyball, Ahmed Tijan and Cherif Younousse, representing Qatar 1, defeated the Philippines 2-0 in their Group A opener. The Qatari pair dominated from the start, winning the first set 21-7 before completing the victory with a 21-10 second-set success.
Qatar 2, represented by Mousa al-Khair and Mohamed Ihab, also began with a 2-0 victory, overcoming South Korea 21-13, 21-9.
The two wins provide a positive start for Qatar, which has a strong record in continental beach volleyball competition.
Two wins for 3x3 team
Qatar’s men’s 3x3 basketball team also enjoyed a perfect opening day, beating Indonesia 10-7 before defeating Chinese Taipei 18-15. The two victories give Qatar an encouraging start to its campaign and strengthen its position in the group.
Qatar men lead skeet standings
Qatar’s men’s skeet team finished the opening day at the top of the team standings at the Aichi Prefecture shooting range. Rashed Saleh al-Athba, Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah and Ali Ahmed al-Ishaq combined for 145 hits, two ahead of Chinese Taipei and Kazakhstan, who were tied on 143.
Al-Athba was Qatar’s leading individual shooter in third place with 49 hits. Al-Attiyah was ninth with 48, while al-Ishaq was 12th.
In the women’s skeet, Qatar finished 12th and last in the team standings with 127 hits. Reem al-Sharshani led the team with 45 hits in 11th place, followed by Hajar Mohammed in 17th with 42. Sarah Ghulam Mohammed recorded 38.
China and Kazakhstan shared the top spot in the women’s team standings on 143, with India third.
In the men’s 10m air rifle, Abdullah Zain al-Sunaidi and Khalid al-Sharshani both scored 616.8 points to finish 36th and 37th respectively. Abdulrahman Ahmed was 38th with 616.0. Qatar placed 12th among 13 teams.
Table tennis team through to last 16
Qatar’s men’s table tennis team advanced to the Round of 16 after edging Macau 3-2 in their Group A match. The team comprised Abdullah Abdulhussain, Rawad Akram al-Nasser, Mohammed Abdulhussain, Sultan Khalid al-Kuwari and Ahmed Eid Qarni.
Qatar will face another test in the round of 16 at Sky Hall Toyota on Tuesday. The women’s team, meanwhile, lost 0-3 to Hong Kong in Group E.
Swimming team finishes sixth in relay
Qatar’s 4x200m freestyle relay team qualified for the final after clocking 7:24.10 in the heats. The quartet of Ali Tamer, Mohamed Mahmoud, Saad El-Din Saad El-Din and Emile Fouzai finished sixth in the final in 7:20.25.
Saad El-Din is also scheduled to compete in the 1500m freestyle on Tuesday, while Qatar will feature in the 4x100m relay.
Handball team maintain winning start
Qatar defeated China 30-25 to make it two wins from two in Group A. The result took Qatar to four points, level with Japan at the top of the group. Their final group match against Japan on Friday will determine the final positions.
Qatar made a strong start, taking a 3-0 lead and later going 9-5 ahead before leading 12-8 at half-time. China fought back to reduce the deficit, but Qatar regained control after the break and pulled away to secure the win. Qatar are seeking to defend the gold medal won at the previous three editions of the Asian Games.
Gymnasts begin campaign
Qatar’s artistic gymnastics team also began its campaign at Nagoya General Gymnasium. In the men’s individual qualification on the rings, Rakan Misfer Al-Harthi scored 13.900 points to finish third, while Mehrdad Barat Ghadimi scored 13.400 for 14th place.
Busy schedule on Tuesday
Qatar will be involved in a busy programme on Tuesday, with action in volleyball, basketball, equestrian, fencing and other sports. Equestrian competition resumes after being postponed on Monday because of weather conditions. Qatar will also feature in fencing, while karate and women’s volleyball continue with placement matches.
The women’s 3x3 basketball team begins its campaign against Sri Lanka before taking on China in the group stage.
Qatar’s esports team also starts its Asian Games campaign, with Mohammed al-Ahmad competing in eFootball and Hassan al-Qadi in eFootball Mobile. Al-Ahmad will face South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Iran in Group A. Rashid al-Awlan will represent Qatar in Gran Turismo 7 as the esports team begins its competition in Nagoya.
