Qatar hopes to excel at 4th Islamic Games in Baku

Group matches in football and handball have already got underway in Baku ahead of the formal opening of the fourth Islamic solidarity Games tomorrow.About 3,500 athletes from 57 nations are taking part in the event in the Azerbaijani capital which has been decked up for the occasion.Qatar have announced a squad of 69 athletes which include shooting ace Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah and Asian sprint champion Femi Ogunode.Mohamed Saeed al-Masnad, administrative director of Qatar’s delegation said that Qatari Athletes will take part in volleyball, basketball (3x3), athletics, swimming, archery, tennis, table tennis, weightlifting, taekwondo, judo, karate, athletics ‘for persons with special needs’, wrestling, boxing and gymnastics.He added that Qatar were hoping to better their five-medal haul when the Games were held in Indonesia in 2013.At the athletes’ village, situated between the Baku Olympic Stadium and the National Gymnastics Arena, flags of Morocco, Cameroon, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Palestine are hanging from the windows and show that the Games are ready to spark into life.The first delegations are busy settling in at the village, with some teams even conducting training sessions in the park. Security is tight at the entrance to the village, which was originally built for the inaugural European Games two years ago, and the same can be expected at all 16 venues to be used for the 20 different sports.Entertainment has also been organized to help ease the pressure of competing thousands of miles from home.A large stage has been constructed for live music and athletes can also use a Formula One simulator that has had the entire Baku city circuit installed, ahead of the second Grand Prix in the Azerbaijani capital on June 23-25.“Everyone is very friendly, the housing is good. For us coming from Africa we’re not disorientated even with the food,” said Cameroon’s national football press officer Philippe Boney.