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Equipment is in place, registration and scrutineering is over and the world’s finest aquabike riders are now making their final preparations for the start of the Old Doha Port Grand Prix of Qatar Wednesday morning.The new venue is hosting the finale to this year’s UIM-ABP Aquabike World Championship under the auspices of the UIM and the guiding hands of Aquabike Promotion and the Doha Marine Sports Club (DMSC).**media[374833]**Riders and team personnel busied themselves with fine tuning their skis after the recent round of the series at Olbia in Sardinia. Ten years ago, the last Qatar race was held in Doha Bay along the Corniche adjacent to the iconic Sheraton Hotel. On this occasion, the Old Port area around the Corniche will host the weekend’s action.Quinten Bossche is the defending Ski Division GP1 World Champion and is making his first appearance in Qatar with the Grand Prix returning after that 10-year absence. He has three Moto wins and three retirements so far this season and is arguably one of the fastest racers on the UIM-ABP tour.**media[374832]**The Ostende-based Belgian said: “I have lost too many points in the championship to do something so I just need to do some good results. With some good luck, I could maybe still finish third. When you come here, especially as the World Champion, you come here for a victory. I try and do my best, set the boat up and finish all the races this time and go for the victory in the GP.“Personally, I would have loved to see the course on the other side (Doha Bay). I like the waves. I think, as a pro ski racer, that is what you like to battle against the weather. For me, that’s a big thing. I love waves and all of the challenge. It puts everybody back at zero. It’s pure skill and the ski doesn’t make a difference any more. I do think with the walls and the fact we have 23 riders (Ski GP1), it’s still going to be a rough race. Everyone has the same issues with the heat. Just stay hydrated and rest.”**media[374834]**Jessica Chavanne is the defending European champion and a former World Champion. Boat damage in Sardinia has now ruled her out of overall title contention but the French girl is looking forward to her first ever race weekend in Qatar. Speaking before a brief ski shakedown on Wednesday afternoon, she said: “I think it will be a good race. I had a delamination on the side of the ski in Sardinia and my hull was under the water. The marshals saved my ski and I had a big shock. That’s why I feel a bit sick. I am really grateful that I had nothing else (injury).“The first goal is to take pleasure. In Indonesia, I had the covid, in Olbia the problem with the hull and now I want to give everything I can and after that we will see. We will make a set-up for me to be more comfortable.”Thursday timetable sees the free practice sessions for the Runabout GP2 Asian Continental Championship fire into life from 09.30hrs and precede nearly two hours of practice for the Ski Ladies GP1, Ski Division GP1, Runabout GP1 and Freestyle competitors.Thursday afternoon will be dominated by the various qualifying and pole position sessions.

Qatar returns to the 2025 sporting calendar after a 10-year absence to host the final round of the UIM-ABP Aquabike World Championship this weekend (October 30-November 1).Aquabike Promotion and the Doha Marine Sports Club (DMSC) will host the three-day Old Doha Port Grand Prix of Qatar on Doha Bay. The event will act as the final round of the World Championship and the stand-alone Runabout GP2 Asian Continental Championship.The provisional entry features 90 riders from 19 nations, with 28 competing in Runabout GP1, 23 in Ski Division GP1, 13 in Ski Ladies GP1 and a staggering 12 in Freestyle. In addition, 14 will compete in the Asian Continental section of the weekend.Francois Medori heads to Doha with a maximum 100 points for winning four successive Runabout GP1 Motos. The Corsican will be aiming to defend a 16-point advantage over Jeremy Perez, with current World Champion Samuel Johansson somehow retaining third in the rankings, despite picking up just three points from the second of the recent heats in Sardinia.All the major protagonists are among the 28-rider field and they include Pierre-Francois Savelli, Robin Laforge, Gyorgy Kasza, Andrzej Wisniewski, Martin Doulik and Linus Lindberg.The host nation will be represented by Khalid al-Mohannadi and Waleed al-Sharshani and the Emirati trio of Khalid al-Maazmi, Khalifa Belsalah and Mohammed Mohsin boost the regional entry.The Qatar event also sees the dramatic return of five-time World Champion Yousef al-Abdulrazzaq and fellow Kuwaiti riders, Rashed al-Dawas and Ahmad al-Khadhari.Dane Oliver Koch Hansen arrives in Doha with an 11-point lead over Jeremy Poret in the battle for the Ski Division GP1 world title. The leading racers on the planet battled it out in three gripping Motos in Sardinia two weeks ago with a pair of victories for Belgian Quinten Bossche sandwiching a lone win for Mickael Poret.Reliability issues have plagued defending champion Bossche this season, however, and three Moto wins have been coupled with three non-finishes. That was left the Ostende racer languishing in sixth in the standings behind Koch Hansen, Jeremy Poret, Japan’s Toshi O’Hara, Mickael Poret and young Belgian Yoni Hamelin.All of the title contenders will be present in Doha where they line up against the likes of former champion Kevin Reiterer, Anthony Beernaut, Morgan Poret, Benjamin Scharff and Axel Courtois.Nizar Abuljadayel represents the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and is the only GCC entrant in the field.The fight for honours in Ski Ladies GP1 promises to be a classic and 13 riders are making the trip to Qatar for the three-Moto finale. Estelle Poret has a seven-point cushion over Benedicte Drange with defending champion Jasmiin Ypraus a further point adrift in third. Naomi Benini and Virginie Morlaes are tied for fourth, albeit 35 points behind the leading French girl.Drange has taken four wins from six Motos but suffering a costly retirement from the third Moto in Indonesia. Poret has never been off the podium and won one heat, while Ypraus had a win and four podium finishes before engine issues plagued her before the last of the Motos in Sardinia.The Estonian’s number one ski failed to start and she was forced to turn to her back-up machine which misfired its way around the course to pick up just 10 points. Could that have been the moment when Ypraus lost the world title?Jessica Chavanne suffered a miserable weekend in Sardinia and the new European champion will be hoping for better fortune on Doha Bay, where she lines up alongside the likes of Sofie and Jonna Borgstrom, Heloise Delcluze, River Varner, Joana Graça, Janina Johansson and French newcomer Emy Garcia.The Freestyle category has attracted a staggering 12 entrants, although the defending European champion and current World Championship leader Roberto Mariani tops the field from defending champion and title rival Rashid al-Mulla from Abu Dhabi. The pair are separated by 10 points heading into the final two Motos of the season with Massimo Accumolo three points further behind in the bronze medal position. Portugal’s Paulo Nunes is fourth.There are six Qatari entrants in the provisional field: Abdulaziz al-Abdullah, Nayef al-Nama, Salem al-Kubaisi, Issa al-Assi, Abdulrahman al-Sulaiti and Bader al-Abdullah will be hoping for success in front of home crowds. They will be joined by Kuwait’s Aziz al-Armeli and Saudi Arabia’s Nizar Abuljadayel.Four of the Runabout GP2 Asian Continental Championship entrants will represent Qatar, with five from the UAE, four from Saudi Arabia and one from Kuwait. Mahmoud Abumaali, Khalaf al-Kuwari, Waleed al-Ibrahim and Waleed al-Sharshani will fly the Qatari flag with Abdullah al-Fadhel lining up for Kuwait.Registration and scrutineering formalities take place Wednesday. A hectic Thursday timetable sees the free practice sessions for the Runabout GP2 Asian Continental Championship fire into life from 9:30 am and precede nearly two hours of practice for the Ski Ladies GP1, Ski Division GP1, Runabout GP1 and Freestyle competitors.The afternoon is dominated by the various qualifying and pole position sessions.The first Runabout GP2 Asian Continental Championship Moto kickstarts Friday’s action from 10am and is followed by opening Motos for Ski Ladies GP1 and Ski Division GP1. The second of the Motos follow in the afternoon before the Runabout GP1 and Freestyle contenders take part in their first heats.The evening’s action will be rounded off by a Parallel Slalom competition and a Freestyle night show to entertain spectators in the Old Port area on Doha Corniche.Qualifying for the Qatar International Cup and a session for non-qualified Runabout GP2 riders opens Saturday morning’s action. Further free practice follows before a Moto for the Qatar International Cup to round off the morning.The third Runabout GP2 Asian Continental Championship Moto is first on the agenda in the afternoon and precedes the final Ski Ladies GP1 and Ski GP1 Motos that will decide the outcome of the World Championship.Runabout GP1 and Freestyle contenders then take to the water for their second Motos that will draw a curtain on the season’s UIM-ABP Aquabike Circuit Pro World Championship.

Old Doha Port, in collaboration with Doha Marine Sports Club will host the Aquabike World Championship – Grand Prix of Qatar from October 30 to November 1, 2025, along the Mina Corniche.The event marks the long-awaited return of the world’s premier Aquabike series to Qatar after a decade, positioning Old Doha Port as the new stage for the season finale, the port said Sunday in a statement.The championship finale will bring together elite riders to take part in three days of thrilling events, with widespread international participation from over 21 countries. Riders will compete across several main categories, including:UIM-ABP World Championship (final round), Continental Asia Championship (final round), World Slalom Parallel Championship (round two), and the Continental Asia Runabout GP2 Championship. Set against the backdrop of Doha’s iconic Mina Corniche, the Grand Prix promises three days of exhilarating competition, night freestyle shows, and a spectacular sporting atmosphere that will captivate audiences and elevate Qatar’s global profile as a hub for maritime excellence.“Hosting international sporting events such as the Aquabike World Championship, in collaboration with Doha Marine Sports Club reflects our ongoing commitment to positioning Old Doha Port and Qatar as a leading destination in global maritime tourism,” said Engineer Mohammed Abdulla Al Mulla, CEO of Old Doha Port. “And embodies our dedication to promoting sport as a way of life, while highlighting the port’s legacy as a hub that brings together sport, culture, and entertainment.”Khalifa Mohammed Al-Suwaidi, President of the Doha Marine Sports Club, said, "This championship is a key milestone for the Club, and strengthens its position as a leader for marine sports in the region. It is also an opportunity to celebrate Qatar’s maritime heritage and to reinforce its position as a global destination for sports and cultural tourism. We are committed to delivering an exceptional experience to all participants and spectators, and I would like to take this opportunity to extend my gratitude to Old Doha Port for providing their invaluable support in making this global event possible.” The Aquabike World Championship marks a significant achievement in Old Doha Port’s journey to become the region’s leading stage for maritime sports, honoring Qatar’s seafaring heritage as well as its rise as one of the world’s prime tourism hubs.