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Italy's Jannik Sinner, the red-hot men's title favourite in the absence of injured rival Carlos Alcaraz, will start his bid for a maiden Roland Garros crown against French wildcard Clement Tabur, the world number 165.
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The program featured a number of recognized Paralympic sports and competitions, including wheelchair basketball, boccia, goalball, and sitting volleyball, in addition to handcycling simulations and blindfold races. The Qatar Olympic Committee organised the Paralympic Challenge Day for people with disabilities on Wednesday in cooperation with Awsaj Academy, part of Qatar Foundation’s Pre University Education, at the academy’s sports hall, in a sporting and educational atmosphere aimed at promoting the values of challenge and social inclusion.The program featured a number of recognized Paralympic sports and competitions, including wheelchair basketball, boccia, goalball, and sitting volleyball, in addition to handcycling simulations and blindfold races. These activities provided students with an opportunity to learn about Paralympic sports while fostering teamwork and positive interaction among participants. These activities provided students with an opportunity
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Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring against Damac during the Saudi Pro League match in Riyadh. (Reuters) Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Al Nassr clinched the Saudi Pro League title with a 4-1 win over Damac on Thursday, ending his long wait for domestic silverware.A trademark free-kick and a close-range finish, both in the final half-hour, sealed the win Al Nassr needed on the last night of the season, with Al Hilal finishing just two points behind.Ronaldo, 41, who was without a major club trophy since winning Serie A with Juventus in 2020, arrived in the oil-rich desert kingdom to great acclaim in 2023, wept as he watched the final minutes from the bench. He adds the Saudi championship to his English, Spanish and Italian titles and five Champions League medals.Al Nassr took a 2-0 lead but were back to 2-1 before Ronaldo's free-kick on 63 minutes evaded the goalkeeper and a forest of legs to find the far corner. He struck again nine minutes from time, receiving a cut-back on the edge of the six-yard box and smashing high into the net.Next up for the all-time leading men's international goalscorer, with 143 goals, is a sixth crack at the World Cup after he was named in Portugal's squad this week.Ronaldo opened the door to a series of big-money Saudi signings when he joined Al Nassr in January 2023 following an unhappy second spell at Manchester United.Neymar and Karim Benzema were among those to follow after Ronaldo inked a two-and-a-half-year deal estimated at 200 million euros, extended for two years in June 2025.The stated aim was to turn the Pro League into one of the world's top five football competitions measured by the quality of players, stadium attendances and commercial success. International interest has been muted, however.In December 2024, Saudi Arabia was confirmed as host of the 2034 World Cup, a coup as it pushes to decouple its economy from oil and attract business and tourists, partly via the buzz of sports.With a record 664 million Instagram followers, Ronaldo has been a highly-visible ambassador as Saudi Arabia tries to turn the page on the ultra-conservative image that has defined it for decades.The world's biggest oil exporter and home of Islam has been accused of "sportswashing" -- using sport to deflect human rights criticism -- as it has invested in Formula 1, golf, boxing and tennis alongside football.Some of the more outlandish spending on economic diversification, including sprawling tourist developments and NEOM, a futuristic city in the desert, is being reined in.This month, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund said it was exiting the breakaway LIV Golf tour, after reportedly ploughing more than $5 billion into a venture that split the sport. Expensive football signings have also waned with the stream of big-money transfers slowing to a trickle.Ronaldo was the Pro League's top scorer in his first two seasons, with his career tally now at 973 -- tantalisingly close to the 1,000-goals milestone. His Saudi stint has not always been smooth. In 2024, he was left in floods of tears when Al Nassr lost the King's Cup final to Al Hilal on penalties, denying him his first Saudi title.This season, he disappeared from Al Nassr's line-up for three games in an apparent protest at Benzema's transfer to rival team Al Hilal.Al Hilal and Al Nassr were among the stable of Saudi teams owned by the Public Investment Fund, the country's $900 billion sovereign wealth fund.Before Thursday, Ronaldo's only silverware with Al Nassr was the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup. He was also disappointed on Saturday, when Al Nassr lost to Gamba Osaka in the AFC Champions League Two final. Related Story
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Bahrain’s Hussain Mohamed Dadalla delivered an impressive performance to top Silver Tour, while Alqaqaa bin Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani won Amateur class during the 14th and final round of the Longines Hathab – Qatar Equestrian Tour at the indoor arena of the Qatar Equestrian Federation (QEF).The series is organised by the QEF in partnership with Al Shaqab, a member of Qatar Foundation.In the Silver Tour competition, held under Table A rules with one round against the clock over 130cm fences, Hussain guided Elite to victory with a flawless round in 54.56 seconds. Saudi rider Khaled al-Hadi finished second aboard Doremi du Flot Z in 55.50secs, while Qatar’s Faris Saad al-Qahtani secured third place on Gaya des Cours in 57.06secs.In the Amateur class, contested over two phases at 100cm, Alqaqaa rode Bon Suela to victory after producing two clear rounds in 27.24secs. Sultan Abdulaziz al-Sada claimed second place aboard Argelith Squid in 28.34secs, while Iraq’s Mariam Abdulkarim Abed and Qatar’s Moza Hamza al-Kuwari shared third position after both clocked 28.39secs aboard Jumbo and Haneen respectively. Related Story
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Unai Emery has now won the Europa League five times after leading Sevilla to the trophy three times and clinching it once with Aston Villa and Villarreal. (Reuters) Unai Emery urged Aston Villa to use their historic Europa League final triumph against Freiburg as the foundation for an "ambitious" new era.Emery's side ended the club's 30-year trophy drought with a stylish 3-0 win in Istanbul on Wednesday. Spectacular first-half goals from Youri Tielemans and Emiliano Buendia put Villa in control before Morgan Rogers netted after the interval to kill off outclassed Freiburg.Villa's first trophy since the 1996 League Cup was also their first major European prize in 44 years. After long spells in the doldrums prior to Emery's arrival to replace the sacked Steven Gerrard in 2022, Villa are back among the elite both in the Premier League and Europe.They have qualified for next season's Champions League and Emery called on his players and the club's hierarchy to match his desire to keep Villa in contention for silverware."I am myself ambitious and of course I need support. The owners, everyone that works in the club. Development is everything," he said. "The players are following us. We are doing it together. But we must try to set this ambition, being clear and realistic. As a team, ambitious and improving. This is our next step."We are getting stronger but we are trying to be demanding. Next year we will play in Champions League and the Premier League is the most difficult in the world. This is the challenge."Emery has now won the Europa League five times after leading Sevilla to the trophy three times and clinching it once with Villarreal. "It's fantastic. Europe gave us a lot. For myself as well. I'm always very grateful for Europe. For every competition but especially the Europa League," the Spaniard said."The support I had with Valencia, with Sevilla, with Villarreal and here at Villa. We played it in a very serious way this year, so focused. Getting this trophy adds experience for us. And those experiences for the players are important. Because we can play next year trying as well to be in contention for trophies."Villa last won a major continental trophy when they stunned Bayern Munich to win the 1982 European Cup. For Emery, following in the footsteps of Tony Barton as Villa's second manager to land a major European trophy, emphasised how far they have come since he arrived in 2022 with the club languishing near the Premier League relegation zone."This final is confirmation of how we are progressing. It is very important," he said. "Of course my dream was to play in Europe and play to win trophies. We played the Conference League semi-final and Champions League quarter-finals. We were very close. This club won the European title in 1982. And again competing for a title in Europe is something which makes sense of everything we are doing."On an unforgettable evening on the banks of the Bosphorus, Emery and his team ensured they will be ranked alongside the 1982 heroes as Villa legends forever. But Emery has no intention of resting on his laurels."We are improving. We are playing finals. We are winning trophies. I think the brand is increasing," he said. "Achieving this makes us so happy and proud. But we are not going to stop."Freiburg's first European final proved to be an anti-climax, leaving the German club still waiting to win their maiden major trophy. Related Story
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Qatar’s archers delivered an outstanding performance on the penultimate day of the 4th GCC Games – Doha 2026, claiming three gold medals while the karatekas added another gold as the hosts picked up a further 11 medals on Thursday strengthening the host nation’s dominance at the regional event.With the latest victories, Qatar overall medals tally swelled to 133 - 48 gold, 49 silver, and 36 bronze, maintaining a comfortable lead at the top of the standings.Saudi Arabia are in second place with a total of 79 medals, comprising 30 gold, 27 silver, and 22 bronze medals. Bahrain occupied third position with 62 medals - 24 gold, 22 silver, and 16 bronze medals.The archery competitions at the Lusail Shooting Range concluded on Thursday with a spectacular finish as Qatar athletes continued their dominance of the podium securing six additional medals - three gold and three bronze - to raise their historic overall tally in shooting and archery to 26 medals.The thrilling final rounds witnessed Qatar securing their first gold medal in archery in the compound mixed team event with Hamad al-Yafei and Aisha al-Saei delivering a highly accurate and composed show to finish ahead of UAE pair of Jumana al-Najjar and Shehab al-Saadi, who claimed silver, while Kuwait’s Hanan al-Mayas and Abdullah Mal Allah secured bronze.Qatar also imposed their dominance in the recurve mixed team event, where Ahmed al-Sada and Reem al-Saei won gold after a dramatic final against Saudi Arabia’s Hessa al-Saree and Mansour al-Alawi, who claimed silver.The UAE duo of Hessa al-Awadhi and Omar al-Ali secured bronze.In the women’s recurve individual event, hosts’ Reem al-Saei claimed gold after another dominant performance, ahead of Saudi Arabia’s Safana al-Ahmadi, who won silver, while Hessa al-Saree secured bronze.In the men’s recurve event, UAE’s Omar al-Ali won gold, Saudi Arabia’s Mansour al-Alawi claimed silver, and Abdulrahman al-Mousa secured bronze.The women’s compound individual event saw UAE’s Amna al-Awadhi claim gold ahead of compatriot Jumana al-Najjar, while Qatar’s Aisha al-Saei won bronze.In the men’s Compound individual event, Saudi Arabia’s Bilal al-Awadhi won gold, Kuwait’s Abdullah Mal Allah secured silver, and the UAE’s Shehab al-Saadi claimed bronze.Qatar’s success also extended to the team events, as the men’s compound team trio of Abdulaziz Al Abbadi, Hamad al-Yafei, and Omar Laram secured bronze behind Saudi Arabia and the UAE.Meanwhile, Qatar women’s recurve trio of Maha Abdulhai, Reem al-Saei, and Haya al-Hajri also claimed bronze, while Saudi Arabia won gold and the UAE secured silver.Dr. Mishaal Ibrahim al-Nasr, President of the Qatar Shooting and Archery Association (QSAA), and Jassim Shaheen al-Sulaiti, Secretary-General of the federation, alongside GCC sports officials and delegation representatives, crowned the winners.Qatar also enjoyed success in karate competitions, securing five medals - one gold, three silver, and one bronze. Yaman Ashraf claimed gold for Qatar in the under-67kg category defeating Saudi Arabia’s Saad al-Saif 10-9 in the final, while the Saudi athlete claimed silver. The bronze medals went to the UAE’s Rashid al-Suraidi and Kuwait’s Mohammed al-Otaibi.In the under-60kg category, Qatar’s Mustafa Abdulrahman won the silver medal, while Kuwait’s Ali al-Ajmi claimed gold. The bronze medals were awarded to Saudi Arabia’s Ali Al Aryani and the UAE’s Ibrahim Bakhit.In the under-84kg category, Qatar’s Abdullah Rashid secured silver, while Saudi Arabia’s Ahmed al-Malki won gold. The bronze medals went to the UAE’s Ali al-Ali and Kuwait’s Mohammed Hassan.In the over-84kg category, Qatar’s Khalid Samir won silver, while Saudi Arabia’s Anas al-Zahrani secured gold. The bronze medals were claimed by the UAE’s Saif al-Qaidi and Kuwait’s Mohammed al-Majadi.In the under-75kg category, Youssef Riyadh of Qatar secured bronze, alongside the UAE’s Ali Youssef, while Kuwait’s Omar al-Janai won gold and Saudi Arabia’s Ali Mejari claimed silver.The medal ceremony was attended by Eid Ali al-Marikhi, President of the Qatar Taekwondo, Judo and Karate Federation, Rashid al-Hajri, Assistant Secretary-General of the federation, Abdullah Shaaban, Head of the Kuwaiti delegation, Abdulilah al-Shaya, Secretary-General of the Saudi Karate Federation, and Turki al-Bukhari, Board Member of the Saudi Federation.With this exceptional achievement, Team Qatar shooting and archery extended its lead at the top of the overall standings with 26 medals - including 12 gold, 6 silver, and 8 bronze medals - ahead of Saudi Arabia in second place with 16 medals, followed by the UAE with 18 medals.Kuwait finished fourth with 10 medals, Bahrain fifth with 12 medals, and Oman sixth with six medals.Qatar’s handball team will face Saudi Arabia on Friday at the Duhail Sports Hall in a decisive encounter, with the silver medal at stake.The Qatari side currently sits second in the standings with four points, collected from victories over the UAE (28-20) and Kuwait (34-19), alongside a defeat to Bahrain (24-19).Saudi Arabia occupies third place, level with Qatar on four points but trailing on goal difference. The Saudi team recorded wins against the UAE (34-21) and Kuwait (25-23), while suffering a loss to Bahrain (36-25).Meanwhile, Bahrain has already clinched the gold medal after defeating the UAE 31-20 to move to eight points at the top of the standings.The UAE remains fourth with two points, while Kuwait is fifth without a point. The awards ceremony for the handball competition will be held on Friday, following the conclusion of the Qatar-Saudi Arabia match, which will also mark the end of the Games.Qatar will be aiming to finish strongly and add another medal to its campaign, having won the gold medal in handball in the 2022 edition of the Games.
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UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Wednesday received a delegation of Al Ain FC players and staff, following the team’s victory in the 2025-2026 ADNOC Pro League, marking the club’s
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The FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025, which took place from December 1-18, 2025, generated a total of QR2.89bn of economic value for the local economy, the Local Organising Committee for Football Events (LOC) has announced. An economic impact assessment conducted in partnership with Nielsen Sport – a leader in sports analytics, underscored the tournament’s role as a primary catalyst for tourism in Qatar in 2025, contributing towards a surge in revenue across travel, hospitality, and retail sectors. The tournament’s strong global appeal attracted 305,015 fans from outside Qatar, resulting in QR288.9mn spent on flights, QR315.5mn spent on accommodation, and 1.5mn room-night bookings during the tournament period. From these international attendees, 97% believed that the tournament had a positive impact on Qatar. FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 LOC CEO, Jassim al-Jassim, said: “Mega-sporting events such as the Arab Cup, continue to serve as key drivers for economic growth and diversification in the country, in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030. The second edition of the competition united millions of fans from the region and beyond for a spectacular celebration of Arab culture and camaraderie, alongside top-level football, successfully cementing Qatar’s position as a premier sports and tourist destination.” “We are committed towards carrying forward the Qatar 2022 legacy by hosting world-class events that will not just celebrate the rich culture and hospitality of the nation, but that continue delivering long-term social and economic impact to support the nation’s goals and vision of sustainable growth,” he added. Throughout the FIFA Arab Cup, QR246.1mn was generated from food and beverage sales as fans explored Qatar’s diverse culinary offerings. This was complemented by a QR200.7mn spend on retail across prime tourist destinations in the country. The tournament also generated local transportation expenditure of QR84.2mn, with fans utilising Qatar’s modern public transport system to explore the country's compact nature and visit various tourist and cultural sites. While the tournament leveraged the post-2022 infrastructure, utilising six world-class stadiums that previously hosted matches during the historic FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the LOC recorded a QR793.6mn spend on operations, promotion and logistics across the host country. Throughout the competition, the LOC offered a comprehensive suite of media services at the Main Media Centre and a dedicated Broadcasting Hub in Souq Waqif, a gathering hotspot for fans during the tournament. This resulted in robust tournament and host country coverage, generating QR241mn in media value. In addition, social media engagement across major platforms drove QR24.6mn in economic impact. The FIFA Arab Cup was part of a record-breaking football season in Qatar, which also saw the country host the first 48-team FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Qatar 2025. Qatar is now set to host the second of five consecutive editions of the FIFA U-17 World Cup from November 19 to December 13. For more information about upcoming mega-sporting events hosted by Qatar, visit www.roadtoqatar.qa and follow @roadtoqatar on all major social media platforms.
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The FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 that took place from 1-18 December 2025 generated a total of QAR 2.89 billion of economic value for the local economy, the Local Organising Committee for Football Events (LOC) has announced. An economic impact assessment conducted in partnership with Nielsen Sport – a leader in sports analytics, underscored the tournament’s role as a primary catalyst for tourism in Qatar in 2025, contributing towards a surge in revenue across travel, hospitality, and retail sectors. The tournament’s strong global appeal attracted 305,015 fans from outside Qatar, resulting in QAR 288.9 million spend on flights, QAR 315.5 million spend on accommodation and 1.5 million room night bookings during the period of the tournament. From these international attendees, 97% believed that that the tournament had a positive impact on Qatar. FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 LOC CEO, Jassim Al Jassim, said: “Mega-sporting events such as the Arab Cup, continue to serve as key drivers for economic growth and diversification in the country, in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030. The second edition of the competition united millions of fans from the region and beyond for a spectacular celebration of Arab culture and camaraderie, alongside top-level football, successfully cementing Qatar’s position as a premier sports and tourist destination.” “We are committed towards carrying forward the Qatar 2022 legacy by hosting world-class events that will not just celebrate the rich culture and hospitality of the nation, but that continue delivering long-term social and economic impact to support the nation’s goals and vision of sustainable growth,” he added. Throughout the FIFA Arab Cup, a total of QAR 246.1 million was generated through food and beverages sales, as fans explored Qatar’s diverse culinary offerings. This was complemented by a QAR 200.7 million spend on retail across prime tourist destinations in the country. The tournament also generated local transportation expenditure of QAR 84.2 million, with fans utilising Qatar’s modern public transport system to explore the compact nature of the country and visit various tourist and cultural sites. While the tournament leveraged the post-2022 infrastructure, utilising six world-class stadiums that previously hosted matches during the historic FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the LOC recorded a QAR 793.6 million spend on operations, promotion and logistics across the host country. Throughout the competition, the LOC offered a comprehensive suite of media services at the Main Media Centre and a dedicated Broadcasting Hub in Souq Waqif, a gathering hotspot for fans during the tournament. This resulted in robust tournament and host country coverage, generating QAR 241 million in media value. In addition, social media engagement across major platforms drove QAR 24.6 million in economic impact. The FIFA Arab Cup was part of a record-breaking football season in Qatar, that also saw the country host the first 48-team FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Qatar 2025. Qatar is now set to host the second of five consecutive editions of the FIFA U-17 World Cup from 19 November to 13 December 2026. For more information about upcoming mega-sporting events hosted by Qatar, visit www.roadtoqatar.qa and follow @roadtoqatar on all major social media platforms. Related Story
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Team Qatar will make its debut at the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans from June 10 to 14, marking a landmark moment for Qatari motorsport as the nation takes its place on the grid of one of the world’s most prestigious and demanding races.The programme is delivered through a strategic partnership between Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) and Iron Lynx, alongside a collaboration with Mercedes-AMG Motorsport, with Team Qatar set to compete in the LMGT3 category aboard the Mercedes-AMG Motorsport LMGT3.Taking place at Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France, the 24 Hours of Le Mans stands as the pinnacle event of endurance racing and the centerpiece of the FIA World Endurance Championship calendar. First held in 1923, the race tests drivers, teams, and manufacturers across an uninterrupted 24 hour contest where speed, reliability, strategy, and endurance determine success.Team Qatar will arrive at Le Mans following a rapid rise in international endurance racing competition. In a short period, the programme has established itself through a series of standout performances across leading endurance championships and events.Recent milestones include securing the 2025 24H Series Overall championship with victories in the 992 AM Drivers Championship, 992 AM Teams Championship and Overall 992 Teams Championship. Team Qatar also claimed victory in the 24 Hours of Dubai in the 992 AM category and continued its momentum into 2026 with category wins at the 6 Hours of Abu Dhabi and the 12 Hours of Mugello.The team has also delivered strong performances in the European Le Mans Series campaign with pole positions in Barcelona and Paul Ricard in the LMGT3 category. At the season opener in Barcelona, Abdulla Al Khelaifi earned Most Valuable Driver honours after leading the race for more than seventy percent of the event before Team Qatar ultimately secured fourth position.The Team Qatar lineup for Le Mans brings together Qatari driver Abdulla al-Khelaifi alongside Julian Hanses and Giuliano Alesi, combining international endurance racing experience with local talent on motorsport’s biggest stage.Abdulrahman bin Abdullatif al-Mannai, President of QMMF and Lusail International Circuit (LIC), said: "Team Qatar’s participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans is an important moment for Qatari motorsport and reflects the country’s growing presence on the international stage. The achievements and the participation of Team Qatar represents the fruition of the long term investment and vision of QMMF, and its continuous goal to inspire future generations, and creating a pathway for them to compete at the highest level of motorsport. Through our partnership with Iron Lynx and collaboration with Mercedes-AMG, we are creating opportunities to learn, grow, and establish a stronger foundation for Qatar in global endurance racing. We are proud to see Team Qatar compete at one of motorsport’s most iconic events and look forward to what this journey can achieve."Andrea Piccini, Iron Lynx Team Principal and CEO, said: "We are proud to have joined forces with QMMF, especially for this landmark moment, the first entry in the world's most legendary race. Working with such a brilliant and dynamic federation is an important step for our team and we really appreciate the trust that they put into us.”He also added, "The QMMF achieved outstanding results in a really short time and we will give our maximum effort to help it continue its rise. We are confident in the potential of our lineup for this race and we will give our one hundred percent to deliver the best results possible."Abdulla al-Khelaifi said: "For all of us at Team Qatar, competing at Le Mans is a proud and exciting moment. This race represents the highest level of endurance racing and being part of it is an incredible opportunity for our team. We arrive with great respect for the challenge ahead and with a strong desire to learn from the experience, continue developing as a team, and represent Qatar in the best possible way. We are excited for the opportunity ahead and hope to make our mark on one of the biggest stages in motorsport."
