Qatar Olympic Committee President H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani attends Qatar's football match against Palestine during the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, yesterday.
Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s volleyball team entered the quarter-finals, while the beach volleyball pair Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan reached the last 16 at the Hangzhou Asian Games in China yesterday.
Qatar’s volleyball team secured a convincing 3-1 (25-23, 18-25, 25-19, 25-17) win over Bahrain in the pre-quarters at the China Textile City Sports Centre Gymnasium.
The spikers, who had earlier defeated Thailand and Hong Kong, will face Pakistan in the quarter-finals tomorrow. Pakistan beat fancied South Korea in the pre-quarters earlier yesterday.
Meanwhile, 2018 gold medallists and top favourites Younousse and Tijan crushed the Philippines Alnakran Abdilla and Jaron Requinton 21-9, 21-7 in their last Group B match yesterday and sealed their place in the last 16. The top seeds had little trouble in getting past their opponents and look in fine form to defend their gold. Qatar’s second pair Mahmoud Essam and Abdullah Naseem had on Thursday booked their place in the round of 16.
Action during the volleyball pre-quarter-final match between Qatar and Bahrain.
Meanwhile, Qatar U-23 football squad were held to a goalless draw by Palestine at the Xiaoshan Sports Centre Stadium in Hangzhou yesterday.
Qatar, who were outclassed by Japan 1-3 in their opening match, failed to breach the defence of Palestine. After yesterday’s draw, Qatar are third place in three-team Group D.
The top two teams from the six groups qualify for the round of 16, along with four best third-placed teams. Qatari hopes of qualifying for the next round depends on the result between Palestine and Japan.
If Japan, who have already sealed their place in the last 16, beat Palestine by more than two goals then Qatar will qualify as the second best team. A draw or loss by one goal will be sufficient for Palestine to progress. Yesterday, Qatar was the better side for most of the match and created many opportunities but did not succeed in translating any of them into goals.
Al Attiyah and Al Buainain to carry Qatar’s flag at opening ceremony
Meanwhile, rally champion and shooter Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah and women’s dressage star Maryam Maryam Al Buainain will carry Qatar’s flag today at the opening ceremony, which will officially open the Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Qatar has sent 185 male and female athletes, who will compete in 27 sports: archery, athletics, basketball, boxing, chess, cycling, electronic sports, equestrian, football, fencing, gymnastics, golf, handball, jiu-jitsu, karate, windsurfing, squash, swimming, tennis, taekwondo, triathlon, table tennis, volleyball, 3×3 basketball, beach volleyball and weightlifting.
With more than 12,000 athletes from 45 nations competing across a whopping programme of 40 sports, the Games will be China's first mega-event since last year's Beijing Winter Olympics, which were held under strict COVID-19 protocols.
