A file photo of Qatar team at the U-23 Gulf Cup last December.
Doha: Qatar’s under-23 team has been drawn in a tough Group D alongside Republic of Korea and Saudi Arabia for the men’s football tournament at the 20th Asian Games, which will be held in Japan from September 19 to October 4, 2026.
The football competition, which begins on September 15 ahead of the official opening ceremony, will feature 15 teams divided into four groups. Groups A, B and C contain four teams each, while Group D has three teams. The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals.
Qatar will open their campaign against Republic of Korea on September 16 before taking on Saudi Arabia on September 20.
The Group D matches will be staged at the Paloma Mizuho Sports Park Rugby Stadium and CS Asset Minato Stadium in Nagoya, while the men’s football final will be played at the 45,000-seat Toyota Stadium in Aichi Prefecture on October 3.
Hosts Japan headline Group A with Thailand, Kyrgyzstan and Hong Kong. Group B comprises China, the UAE, Iran and North Korea, while Group C features Vietnam, Uzbekistan, the Philippines and Kuwait.
The men’s football competition is contested at under-23 level, with each team allowed to register three over-age players.
At the Hangzhou Asian Games, held in China in September and October 2023, Qatar endured a difficult football campaign but still managed to progress beyond the group stage.
After opening with a 3-1 defeat to Japan, Qatar held Palestine to a goalless draw and advanced to the Round of 16, where the hosts China secured a narrow 1-0 victory to end Qatar's campaign. The result saw Qatar finish 16th overall in the men's football tournament.
Meanwhile, Qatar’s national handball team will launch its title defence after being drawn in Group A alongside hosts Japan, China and Hong Kong.
Group B consists of Bahrain, Kuwait, Republic of Korea, Iran and Kazakhstan.
Qatar will be aiming to win a fourth consecutive Asian Games gold medal after lifting the title in the previous three editions.
The team defeated hosts Republic of Korea 24-21 in the Incheon 2014 final, overcame Bahrain 32-27 in Jakarta 2018, and retained the title with a 32-25 victory over Bahrain in the Hangzhou 2022 final.
The Asian champions will also be looking to build on their remarkable continental dominance.
Qatar have won six successive Asian Championship titles, claiming the crown in 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024.
The team also finished runners-up at the 2015 IHF Men’s World Championship, hosted in Doha.
The handball tournament is scheduled to be one of the highlights of the Games, with Qatar seeking to add another continental title to its impressive record.
The Toyoda Gosei Memorial Gymnasium Inazawa will host the men's handball preliminary matches and the medal rounds, including the final, while the Kasugai City General Gymnasium will stage the remaining preliminary round fixtures.
