Francois Medori in action.
Doha: 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.
François 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 Jéremy 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. The host nation will be represented by Khalid Al-Mohannadi and Waleed Al-Sharshani.
Dane Oliver Koch Hansen arrives in Doha with an 11-point lead over Jéremy 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
