Team Qatar, under the leadership of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) President H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, returned home to hero’s welcome on Saturday night after producing their best ever performance in its Olympic history at the Tokyo 2020 Games. It was a fitting red carpet reception for the Olympic heroes, who made the entire country proud with their historic achievements.
Personal Representative of H H the Amir, H H Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani welcomed the Qatari contingent on their arrival. Minister of Culture and Sports H E Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali was also present among other ministers and dignitaries. Team Qatar won two gold and a bronze medal in Tokyo with Fares Ibrahim becoming the first ever Qatari athlete to bag Olympic win after topping the weightlifting (96kg category) event.
World’s high jump superstar Mutaz Barshim added another gold after sharing win with his Italian friend Gianmarco Tamberi following a tie between the two in the final. Qatar had never won a gold medal before at the Games since making their Olympic debut at Los Angeles 1984. World No.1 beach volleyball pair of Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan wrapped up the historic performance for Qatar with a bronze medal.
Both Fares and Barshim earned golds in a memorable fashion. Fares recorded victory by setting two Olympic records while Barshim won hearts worldwide for his kindness and sportsmanship after he agreed to share the gold with Tamberi. Qatar’s medals tally in Tokyo also made them the best side among the Arab nations.
Sheikh Joaan attributed the “historic and best ever performance” to “unlimited support for sports from the Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani”. Qatar participated in Tokyo with a 15-athlete squad and while many of the team members were not able to win medals, they made the country proud with impressive performances besides gaining valuable experience of competing at the top level.
After a success in the delayed Tokyo Olympics, the national athletes are confident of achieving more accolades for the country. Qatar is already counted as one of the top countries to host world class sports events and the national team’s show at Olympics has put the country among the elite nations in terms of performance. The achievements in Tokyo is a huge breakthrough for sports in Qatar, which will inspire the future generation. It is seen as the foundation to excel in big challenges coming ahead for the athletes.
Having full support of the leadership and the confidence they got from Tokyo, the Qatari athletes - with continuous hardwork - can surely reach new heights in major competitions in the future like the next year’s Asian Games and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
