Qatar is making significant improvement in sports and the female athletes are playing an important role in country’s progress in the field by shining at the global arena. In the past, girls were only confined to school sports events but now they are excelling in the top notch competitions all around the world.
The female athletes are not just representing Qatar, they are also winning honours for their country with their brilliant performances. Recently, talented Qatari shooter Amal Muhammad bagged a gold and a bronze medal at the ongoing 14th Asian Airgun Championships in Shymkent, Kazakhstan. Top ranked shooters from all over the continent are taking part in the championships and winning back-to-back medals was a great achievement by Amal. Qatar’s Aisha Al Suwaidi and Shahd Al Darwish are also showing impressive performance in the event.
The feats by shooters in Kazakhstan is a continuation of good performances by Qatar’s female athletes, who also made their presence felt at Olympics, which concluded last month. Tala Abujbara made history in Tokyo by becoming the first female Qatari rower to compete at the Games. She also sparkled in the event and was recently honoured by Sailing and Rowing Federation for her historic run. Another Qatari female Bashayer Almanwari also did well in the 100m event at the Olympics.
Also recently, ‘Ironwoman’ Lolwa Almarri achieved a milestone, becoming the first ever Qatari woman to complete a full distance triathlon in Hamburg. She swam for 3.8 kilometres, immediately getting on a bike and riding another 180, topping that off with a marathon to make history for her country.
All these achievements by the female athletes is a result of emphasis on women’s sports by the Qatari leadership and the Qatar Olympic Committee under President H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani. The QOC gives equal opportunities to men and women to practice sports, which is its long term strategy.
The rise of women’s sports in Qatar started with the formation of first ever woman sport committee, which was established by H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser. In 2001, the Committee joined the QOC to increase women’s participation base and elevate their international participation to new heights.
The female athletes have done well in the past also, since making debut at the Asian Games in Busan in 2002. They had also excelled at Algeria Arab Games 2004 and the Doha 2006 Asian Games. Qatar’s women handball team also claimed a gold medal in the West Asian Games in 2016. However, the current lot of female athletes are consistent in their performance and by continuing their top show, they can play a crucial role in helping Qatar join the most successful sports nations in the world.
