Fans relished the month of October which saw Qatar’s sports season in full swing, with many local and international competitions taking place in the country. The passing month, in fact, also marked the return to normalcy in sports as organisers allowed full fan attendance during these events.
Last weekend was the busiest, with the Amir Cup final and launching of the Al Thumama Stadium – a FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 venue – grabbing the spotlight. Packed with 40,000 fans, the Al Thumama Stadium was inaugurated before it staged the title clash between Al Sadd and Al Rayyan, with ‘The Wolves’ retaining their crown after a victory on penalties.
Apart from the Amir Cup final, sports enthusiasts also witnessed some top-notch squash action at the weeklong Qatar QTerminals Classic at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex. Exciting matches were played during the event, which is a Professional Squash Association (PSA) Platinum category event. Peru’s Diego Elias clinched the title after beating New Zealand’s Paul Coll in the final, wrapping up the exciting event which witnessed several upsets.
While the finals of the Qatar QTerminals Classic were underway, Doha’s Hamad Aquatic Center was busy hosting the world’s leading swimmers during the three-day meet of the FINA Swimming World Cup 2021. The event was held after a year’s gap as the 2020 meet was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kira Toussaint of the Netherlands and Japan’s Daiya Seto won the overall titles in Doha while Australian ace star Emma Mckeon and rising South African star Matthew Sates also showed sparkling performances.
The QNB Stars League also continued during the month with defending champions Al Sadd maintaining their top spot, followed by Al Duhail who suffered a shock defeat to Al Wakrah. Colombian star James Rodriguez also opened his goal account for Al Rayyan during win over Al Sailiya last week.
The month of October also marked the opening of the horse racing and showjumping seasons. Six race meetings were held during the month involving exciting races at the Al Rayyan Racecourse. The showjumping season started with the Longines Qatar Equestrian Tour Hathab 2021-22 edition at the Qatar Equestrian Federation’s Indoor Arena. All the sports events are being conducted smoothly by following the safety protocols against the COVID-19.
The sports organisers in Qatar are bracing for more high-profile action in the coming months as Qatar will stage its first-ever Formula 1 race at the Losail International Circuit. It will be November’s blue riband event as all the F1 superstars will be seen in action in the country. The historic event will be followed by the first FIFA Arab Cup, which will start on November 30 bringing together top sides from the Arab world.
