Qatar handball team begin title defence in style

Two-time champions Qatar handball team started its campaign on a winning note as Qatar volleyball team entered the Asian Games semi-finals in Hangzhou, China, yesterday.
Defending champions Qatar beat Hong Kong 36-18 in their handball Group B match at the Zhejiang Gongshang University Sports Centre. Qatar dominated the match from the very start and Ahmad Madadi scored 8 points from nine shots at the goal while pivot Rafael Capote slammed in six out of his six attempts. Qatar was leading 20-11 at the half-time.
For Hong Kong, Sze Ming Kuo, Kin Wong and Man Yik Kan scored 4 points each. Qatar will next play the Republic of Korea on September 27 (Wednesday) at 4pm Hangzhou time.
Qatar defeated Bahrain in Jakarta Games in 2018 to win the gold, while four years ago, Team Qatar found their way to the final and won the Asian Games 2014 title after defeating South Korea in Incheon 2014.
In the men’s volleyball, Qatar qualified for the semi-finals beating Pakistan 3-1 (26-24, 25-19, 23-25, 25-18) in an hour and 50 minutes at the China Textile City Sports Centre Gymnasium yesterday.
Youssef Oughlaf and Raimi Wadidie were the highest scorers for Qatar with 16 points each while Belal Abunabot and Mohamed Ibrahim scored 12 points each. Renan Rebeiro fetched 10 points. Qatar will now meet Iran in the semi-final at the Linping Sports Centre Gymnasium hall today.
In the men’s beach volleyball, Qatar’s ace pair of Cherif Younousse and Tijan Ahmed continued their dominant show as they beat Oman’s Ahmed al-Housni and Haitham al-Shereiqi in straight sets 21-13, 21-14 in 31 minutes in the Round of 16.
In the quarter-final today, the 2018 gold medallist Cherif and Ahmed will play Iran’s Shoukati and Salemmiinjehboroun at the Ningbi Banbianshan Beach Volleyball Centre at 8pm Hangzhou time.
In the other men’s round of 16 beach volleyball match, Qatar’s Abdallah Nassim and Ahmed Mahmoud lost to China’s Jie Li and Yanwei Wang 12-21, 15-21.
In tennis, Qatar’s Mubarak Shannon prevailed over Thailand’s Palaphoom Kovapitukted in the men’s singles opening round at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre courts. Mubarak led 7-5 when his opponent retired.
Qatar is participating in the tournament with a delegation of 185 male and female athletes competing in 27 sports.