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The 9th Local Dates Exhibition started at Souq Waqif yesterday with the participation of more than 110 local farms featuring several local varieties.Organised by Souq Waqif Management in co-operation with the Agricultural Affairs Department of the Ministry of Municipality, the exhibition also showcases date products such as syrup, cakes, juices and ice cream. Also, the ministry has set up counters to display date farming techniques.Souq Waqif director Mohamed Abdullah al-Salem said that the exhibition marks an increase in the number of participating farms and customers year after year while becoming an ideal venue for marketing local dates. He noted that the response from the farmers and the customers is positive.Ahmed Salem al-Yafei, head of the Agricultural Extension and Services Department at the Ministry of Municipality, said the growing number of participating farms and visitors bear witness to the good response evoked by the annual exhibition. Al-Yafie said a special exhibition of figs and almonds will be held at the exhibition on Thursday.The festival is held in the eastern square of Souq Waqif in an air-conditioned tent. To run until August 3, the exhibition is open to the public from 4 pm to 9 pm. On Friday, the festival is held from 4 pm to 10 pm.The annual festival features all Qatari varieties of dates including Al Khalas, Al Khenaizi, Al Shishi, Al Barhi, Al Saqai, Al Razizi, Nabt Saif and Al Lulu.Last year, the sales witnessed a record 220 tonnes and the authorities expect to exceed this number in this edition due to the high quality of Qatari dates.In the 9th edition, the organising committee has set conditions for participation. The dates must be good, clean and free of infections, insects, and impurities. A team of specialists from the Agricultural Affairs Department takes samples of the wetlands of the participating farms for examination and analysis in order to ensure that they are free of toxic substances and any remaining traces of pesticides.

Team Qatar is partaking in the English-language World Schools Debating Championship (WSDC 2024 Serbia) taking place from July 16-26 in the Czech Republic and Serbia, with large international participation.WSDC 2024 Serbia is set to be held in two stages, the first is pre-championship friendly training rounds held in the Czech Republic to gain participants with international experience and familiarise them with the event.The second stage will be held in Belgrade, Serbia, where young leaders from all over the world will meet at the WSDC 2024 Serbia to address the most prominent issues and offer compelling solutions.Team Qatar consists of young nationals who have represented Qatar in previous international events. The team is divided into two, the main one includes Amira Ishaq, Mira Khaled, Maryam Kafoud, Fatima al-Muhannadi, and Al-Anoud al-Kaabi. The trainee team are Abdullah al-Muhannadi and Mohamed Khaled who won the best speaker award in a local championship recently held in Doha.The national team qualified for the knockout rounds after winning six rounds out of eight. It underwent a training programme for nearly a year and participated in all local championships as well as a number of international championships held remotely.Team Qatar members highlighted the importance of participating in the WSDC 2024 Serbia and affirmed their readiness for the championship after achieving positive results in previous confrontations with the strongest teams.They also expressed their joy at being selected to be part of Team Qatar and representing their country on this global stage.They added that participating in such events helps gain many life experiences such as enhancing social relationships and learning about different cultures around the world.They expressed their gratitude to the QatarDebate Center for selecting them as well as training and equipping them with the necessary tools and skills which has been proven to be impactful with the constant success achieved.QatarDebate Center is participating in the exhibition accompanying the WSDC 2024 Serbia by introducing Qatar’s culture and the centre’s programmes. It will display national attire as well as hand souvenirs and gifts to its visitors.Qatar hosted the 22nd WSDC in 2010, making it the first Arab country to host the event.

Qatar has participated in the preparatory conference for the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Sustainable Development, which is being held in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. Qatar's delegation to the conference was headed by Qatar's ambassador and its Permanent Representative to the African Union Saad bin Mubarak al-Nuaimi. The conference discussed progress made and gaps in the implementation of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, and identified actions needed to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Katara Summer Camp continues to attract visitors on its third day, including children in different activities within the camp's diverse programmes.The camp offers educational, recreational and cultural activities to develop children's skills and enhance their intellectual, creative and social abilities.The Cultural Village Foundation (Katara) aims for children to take advantage of the summer holidays, since it helps in bettering their self-discipline and individual responsibility, and gives them an opportunity to expand their circle of friends.Katara Summer Camp programmes are held in partnership with the Qatar Red Crescent Society by training participants in first aid, in addition with Al Jazeera Media Institute where its trainer Iman al-Obaidi presented a workshop on self-confidence.These activities helped participants learn life skills in an entertaining and interactive way. This helped in developing their social abilities as well as increasing their knowledge and understanding of key topics. They additionally took part in an air rifle shooting event, competitions and cultural games. Today's programme will include a trip to Al Shaqab to learn about horses and their important role in Qatar's society.

HE the Minister of State for International Co-operation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lolwah bint Rashid al-Khater recently visited the Qatar Charity (QC) office in Bosnia and Herzegovina with Qatar's ambassador Meshal bin Ali al-Attiyah along with their accompanying delegation.The visit, according to an official statement from QC, underscores the humanitarian and developmental co-operation between Qatar and Bosnia and Herzegovina. It emphasises Qatar's commitment to enhancing international partnerships in education, social development and supporting initiatives that promote cultural exchange between nations.The purpose of this visit was to familiarise themselves with the projects and activities implemented by the QC in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Qatari delegation was received by Hassan al-Nuaimi, general supervisor of the office and Mohamed Oushan, the office director. A presentation was given highlighting the history of QC in Bosnia and Herzegovina, its projects and the sectors it supports.Honouring studentsHE the Minister honoured the resident students at the Doha Al Khair residence for female students under QC on the graduation of the fifth batch for the academic year 2023-2024. This project is a significant initiative providing a supportive environment for female students to complete their studies.HE the Minister praised the pioneering project for female students in Bosnia and Herzegovina and QC’s efforts across various fields.Pioneering projectQC established the university residence for female students in 2019 in the heart of Sarajevo, near four universities offering various scientific disciplines. The location was carefully chosen to provide a safe and comfortable environment for academic pursuits, benefiting students from low-income rural backgrounds aspiring for higher education and better futures. Additionally, QC implements diverse projects across humanitarian and developmental sectors while enhancing healthcare and educational services and contributing to improving the quality of life for local communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

HE the Minister of State for International Co-operation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lolwah bint Rashid AlKhater, met yesterday with the visiting Palestinian Minister of Planning and International Co-operation Dr Wael Zaqout, and Minister of State for Palestinian Relief Affairs Dr Basil Nasser.Discussions during the meeting dealt with the latest developments in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories, Israeli violations in the West Bank, and the Israeli occupation authorities' freezing of Palestinian Authority funds.HE AlKhater renewed Qatar's condemnation of the genocide in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli violations of all international laws and conventions in the West Bank, occupied Jerusalem and all Palestinian territories, including the intensification of the policy of displacement, settlement and economic restrictions, and reiterated Qatar's supportive position of the Palestinian brothers in all the occupied Palestinian territories.

It’s been a while – 40 years to be exact – since Venezuelan trap shooter Leonel Martinez last competed at the Olympics. He was only 20 when he took part in the Los Angeles Games in 1984, but says he’s in better shape now, at 60, as he prepares to compete in Paris after the second-longest gap between Olympic appearances in history. Only Japanese dressage rider Hiroshi Hoketsu waited longer to return to the Olympics. He first competed in Tokyo in 1964 and returned to the Games in Beijing in 2008.

Qatar has maintained a strong presence in the Olympic Games since its debut at the Los Angeles in 1984. The country has shown significant progress from one edition to the next, earning a prominent position among Gulf and Arab nations through the medals won by its athletes over the years.Qatar’s total Olympic medal tally stands at eight: two golds, two silvers and four bronzes. The Qatari delegation is optimistic about increasing this historic haul in Paris, thanks to the unwavering support and continuous development of Qatari sports, which have propelled the nation to the top rank in the Gulf region and fifth among Arab countries in terms of Olympic medals.Qatar first participated in the Olympics at the Montreal Games in 1976 with an administrative delegation only. On March 14, 1979, the Qatar Olympic Committee was established, joining the International Olympic Committee in 1980 and the Olympic Council of Asia in 1981.Qatar’s active participation began at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, competing in football, athletics, and shooting. The football team made a notable debut by drawing 2-2 with France, which went on to win the gold medal. Despite this strong performance, losses to Chile and Norway prevented Qatar from advancing to the quarter-finals.In the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Qatar sent a delegation of 12 members, including eight athletes in athletics. This participation was crucial for gaining experience, especially as it was only the second Olympic Games held in Asia, following the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.Qatar achieved its first Olympic medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, where 31 athletes participated. Mohamed Suleiman won the bronze medal in the men’s 1500 metres, outpacing a field of renowned global athletes and marking a historic moment for Qatar and the Gulf region.The football team also excelled, reaching the quarter-finals for the first time. They secured a 1-0 victory over Egypt, drew 1-1 with Colombia, and lost 2-0 to eventual champions Spain, advancing as the second team in their group but falling to Poland 2-0 in the quarter-finals.At the 1996 Atlanta Games, Qatar’s 12-athlete delegation competed in athletics, shooting, volleyball, and table tennis. This edition marked the Olympic debut of shooter Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah, who would go on to achieve significant milestones in Qatari sports history. Additionally, Hamad al-Hamad participated in table tennis, having earned his spot by winning the West Asia Championship.Qatar’s fifth consecutive Olympic participation came at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in Australia. This marked the first appearance of Qatari swimmers in the Olympic Games. Qatar was represented by a delegation of 17 athletes competing in athletics, weightlifting, table tennis, shooting, and swimming. At the Sydney Olympics, Qatar secured a bronze medal in weightlifting through athlete Asaad Saif in the 105kg category, marking the country’s second Olympic medal.In the 2004 Athens Olympics in Greece, Qatar competed in five sports: shooting, wrestling, weightlifting, swimming, and athletics. Shooting champion Nasser al-Attiyah carried the Qatari flag during the parade. This participation was the largest for Qatar compared to previous Olympic editions, with a total delegation of 41 members, including 20 athletes.At the 2008 Beijing Olympics in China, Qatar participated in six sports: athletics, shooting, swimming, weightlifting, fencing, and taekwondo. The number of participating athletes increased to 22, along with the administrative delegation. This Olympic edition saw the largest Qatari athletics delegation to date, with 14 athletes, marking the largest compared to previous Olympic participation.The 2012 London Olympics marked a new milestone for Qatar with the achievement of two medals: a silver by Mutaz Barshim in the high jump and a bronze by al-Attiyah in the skeet shooting event. This brought Qatar’s total medal tally to four: one silver and three bronzes. Qatar participated in shooting, athletics, swimming and table tennis at the London Olympics, with four Qatari women athletes making their debut, and shooting champion Bahia al-Hamad carrying the Qatari flag at the opening ceremony.At the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil, Qatari successes continued with Barshim winning a silver medal, giving Qatar its fifth Olympic medal. Qatar’s delegation included 38 athletes representing 10 sports federations: athletics, handball, shooting, equestrian, boxing, beach volleyball, swimming, table tennis, judo and weightlifting.The 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Japan marked another significant achievement for Qatar, recording its most successful participation ever.Qatar won two gold medals through Barshim in the high jump and Fares Ibrahim in weightlifting, along with a bronze in beach volleyball through duo Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, marking the first time an Arab team sport won an Olympic medal. This brought Qatar’s total Olympic medal count to eight, with aspirations for more success in future Olympic Games.At the Paris Olympics, which will begin from Friday, Qatar is aiming to surpass its three medals won in Tokyo. This time around, there are more athletes – 14 in total – than there were three years ago in Tokyo, increasing the chances of improving the medal tally. The fourteen athletes representing Qatar at Paris 2024 are:Mutaz Essa Barshim, Abderrahman Samba, Abubaker Haydar, Bassem Hemeida, Ismail Dawood, Ammar Ismail, Saif Mohamed and Shahad Mohamed in track and field, Saeed Abu Sharab and Rashid Saleh al-Athba in shooting, Fares Ibrahim in weightlifting, Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan in beach volleyball and Abdulaziz al-Obaidly in swimming.

British dressage star Charlotte Dujardin withdrew from the Paris Olympics yesterday after a video emerged showing her making “an error of judgement” during a coaching session.Dujardin, a three-time Olympic champion and joint most decorated British woman Olympian, said she had withdrawn from all competition while authorities investigated the incident.“A video has emerged from four years ago which shows me making an error of judgement during a coaching session,” she said in a statement, days before the Games.It was not immediately clear what the video showed.“Understandably, the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) is investigating and I have made the decision to withdraw from all competition - including the Paris Olympics - while this process takes place.“What happened was completely out of character and does not reflect how I train my horses or coach my pupils, however there is no excuse. I am deeply ashamed and should have set a better example in that moment.”Dujardin was eliminated from the European Championships in 2019 after blood was found on her horse, Mount St John Freestyle, in a post-competition check. The FEI said the action taken then did not imply there was any intent to injure the horse. Dujardin, 39, could have become Britain’s most decorated woman Olympian in Paris. A medal of any colour would have taken her clear of Laura Kenny, with whom she is currently tied on six medals.“I will cooperate fully with the FEI, British Equestrian Federation and British Dressage during their investigations, and will not be commenting further until the process is complete,” she said.Dujardin was due to compete in both the individual dressage and the team event alongside Carl Hester and world champion Lottie Fry at the Paris Games. She is expected to be replaced in the team by Becky Moody. Dujardin won individual and team golds at London 2012 while riding Valegro, with the pair retaining the individual title and winning silver in the team event at Rio 2016.Olympic and equestrian authorities have taken an increasingly strict line against alleged improprieties relating to the treatment of animals in recent years.During the delayed Tokyo Games in 2021, at which Dujardin won two bronze medals on Geo, a German modern pentathlon coach was thrown out for striking a horse. Authorities launched a review of the sport, resulting in the equestrian element being removed and replaced with an obstacle course in Los Angeles in 2028.The dressage competition at Paris 2024 begins on July 30 at the Chateau de Versailles.

United States gymnastics chiefs said yesterday they want to keep the pressure off Simone Biles as she bids for six gold medals at the Paris Olympics.US women’s team technical leader Chellsie Memmel said Biles must not feel they are “relying” on her and she has the option of not competing on all four apparatus in the women’s team final. “I don’t say, ‘You are keeping us all together, we’re relying on you and you alone’,” Memmel told journalists days before the Games begin in the French capital.Biles’s coach Cecile Landi approached coaching staff to discuss expectations on the four-time Olympic champion, who disclosed her mental health struggles during the Tokyo Olympics. “If she doesn’t feel like it’s going to be in her best interest to do all four events that day, is that an option for her?” Memmel said Landi asked. “And we said: absolutely. If that’s what she needs to continue to be at her best for her team and for herself, then that’s what we’re going to do because there are still four other members on our team.”Biles, 27, returns to the glare of the Olympic spotlight in women’s qualifying on Sunday with the team final on Tuesday, three years after struggling with the disorienting mental block that gymnasts call the “twisties”.Biles dazzled at the 2016 Rio Games, winning gold in all-around, vault, floor exercise and team events. She arrived at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games with superstar billing and history in her sights. She withdrew from the majority of her events but came back to win team silver and bronze on the balance beam.Memmel said that the team did not want Biles to feel she was the glue holding them together. “So I think for her, just knowing that she has that option...now whether she takes it or not, it’s going to be completely up to her. We also talked about that with her at worlds last year, and she ultimately decided to do all four events during team finals. But I think just for her, knowing that that is a possibility, that helps.”The US women’s team includes three-time world medallist and Tokyo all-around gold medallist Suni Lee; reigning Olympic floor gold medallist Jade Carey and 2020 Olympic team silver medallist Jordan Chiles, along with 16-year-old newcomer Hezly Rivera. “It’s like that double-edged sword for someone where she wants to be able to help but also wants to be able to be at her best,” said Memmel of Biles.The US trials earlier this month had been “pretty rough”, said former Olympic medallist Memmel of injuries to Skye Blakely, Shilese Jones and Kayla DiCello. “Simone has been doing great, she’s been solid in training, she seems to be in a really good place and she’s been a great leader for this team. I know together as a team they’re all really looking forward to the competition and it is kind of their redemption tour you know from the previous Olympic Games, so they’re excited they’re all coming together for it and Simone has been a big part of that.”Yesterday, 23-times world champion Biles looked relaxed as she went through her workout at Le Bourget Exhibition Centre training hall to the north of Paris. Her Taylor Swift music blared for her floor routine as the six-time world champion on the apparatus hit a spectacular triple-twisting double back flip. The American stopped her balance beam routine to watch the uneven bars and cheer 17-year-old Algerian Kaylia Nemour, the reigning world silver medallist on the apparatus.

Kylian Mbappe wanted to take part in this year’s Olympics in his home city, while there were hopes that Lionel Messi would feature for Argentina, but instead the men’s football tournament at the Paris Games will be largely devoid of star attractions.As captain of France and the most famous athlete in the country hosting this year’s Games, Mbappe’s presence in coach Thierry Henry’s Olympic squad would have been an enormous boost for organisers as well as for the team’s chances of winning gold. But Mbappe, 25, had to accept that his new club Real Madrid would not allow him to participate immediately after he played in the French side that reached the semi-finals of Euro 2024 in Germany. That is the problem for the men’s football competition, which begins today and runs until August 9.Clubs are not obliged to release players for a tournament held outside an official FIFA window for international football, following straight on from the European Championship and Copa America.Messi, now 37 and part of the Argentina team that claimed Olympic gold in Beijing in 2008, ruled himself out of Javier Mascherano’s squad for Paris shortly before the Copa America in the United States, which his country won. “I spoke with Mascherano, and we immediately agreed on the situation,” Messi said. “At my age, I don’t want to play everything and I need to make the right choices.”Henry, a French footballing great, also missed out on several other players he had hoped to call up. “The last time I had so many rejections was when I was at high school,” he joked when announcing a team in which the most recognisable names are Alexandre Lacazette, the 33-year-old Lyon striker, and new Bayern Munich signing Michael Olise. The competition is restricted to players aged under 23, apart from a maximum of three overage players per squad. As well as the superstar names, the tournament is also missing Brazil, who won gold in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and retained the title in Tokyo three years ago, beating Spain in the final.They failed to qualify, but Argentina must fancy their chances of ensuring a sixth straight Latin American winner of the men’s football gold medal. “Obviously our objective is to try to compete and go all the way, and I think we will have a team that can do that,” coach Mascherano, who won as a player in 2004 and 2008, said in an interview with South American confederation CONMEBOL.In Julian Alvarez, the Manchester City striker who won the 2022 World Cup and the recent Copa America, they will have one of the highest-profile players taking part. Argentina are in Group B with Iraq, Ukraine and a Morocco side who have secured the services of Paris Saint-Germain right-back Achraf Hakimi. France kick off their campaign against the United States before also playing Guinea and New Zealand in Group A. Winners in 1992 and silver medallists in Tokyo, Spain are targeting gold after their triumph at Euro 2024. Luis de la Fuente, coach of Spain’s Euros-winning side, led the team to the final at the last Olympics. Santi Denia, his assistant three years ago, is in charge now.Leading names from the European Championship such as Lamine Yamal are not involved, but another prodigious young Barcelona talent will feature, in 17-year-old centre-back Pau Cubarsi. “He is really proud to be getting the experience of the Olympics. You never know if you will get another chance, even being so young,” Denia said of Cubarsi. Spain are in Group C with Uzbekistan, the Dominican Republic and Egypt, who did not secure the services of Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.

World Aquatics has carried out its most rigorous drug testing programme ever in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics, with Chinese swimmers targeted.Since the beginning of January, 2,145 anti-doping tests have been conducted on Games athletes, overseen by the International Testing Agency.Including tests by other organisations, swimmers have been tested an average of 3.4 times, with 4,774 samples taken in total.“It is our top priority that our athletes compete in a clean and fair competition,” World Aquatics president Husain al-Musallam said yesterday.“Our rigorous testing programme reflects our dedication to upholding the highest standards of integrity in aquatic sports and we are grateful for the ITA’s partnership in conducting it.”Chinese swimmers were a key focus, with the 31 competing in Paris each tested at least 10 times by World Aquatics. It follows revelations in April that 23 Chinese swimmers failed tests for banned heart drug trimetazidine in 2021.They were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympics, where they won three golds, after anti-doping agency WADA accepted China’s explanation that the positive results were caused by food contamination at their hotel.Eleven of them are scheduled to swim in Paris. The incident, uncovered in April by the New York Times and German broadcaster ARD, sparked global uproar, with US anti-doping authorities accusing WADA of a cover-up.An independent investigation overseen by a retired Swiss prosecutor cleared the agency of any wrongdoing this month. World Aquatics said it had conducted 418 tests on Chinese swimmers since January, independent of any otheranti-doping organisation and using a WADA-accredited laboratory based in Europe.Including tests conducted by other organisations, Chinese swimmers were tested on average 21 times.In contrast, Australian swimmers were tested an average of four times in the same period, and US swimmers an average of six times. Testing will continue during the nine-day swimming programme at La Defense Arena, which starts on Saturday