QOC issues health advisory for Asian Games participants

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) issued a health advisory for Qatari athletes participating in the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games in Japan.

The advisory, shared by the committee on social media, highlights a number of precautions athletes should take to cope with host country’s weather conditions. fishroad-app.com

The QOC urged participants to acclimatise early to the weather and gradually adjust their sleep schedules before travelling to Japan to help minimise the effects of jet lag as there are six-hour time difference between Qatar and Japan.

Athletes have also been advised to use sunscreen and wear hats for protection against the sun, while maintaining adequate hydration throughout their stay.

The committee particularly recommended drinking electrolyte-rich fluids during long training sessions and competitions to help replace fluids and minerals lost through sweating.

Maintaining a balanced nutrition plan was also highlighted as an important part of preparations, alongside wearing lightweight and breathable sportswear suitable for the expected weather conditions.

Athletes were further advised to keep a light rain jacket handy as they prepare for potentially changing weather conditions during the Games.

Doha, Qatar: Qatar won three gold medals on the final day of the 10th FISU World University Weightlifting Championship - Doha 2026, hosted by Qatar Foundation.

The championships brought together 116 male and female athletes from 21 countries in a global university sporting event that underscored Qatar's growing presence as a host of major international competitions.

The final day featured competition in four weight classes at the Education City Student Center: the women's 86-kilogram and over-86-kilogram categories and the men's 110-kilogram and over-110-kilogram categories.

In the women's over-86-kilogram category, Qatar's Wissal Yakhlef swept all three gold medals, winning the snatch with a 125-kilogram lift, the clean and jerk with 155 kilograms, and the overall title with a combined total of 280 kilograms.

South Korea's Yoo Hyo-bin won all three silver medals, lifting 103 kilograms in the snatch, 145 kilograms in the clean and jerk and 248 kilograms overall. Slovakia's Lenka Zembova took the three bronze medals, with lifts of 102 kilograms in the snatch and 127 kilograms in the clean and jerk for a total of 229 kilograms.

Yakhlef said she was delighted to win three gold medals in the over-86-kilogram category, describing the achievement as an important milestone in her athletic career.

Speaking to reporters after the medal ceremony, she said her performance and place on the podium were the result of extensive preparation, concentration and sustained work rather than chance.

She said the competition had been far from easy and that the presence of several highly skilled lifters added to the technical quality of the championship. Winning gold in the snatch, clean and jerk and overall competition, she added, would provide a major incentive to continue working and preparing for upcoming competitions.

Yakhlef said the championship and her performance represented the final stage of her training program before she joins Qatar's national team delegation for the weightlifting competition at the 20th Asian Games, Aichi-Nagoya 2026, which begin next week in Japan.

In the women's 86-kilogram category, Chinese Taipei's Yu-Lin Peng swept the gold medals, winning the snatch with 107 kilograms, the clean and jerk with 125 kilograms and the overall title with 232 kilograms.

South Korea's Yubin Hong won all three silver medals, lifting 100 kilograms in the snatch and 124 kilograms in the clean and jerk for a total of 224 kilograms. Moldova's Anastasia Balici took the three bronze medals, with lifts of 93 kilograms in the snatch and 116 kilograms in the clean and jerk for a total of 209 kilograms.

President of the Qatar Collegiate Sports Federation and Chairman of the Championship Organizing Committee, HE Dr. Ibrahim bin Saleh Al Naimi, presented the medals to the top three finishers in the women's 86-kilogram and over-86-kilogram categories in a celebratory ceremony.

In the men's 110-kilogram category, American lifter George Upmeyer swept the gold medals, lifting 168 kilograms in the snatch and 201 kilograms in the clean and jerk for a total of 369 kilograms.

Romania's Paul Ionita won two silver medals and one bronze, taking silver in the clean and jerk with 196 kilograms and in the overall competition with 359 kilograms, while winning bronze in the snatch with 163 kilograms.

American Caleb Wicklund won one silver and two bronze medals. He took silver in the snatch with 164 kilograms and bronze in the clean and jerk with 192 kilograms and overall with 356 kilograms.

In the men's over-110-kilogram category, Iraq's Mustafa Jabbar swept the gold medals, lifting 170 kilograms in the snatch and 212 kilograms in the clean and jerk for a total of 382 kilograms.

South Korea's Park Jin-ho won two silver medals, taking silver in the clean and jerk with 211 kilograms and in the overall competition with 363 kilograms. He lifted 152 kilograms in the snatch.

Moldova's Stanislav Oja won one silver and one bronze, taking silver in the snatch with 166 kilograms and bronze overall with a total of 357 kilograms.

Finland's Hannu Kiskitalo won bronze in the snatch with 165 kilograms, while South Korea's Kim Dong-hyun took bronze in the clean and jerk with 198 kilograms.

The final day of the FISU World University Championship Weightlifting showcased the advanced level of weightlifting in higher education institutions, with the competition marked by strength, excitement, and determination. The male and female lifters delivered impressive performances that reflected the extent of their preparation and ambition, in a competitive atmosphere embodying the values of university sport - excellence, discipline and a spirit of challenge.

Following the conclusion of the competition, a closing ceremony was held, combining a parade of flags of the participating countries with elements of Qatari culture in a welcoming message reflecting Doha's warm reception for the athletes and delegations. A short video also highlighted the events of the five days of competition.

The closing ceremony was attended by Secretary-General of the Qatar Collegiate Sports Federation (QCSF) Rashid Saeed Adiba; FISU Technical Committee Chair, Dr. Milan Mihajlovic; FISU International Supervisory Committee member, Sarita Morales Brenes; and several sports and academic figures and members of the Qatar Collegiate Sports Federation's board.

In remarks at the closing ceremony, QCSF Secretary-General, Rashid Saeed Adiba, expressed his thanks and gratitude to everyone who contributed to the major success of the World University Weightlifting Championships and to all those who contributed their efforts, time and expertise to the success of the global sporting event.

He praised all the participating delegations and the male and female lifters who traveled to Doha, the global sports capital, from around the world. The championships, he said, went beyond sporting competition to provide a platform for fair play, an opportunity to meet and exchange cultures, build friendships and strengthen understanding among young people from around the world.

FISU International Supervisory Committee member, Sarita Morales Brenes, expressed her appreciation and thanks to the Qatar Collegiate Sports Federation and to all the officials, guests, volunteers, coaches, technical officials, members of the media and athletes who contributed to the success of the championships.

The closing ceremony included the handover of the FISU flag to Morales Brenes. Albania will host the 11th edition of the championships in 2028.

The flag handover brought the curtain down on five days of competition involving about 116 male and female athletes from 21 countries, featuring strong technical performances and open competition across the various weight classes.

Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s Abdulla Al Tamimi pushed former champion and Karim Abdel Gawad to his limits before the Egyptian fourth seed eventually prevailed 11-7, 15-13, 5-11, 11-8 in a 48-minute battle on the opening day of the $242,000 Qatar Classic 2026 in Doha yesterday.

At the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex, Al Tamimi, competing as a wildcard after returning to action from injury last month, showed his fighting qualities against the experienced campaigner. Qatar’s other representative, Salem Al-Malki, also saw his campaign come to an end, with France’s Melvil Scianimanico recording a 11-5, 11-5, 11-4 victory.

At the top of the men’s draw, World No.1 Mostafa Asal made a strong start to his Qatar Classic title bid, dispatching Switzerland’s Nicolas Mueller 11-6, 11-6, 11-4 in 26 minutes. Asal, twice a runner-up in Doha, immediately underlined his intentions as he looks to finally go all the way to the top in Doha.

Defending champion Paul Coll was equally impressive, beginning his title defence with an 11-2, 11-3, 11-1 demolition of India’s Veer Chotrani in 26 minutes.

One of the highlights of the day came when American Timothy Brownell stunned No.3 seed Diego Elias in a thrilling five-game battle.

The two-time former champion Elias took the first two games 11-5, 11-9, but Brownell fought back to win the next three 11-6, 11-5, 11-7 and complete a remarkable 57-minute comeback and clinch the biggest win of his career.

“I just wanted to say something about the tour here. Some people think the gap between the top and the bottom players is bigger than it is. Maybe at the very top it is, but the margins are thin. The more upsets there are the better. I’m really happy to get through and excited to get the win,” Brownell said after the win.

Meanwhile, seventh seed Marwan ElShorbagy moved through with a 11-5, 11-7, 11-7 victory over Spain’s Bernat Jaume, while No.8 seed Aly Abou Eleinen defeated Jamaica’s Declan James 11-6, 11-9, 11-7. No.6 seed Mohamad Zakaria also advanced, beating Germany’s Raphael Kandra 11-4, 11-3, 5-11, 11-5.

On the other hand, women’s draw produced one of the day’s biggest stories as former World No.1 Nouran Gohar marked her return to the Qatar Classic with a commanding victory over fellow Egyptian Kenzy Ayman.

Gohar, returning to the PSA Tour after a year away following the birth of her first child, needed just 22 minutes to secure an 11-7, 11-1, 11-3 victory.

Defending champion and top seed Hania El Hammamy also progressed, overcoming Hana Moataz 11-8, 11-7, 6-11, 11-8 in 46 minutes.

Three-time champion Nour ElSherbini survived a much tighter encounter with Nada Abbas, winning 11-8, 11-3, 11-13, 11-9 in 39 minutes.

Second seed and reigning World Champion Amina Orfi was another comfortable winner, defeating Hana Ramadan 11-2, 11-5, 11-5, while No.6 seed Fayrouz Aboelkheir, Belgium’s Tinne Gilis and England’s Georgina Kennedy were also among those who advance.

Doha, Qatar: At just 13 years old, Mubarak Musa Thiik Madut, who is representing Qatar at the Asian Volleyball Championship in Japan, is making waves online not only because of his age but also due to his remarkable height.

Standing at 2.10 metres, Mubarak appeared in the Qatari jersey and made an appearance in the competition on September 5 against Thailand, according to French media outlet, L’Équipe.

Born on November 24, 2012, in South Sudan, Mubarak made his first appearance for the Qatari national team in 2026.

He competed in the U18 Asian Beach Volleyball Championships in May, where he helped Qatar finish third.

Mubarak played in three of Qatar’s five matches, scoring 40 points. He delivered an impressive performance against the Republic of Korea, scoring 11 points from 16 attack attempts.

New York: Elena Rybakina denied Aryna Sabalenka a third straight US Open title on Saturday, punctuating her rise to world number one with a victory over the player she's replacing at the summit.

Rybakina, already assured of supplanting Sabalenka atop the rankings by reaching the semi-finals in New York, triumphed 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 to claim her third Grand Slam title.

She won her first at Wimbledon in 2022 and beat Sabalenka in the Australian Open title to claim her second in January.

"It feels amazing," Rybakina said. "It's still so difficult to process what happened. Too much achievements these few weeks. I'm super happy, very proud of all the work. It's just amazing."

She ended Sabalenka's 20-match winning streak in Flushing Meadows, where the 2024 and 2025 champion hadn't lost since falling to Coco Gauff in the 2023 final.

"I wish I could have performed a little better," Sabalenka told the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd, her voice breaking, "but I guess next year."

She had been vying to become just the third woman, after Chris Evert and Serena Williams, to win three straight US Open titles.

The 28-year old from Belarus clawed back courageously in the second set, breaking Rybakina for the first time in the final game to force the third.

But with her trademark aplomb, Rybakina roared back to finish off a frustrated Sabalenka.

With an early break in hand in the third set, Rybakina roared to the finish line. There was a final hiccup with two double faults as she served for the match before she secured the win with an ace.

"I feel like the match was so close," Rybakina said. "Even first set I got early break. Then it was kind of a little bit easier to step in, to be aggressive.

"Then in the second, we were taking our serve. She just played in these same important moments more aggressive.

"I had some little opportunities. Made couple of mistakes. But then in the third set, I told myself that I can still do it. I need to focus on my serve and just risk a little bit more when I have the chance."

A disappointed Sabalenka exchanged a quick hug with the victor at the net, then smashed her racquet as she sat in her courtside seat as Rybakina absorbed the cheers of the crowd.

"I'm obviously not really happy with the level I played today," Sabalenka said. "But she served incredible. She played really aggressive, great tennis.

'Better player today'

"She was simply a better player today than me," said Sabalenka, who will end the year without a major title for the first time since 2022.

The two biggest hitters in the women's game came out swinging. Rybakina, owner of perhaps the most fearsome serve on the WTA Tour, was struggling to put her first serve in play, but it was devastating when she did.

She pressured Sabalenka's serve throughout, piling up a dozen break points and converting three.

Rybakina seized control in the fifth game of the opening set, relentlessly pushing Sabalenka back with her deep groundstrokes.

Unsettled, Sabalenka double faulted on break point, then smacked a ball skyward to draw a code violation warning for ball abuse.

Sabalenka was looking increasingly desperate. Serving to extend the set at 5-3, she crushed an overhead several feet beyond the baseline and had to regroup before closing the game with an ace and a service winner.

But Rybakina wouldn't be denied, and she polished off the set 6-4 with a screaming backhand winner before Sabalenka sailed a shot long to end the deciding rally.

The second set started much the same, Sabalenka saving a pair of break points in the third game before thumping down a massive serve to hold.

She had yet to make any headway against Rybakina's serve, but she seemed to have found something on her own, twice holding to love as she took a 5-4 lead.

Sabalenka's first break points of the match gave her a chance to close out the set, but she couldn't convert.

Nevertheless, Sabalenka was gaining in confidence. She held for a 6-5 lead then broke Rybakina with authority to force a third set -- but it proved only a brief reprieve.