By Staff Reporter
Doha: Qatar’s shooters brought the curtain down on another extraordinary chapter in the nation’s sporting calendar on Wednesday, delivering a stunning gold and silver medal haul in the mixed team shooting events at the 4th GCC Games – Doha 2026, while the Qatar padel team showed tremendous heart before heartbreak struck in the final against the UAE.
The shooting competitions at the Lusail International Shooting Complex produced some of the most compelling action of the entire GCC Games, with Team Qatar’s marksmen and women once again proving their class under pressure and reinforcing their reputation as one of the region’s most formidable shooting programmes.
Trap mixed team: A golden display of precision
The highlight of the day came in the Trap Mixed Team event, where the Qatari duo of Saeed Abu Sharib and Maytha Al Binali produced a masterclass in consistency and composure to claim the gold medal. The pair set the tone early, topping the qualification round with a total of 139 targets before carrying their excellence into the final, where they sealed first place with 31 targets. The UAE claimed silver with 29 targets, while Bahrain took bronze with 22.
For Al Binali, the gold was her third medal of the tournament — a remarkable individual achievement that she dedicated to Qatar’s leadership. “Praise be to God for helping me win three medals in this edition. I dedicate this achievement to our wise leadership, to His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, and to all the people of Qatar,” she said following the medal ceremony.
The champion shooter was keen to credit the intensive preparation that underpinned her success, describing the medal haul as the natural result of hard work and structured training camps. She also set her sights firmly on the future, identifying the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, as the next major target on the horizon.
Abu Sharib was equally elated, describing the gold as a fitting conclusion to the shotgun programme. “We managed to conclude the shotgun events with gold medals, which reflects the value and stature of Qatari shooting that always aims to raise the national flag high at major sporting events,” he said. The experienced shooter praised the competitive yet fraternal atmosphere among Gulf athletes throughout the tournament, adding that the result would inspire the team to pursue further success at international level.
Air pistol mixed team: silver in a nail-biting finish
The drama continued in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event, where Team Qatar pushed all the way to the final moments before narrowly missing out on gold. The Qatari pairing of Doaa Habib, who scored an impressive 233.7 points, and Khalid Al Shaiba, who contributed 226.0 points, combined for a total of 459.7 points. It was the UAE who edged them out, claiming gold with 461.0 points in a contest that went down to the wire. Oman secured bronze with 397.7 points.
Despite the narrow defeat, Al Shaiba took considerable pride in the performance. “The competition was extremely strong and exciting with our fellow Gulf shooters. Praise be to God, we managed to deliver a good performance and secure the silver medal at this distinguished regional event,” he said. The shooter stressed that the result would serve as fuel for further ambition, pledging that Team Qatar’s marksmen would continue to push for titles at the highest level.
Officials salute a dominant campaign
Following the conclusion of the shooting competitions, His Excellency Dr Mishaal Ibrahim Al Nasr, President of the Qatar Shooting and Archery Association, joined Abdullah bin Mohammed Bamkhalaf, Secretary-General of the Oman Olympic Committee, to crown the medal winners amid celebratory scenes that drew widespread praise from GCC delegations for the quality of the tournament’s organisation.
Masoud Al Athba, Head of the Shotgun Committee at the Qatar Shooting and Archery Association, reflected on a campaign that exceeded expectations while vindicating meticulous planning. “Our athletes lived up to expectations. The level of competition was extremely high, and the contests were much tougher than expected, but we had a precise strategic plan that enabled us to impose complete dominance on the podiums,” he said. Al Athba also celebrated the sense of Gulf unity the tournament fostered, describing the event as an ideal environment for strengthening bonds between athletes from across the region.
The archery competitions conclude today, Thursday, at the Lusail International Range, with finals in the compound bow individual and team events as well as the Olympic recurve individual and team categories still to be decided.
Padel: Silver amid injury drama
Away from the shooting range, Qatar’s padel team also etched their name on the GCC Games medal table, claiming silver after a campaign that showcased their growing stature in the sport — though the final ended in deeply unfortunate circumstances.
Qatar had navigated the tournament with impressive authority, opening with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Saudi Arabia before defeating Kuwait 2-1 and dismissing Bahrain 3-0 to set up a final showdown with the UAE.
The gold medal match proved a fiercely contested affair. The Qatari duo of Issa Shanan and Rayan Al Jefairi lost the opening match in straight sets, but Mohammed Saadoun and Hassan Wali levelled the tie with a commanding 6-2, 6-4 victory in the second rubber. The deciding match looked to be heading toward a thrilling conclusion when Rashid Nawaf and Mishari Nawaf levelled at one set apiece, with the final set poised at 3-3 — before Rashid Nawaf suffered an injury that left him unable to continue. The UAE were awarded the match and the gold, while Kuwait took bronze.
The medal ceremony was held at the purpose-built padel venue beneath Aspire Dome, with honours presented by His Excellency Mohammed bin Yousuf Al Mana, First Vice President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, alongside other senior officials including Tareq Zainal, President of the Asian Padel Federation.
In the women’s competition, Kuwait claimed gold, Saudi Arabia silver, and the UAE bronze.
