Staff Reporter
Doha: Team Qatar athletics concluded a remarkable campaign at the 4th GCC Games Doha 2026 by topping the athletics standings with an impressive haul of 34 medals, underlining the nation’s growing strength across track and field disciplines and further consolidating Qatar’s lead in the overall Games standings.
Qatar’s athletes produced a series of commanding performances throughout the competition, finishing with 12 gold, 13 silver and nine bronze medals in athletics alone. The hosts added another nine medals on the final day of competition, including two gold, five silver and two bronze medals, to complete a dominant showing against strong regional rivals.
Bahrain finished second in the athletics standings with 22 medals, including 11 gold, eight silver and three bronze, while Oman claimed third place with 11 medals comprising seven gold, two silver and two bronze.
The final day once again highlighted the depth and versatility of Team Qatar’s athletics programme, with standout displays in both individual and relay events.
One of the most notable moments came in the men’s 1500m race, where Qatar delivered a commanding one-two finish. Mubarak Saeed secured the gold medal after controlling the race with confidence and tactical intelligence, while teammate Zakaria Al Alami claimed silver. Kuwait’s Badr Al Suwaid settled for bronze.
The race reflected Qatar’s growing dominance in middle-distance running at GCC level, with the home athletes dictating the pace from the opening laps before accelerating decisively in the closing stages.
Team Qatar also shone in the men’s 4x400m relay, where the quartet of Mohammed Abdulrahman, Mubarak Mousa, Samir Hassan and Bassem Humaida produced a composed and disciplined performance to secure gold.
The Qatari team combined speed, technical precision and seamless baton exchanges to finish ahead of their Gulf rivals in one of the standout contests of the evening. The victory further reinforced Qatar’s superiority in relay events and highlighted the country’s depth in sprint disciplines.
In the women’s competitions, Alaa Suleiman secured silver in the high jump, while teammate Salma Hamid captured bronze. Oman’s Alia Al Mughairi claimed gold in a closely fought contest that showcased the improving technical standards of women’s athletics across the Gulf region.
Qatar also added two more medals in the men’s discus throw through Moaz Ibrahim, who won silver, and Mohammed Mohammed, who secured bronze. Kuwait’s Issa Al Zankawi delivered the winning throw to take gold.
The women’s 4x400m relay provided another exciting contest, with Team Qatar claiming silver through the quartet of Shahad Mohammed, Sara Ali, Dana Salem and Awatif Sabah. Bahrain secured gold after an impressive performance by Zainab Mohammed, Aisha Abdullah, Soufiane Abdulgani and Oluwakemi Adekoya.
Dana Salem later added another medal to Qatar’s tally after winning bronze in the women’s 200m event, which was dominated by Bahrain’s Raihana Qarouba and Aisha Abdullah, who claimed gold and silver respectively.
Qatar’s final athletics medal haul reflected not only the nation’s continued dominance at GCC level but also the emergence of a promising new generation of athletes capable of strengthening Team Qatar’s competitiveness in future continental and international competitions.
Meanwhile, Team Qatar also enjoyed strong success in table tennis, where the competitions concluded with the hosts securing six medals overall, including two gold, two silver and two bronze medals.
Qatar’s Aya Mohammed emerged as one of the stars of the tournament after winning gold in the women’s singles event. Aya defeated compatriot Mariam Ali 3-1 in the final to secure the title, while Mariam settled for silver in an all-Qatar showdown.
The result highlighted the significant progress of women’s table tennis in Qatar and demonstrated the country’s growing ability to compete strongly at regional level.
In the men’s doubles event, Mohammed Abdulwahab and Abdullah Abdulwahab won silver after reaching the final before losing 3-0 to Saudi Arabia’s Ali Al Khudrawi and Abdulaziz Boushalibi.
Team Qatar had already secured success in the mixed doubles competition the previous day. Mohammed Abdulwahab and Aya Mohammed captured gold following a dominant 3-0 victory over the UAE pair of Ali Al Hawai and Noura Al Mazmi in the final.
Abdullah Abdulwahab and Mariam Ali also contributed to Qatar’s medal tally after defeating Bahrain’s Rashid Khalid Sanad and Rayan Emad 3-0 in the bronze medal playoff.
In the men’s team competition, Team Qatar added another bronze medal to complete a successful campaign.
The medal ceremonies were attended by several leading officials, including Hamad Ahmed Al Hammadi, President of the Qatar Table Tennis Association, Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, President of the Saudi Table Tennis Federation, Ibrahim Al Aasam, Vice President of the UAE Table Tennis Federation, Ahmed Khalil Al Muhannadi, Secretary General of the Qatar Federation, and Jaber Saeed Afifa, Assistant Secretary General of the federation.
Al Hammadi praised the technical level and organisational success of the competition, stressing that the tournament once again reflected Qatar’s growing reputation as a host of major sporting events at regional, continental and international levels.
He said the six medals achieved by Team Qatar were the result of the federation’s long-term work alongside the dedication of players and coaching staff.
“We congratulate the Qatar Table Tennis Association family and our players, who delivered performances worthy of Qatari sport and proved their ability to compete strongly despite the participation of some of the GCC’s top players,” Al Hammadi said.
He also highlighted the highly competitive nature of the tournament, noting that the close technical standards among participating teams made every match challenging.
Attention then shifted to bowling, where Team Qatar concluded another productive campaign with nine medals overall, including two gold, four silver and three bronze medals.
Qatar’s Jassim Al Marikhi secured bronze in the Masters category on the final day after a series of strong performances throughout the tournament. Kuwait’s Faisal Saleem won gold, while compatriot Mustafa Al Mousawi claimed silver.
The medal ceremony was attended by Abdullah Sultan Al Qattan, President of the Qatar Bowling Federation, and Ahmed Shaheen Al Marikhi, Board Member of the federation.
Saeed Al Hajri, Board Member of the Qatar Bowling Federation, expressed satisfaction with the team’s overall performance despite the intense competition.
He revealed that Al Marikhi had been close to winning gold before suffering a muscle strain during the decisive stages of the competition.
“Jassim delivered outstanding performances throughout the tournament, but the injury clearly affected him in the semi-finals and prevented him from competing at his highest level,” Al Hajri said.
He added that one of the most encouraging aspects of Team Qatar’s bowling campaign was the emergence of young players, noting that nearly 90 percent of the squad consisted of athletes aged between 16 and 17.
Despite their youth, the players managed to challenge experienced Gulf champions and secure podium finishes, reflecting the federation’s efforts to build a strong future generation for Qatari bowling.
Al Hajri also praised the spirit of unity and camaraderie that defined the GCC Games, saying the slogan “One Gulf, One Heart” was fully reflected through the atmosphere among all participating delegations.
Kuwait’s Faisal Saleem, meanwhile, expressed delight after winning Masters gold following a demanding competition against some of the region’s top bowlers.
Saleem described the title as a major achievement after a series of difficult matches and said the tournament provided valuable preparation ahead of future regional and international events.
