Staff Reporter
Doha: Team Qatar shooters produced one of the most dominant displays of the 4th GCC Games Doha 2026 after securing seven medals in a single day at Lusail International Shooting Complex, further strengthening the nation’s position at the top of the overall standings.
The outstanding performances saw Team Qatar claim three gold medals and four silver medals across trap and air pistol events in a remarkable demonstration of technical excellence, composure and consistency against some of the Gulf region’s leading shooters.
The biggest triumph came in the men’s trap team event, where the Qatari trio of Mohammed Al Rumaihi, Angelo Scalzoni and Saeed Abu Shareb delivered a commanding performance to win the gold medal with a total of 354 targets. The hosts finished comfortably ahead of Kuwait, who settled for silver with 344 targets, while the UAE claimed bronze after scoring 341.
Team Qatar women also impressed in the women’s trap team competition, securing silver through the trio of Maytha Al Buainain, Khulood Al Khalaf and Ray Bassil. The Qatari team finished with 310 targets behind Kuwait, who captured gold with 320, while Bahrain took bronze with 298.
The men’s individual trap final produced one of the most dramatic contests of the day as Mohammed Al Rumaihi battled Kuwait’s Abdulrahman Al Faihan in a tense gold-medal showdown. Both shooters finished level on 120 targets before the competition moved into a nail-biting shoot-off. Al Faihan eventually secured gold with a score of 26+23, while Al Rumaihi claimed silver after scoring 26+22. UAE shooter Yahya Al Muhairi earned bronze with 21 targets.
In the women’s individual trap event, Maytha Al Buainain added another silver medal to Qatar’s tally after scoring 22 targets in the final round. Kuwait’s Shahad Al Hawal won gold with 23 targets, while Bahrain’s Marwa Bouarki secured bronze with 16.
Team Qatar continued their dominance in the indoor range competitions by adding two more gold medals in the 10m air pistol events.
Dua Habib delivered a brilliant performance to win gold in the women’s 10m air pistol competition after recording 231.2 points. UAE shooter Ghalia Al Shuhail claimed silver with 229.6 points, while Bahrain’s Aisha Al Braiki settled for bronze with 209.2.
The Qatari women’s team also captured gold in the women’s 10m air pistol team event with an impressive total of 1,669 points through Dua Habib, Aisha Al Abdullah and Salma Al Maas. Bahrain finished second with 1,646 points, while the UAE secured bronze with 1,634.
Meanwhile, Team Qatar shooters Khalid Al Shaiba, Nasser Al Sunaij and Mohammed Al Yafei claimed silver in the men’s team event of the same discipline after scoring 1,679 points. Saudi Arabia won gold with 1,693 points, while Oman secured bronze with 1,664.
Attention at Lusail Shooting Complex will now turn to today’s mixed trap team and mixed 10m air pistol team finals, with Team Qatar aiming to continue their golden run and further extend their dominance at the Games.
Secretary General of the Qatar Shooting and Archery Association, Jassim Shahin Al Sulaiti, praised the exceptional performances delivered by Team Qatar shooters and described the achievements as clear evidence of the remarkable development of Qatari shooting.
“We are living moments of pride seeing Team Qatar athletes standing on the podium with three gold and four silver medals,” Al Sulaiti said.
“These achievements raised our tally to 18 medals and allowed us to maintain top spot in the GCC standings since the start of the Games. This reflects the success of the strategic plans developed by the federation under the leadership of H E Dr. Mishaal Ibrahim Al Nasr, in addition to the intensive preparation camps and integrated technical and administrative efforts.”
Al Sulaiti added that the competitions featured some of the Gulf’s top shooters with major continental experience, but Team Qatar succeeded in imposing complete control over the events through collective excellence in both trap and pistol disciplines.
He also highlighted the wider significance of the Games beyond medals and competition, stressing that the tournament represented an important platform for strengthening brotherhood and unity among GCC nations.
Al Sulaiti concluded by thanking the Qatar Olympic Committee for its continued support, noting that the medal haul would provide strong motivation ahead of future international competitions, particularly the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.
Elsewhere, Team Qatar snooker secured the silver medal in the 15-red team snooker competition following a strong campaign at the Games.
The Qatari trio of Ali Al Obaidli, Ahmed Saif and Bashar Hussein finished runners-up after losing 3-0 in the final to the UAE team consisting of Mohammed Shehab, Khalid Al Kamali and Abdulrahman Al Shamsi.
The billiards and snooker competitions concluded with Team Qatar collecting six medals overall, including two gold medals and four silver medals. Qatar won gold in the 10-ball billiards doubles and 15-red snooker singles events, while silver medals came in the 10-ball singles, 9-ball singles, 6-red snooker singles and 15-red team snooker competitions.
Mohammed Al Ramzani, President of the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation, praised the players for their performances throughout the tournament.
“We are proud of what Team Qatar achieved by winning six medals, including two gold medals,” Al Ramzani said.
“This achievement confirms the continued development of the sport in Qatar and the ability of our players to compete strongly at GCC level.”
He also praised the excellent organisation of the Games and stressed that the experience gained from the tournament would greatly benefit the players technically and mentally ahead of future competitions.
Meanwhile, Team Qatar padel continued their impressive unbeaten run after defeating Bahrain 3-0 to secure a place on the podium.
The duo of Mishari Nawaf and Rashid Nawaf opened the tie with a dominant straight-sets victory over Bahrain’s Youssef Qaed and Omar Qaed by scores of 6-0 and 6-1.
Khalid Saadoun and Issa Shanan then defeated Ahmed Khalid and Hussein Diwani in three sets, 6-0, 1-6 and 6-3, before Mohammed Saadoun and Hassan Wali completed the sweep after Bahrain withdrew during the second set due to injury.
The victory marked Team Qatar’s third consecutive win following earlier triumphs over Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Team Qatar will now face the UAE in the decisive match as they aim to retain the gold medal won at the previous GCC Games in Kuwait.
In handball, Team Qatar suffered their first defeat of the tournament after losing 24-19 to Bahrain in a highly competitive encounter.
Bahrain controlled the match from the opening stages through strong defensive organisation and rapid attacking transitions, leading 13-10 at halftime before maintaining their advantage throughout the second period.
The defeat ended Team Qatar’s winning streak after victories against the UAE and Kuwait, leaving the hosts on four points while Bahrain moved to the top of the standings with six points.
In volleyball, Team Qatar men’s team settled for silver after losing to Bahrain in the final at Aspire Women’s Sports Hall.
Bahrain claimed gold after winning in straight sets 25-21, 27-25 and 25-23, while Oman secured bronze by defeating the UAE in the third-place playoff.
