Ayo Victor
DOHA: Qatar made a strong start to its campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, with Abdulrahman Mustafa securing the national delegation’s first medal and several teams and athletes producing notable performances in the opening stages of the continental showpiece.
Qatar is represented at the 20th Asian Games by a 243-member athlete delegation, comprising 184 men and 59 women, competing across 26 sports. The participation reflects Qatar’s continued commitment to developing its sporting sector and providing its athletes with opportunities to compete at the highest level in Asia.
The opening days have already produced a podium finish, with karateka Abdulrahman Mustafa winning the silver medal in the men’s individual under-60kg category.
Mustafa advanced to the final after an impressive run through the knockout stages. He defeated Uzbekistan’s Mukhriddin Turakhunov 4-1 in the Round of 16, overcame Vietnam’s Chu Van Duc 10-4 in the quarter-finals and then beat Malaysia’s Hari Sankar 7-1 in the semi-finals.
In the final, Kuwait’s Abdullah Shaaban prevailed 8-0 to take the gold, while Mustafa secured silver and Qatar’s first medal of the Games. The achievement adds to the Qatari athlete’s growing record, having previously won gold in the under-21 under-60kg category at the Asian Karate Championships for Cadet, Junior and U-21 athletes.
President of the Qatar Taekwondo, Judo and Karate Federation Eid Ali Al-Muraikhi described the medal as a significant milestone for Qatari sport and praised Mustafa’s fighting spirit and performance throughout the competition. He also expressed hope that the achievement would be the beginning of further success for Qatar at the Games.
Mustafa, meanwhile, said he was proud to have raised the Qatari flag on the Asian Games stage. While he had hoped to win gold, he expressed his happiness at securing a podium finish and thanked his family, coach, federation and supporters for their backing.
Qatar’s men’s handball team also began its gold-medal defence in emphatic fashion, defeating Hong Kong 40-17 in its opening Group A match. After a competitive opening that saw the teams level at 3-3, Qatar settled into its rhythm, strengthened its defence and improved its finishing to take a commanding 19-8 lead into half-time.
The defending champions maintained their control after the interval to complete a 23-goal victory and collect their first two points. Qatar will next face China before concluding its group campaign against Japan. The team is seeking to retain the gold medal won at the last three Asian Games in Incheon in 2014, Jakarta in 2018 and Hangzhou in 2022.
In swimming, Ali Tamer delivered a record-breaking performance in the men’s 100m freestyle. He qualified for the final after finishing second in his heat in 48.65 seconds, lowering his own national record of 49.10 seconds. He eventually finished seventh overall in the final, while Qatar’s six-member swimming team continues its campaign in other events, including the 4x200m freestyle relay.
Shooter Retaj Al-Yafei also produced a personal milestone, recording 620.8 points in the women’s air rifle competition, her best score in an international tournament. She finished 39th overall, while teammate Maha Al-Ali placed 51st. Qatar’s shooting team is aiming to build on its three-medal haul from the Hangzhou Asian Games, where it won one silver and two bronze medals.
Qatar’s table tennis teams have faced a demanding start, with the men losing 3-0 to China and the women suffering defeats against Thailand and Lebanon. Aya Magdi highlighted the high technical level of the competition, describing the tournament as an important opportunity for Qatar’s young players to gain valuable international experience.
The defending champions in men’s beach volleyball, Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, have also begun their gold-medal defence. The Qatar 1 pair opened against the Philippines in Group A, while Qatar’s second team of Mousa Al-Khair and Mohamed Ihab faced South Korea in Group D.
Meanwhile, Qatar’s men’s 3x3 basketball team entered the competition against Indonesia and Chinese Taipei, looking to build on the silver medal won at the previous Asian Games. The gymnastics campaign has also begun, with Rakan Al-Harith and Mehrdad Ghadimi competing in the men’s individual all-around qualifiers after preparing at a training camp in Armenia.
With competition continuing across the various disciplines, Qatar’s athletes will look to build on Mustafa’s opening medal and deliver further strong performances as the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games progress.