The win took Qatar to four points and guaranteed top spot in the group ahead of their final preliminary game against the Maldives tomorrow.
Doha, Qatar: Qatar became the first side to reach the semi-finals of the handball competition at the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh after a commanding 41-24 victory over the UAE in their second Group A match yesterday.
The win took Qatar to four points and guaranteed top spot in the group ahead of their final preliminary game against the Maldives tomorrow.
For Qatar, Eldar Memisevic netted seven goals, Francis Marzo six, captain Ahmed Madadi and Mohammed Hammam five each and Mustafa Heiba four.
Further contributions from Wissam Nawar, Abdulrahman Tariq, Alaa El-Din Balrashid, Abdulrazzaq Murad, Amin Qahis, Wael Al-Mazoughi and Jovan Gacevic swelled Qatar’s total to 41. Qatar are also defending champions, having claimed gold at the previous edition of the Games in Konya, Turkey, in 2022 with a 26-23 win over the hosts in the final.
Meanwhile, Qatar’s men’s and women’s 3x3 basketball teams open their campaigns today.
The Qatar men are drawn in Group B alongside Iran, Turkey and Ivory Coast, and the women face Algeria before meeting Iran and Egypt. Taekwondo athletes Noor Mohammed (over 70kg) and Maram Fatnasi (under 63kg) also enter action today at the Martial Arts Hall in Prince Faisal bin Fahd Sports City.
The national athletics squad begins a four-day programme at the same complex, led by hammer throwers Ashraf and Ahmed Elseify and Paralympic shot putter Abdulrahman Abdulqader.
In fencing, Qatar’s challenge starts in the individual epee competition, where Mohammed Abdulali and Abdulrahman Al-Jadra will represent the country at Riyadh Boulevard.
