Para-athletes receive warm welcome

Qatari para-athletes and officials arrived in Doha on Monday after participating in the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships which concluded in London earlier this week.
Abdulrahman Abdulqader won the gold medal in the Men’s Shot Put (F34) event while Sarah Masoud claimed the silver medal in the Women’s Shot Put (F33).
Abdulqader won his event after clearing 11.38 metres in a new achievement for the sport of special needs, where he surpassed Iranian athlete  Mohsen Kidi, who won the silver medal after clearing 10.89 metres while Ecuadorian Maurice Valencia was placed third.
Last year, Abdulqader became the first Qatari medallist in the history of the Paralympics when he won the silver medal in Men’s Shot Put (F34) at Rio Paralympic Games .
Sarah Masoud finished second in her event with an effort of 5.39 metres behind Algeria’s Asmahan Boudjadar while Anthi Liagkou of Greece settled in the third place.
The event saw more than 1,100 para-athletes from 95 countries in action while foreign media reported that over 230,000 spectators witnessed this year’s championships - more than in all eight of the previous championships combined.

Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) Dr Thani bin Abdulrahman Al Kuwari, QOC Deputy Secretary General Jassim Rashid Al Buenain and board members of the Qatar Paralympic Committee welcomed the delegation at Hamad International Airport.
Dr Al Kuwari lauded the achievements accomplished by the Qatari athletes and stressed that Abdulqader and Masoud’s results reflect the development of Para-athletics in the country.
He also added that QOC President Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, through a telephone call, was among the first to congratulate Abdulqader after winning the gold medal, a matter which encourages him and the rest of his colleagues to do more in the upcoming tournaments.
Abdulqader expressed his delight, adding that the gold medal was the result of a great effort and exercises done during the last period, when he planned and worked hard to reach this achievement after he won silver medal in Rio 2016 Olympics.
“I succeeded in achieving what I was aspiring to,” he said.
Sarah Masoud dedicated her achievement to QOC President Sheikh Joaan and said that she was proud to raise the flag of Qatar at the world championship and achieve the silver medal, adding that she hopes to achieve more medals in the upcoming events.
The Qatari delegation participated in the Para-athletics Championships in London was led by Secretary General of the Qatar Paralympic Committee Dr Hassan Al Ansari. The Qatari squad also included Nasser Al Sahoti, Mohamed Al Kubaisi, Khaled Al Hajri and Mohamed Khallas in addition to the two medallists.