Representing Qatar at the Olympics
In 2012, Qatari swimmer Nada Mohamed became the first female to represent Qatar at the Olympics in London.
The first-ever silver medal for Qatar was won by high-jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim at the London Olympics in 2012. He also won the Olympic silver medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016. A year later, he won a gold medal for Qatar in the IAAF World Championships in London and was named Men’s Athlete of the Year by the International Association of Athletics Federation. And in 2019, Barshim won a second gold medal at the IAAF World Championship in Doha, becoming the first man to defend the world crown.
High-jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim, London Olympics in 2012
Qatar won three medals in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games– two gold medals for Fares Ibrahim in the weightlifting competition and Mutaz Barshim in the high jump competition, and one bronze medal for Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan in the beach volleyball competition, which is the first medal for an Arab country in a team sport. The team’s exceptional performance placed Qatar first among the Arab countries participating in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Elbakh Fares Ibrahim during men’s 96kg weightlifting, Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Qatar was also represented at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio. Two Qatari athletes – Abdulrahman Abdulqader and Sara Masoud – took home silver medals. In the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, Abdulqader claimed the bronze medal of the men’s shot-put event. Masoud also participated in the Paralympics and ranked sixth in the women’s shot-put competition, as well as beating her personal record.
Other Sports
Another sports star in Qatar is rally driver and clay pigeon shooter Nasser Al Attiyah, who has won three Dakar Rally titles – in 2011, 2015, and most recently in 2019. He also won a bronze medal for clay pigeon shooting in the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Nasser Al Attiyah during Stage 7, Dakar 2023.
Qatar is also home to a number of successful regional and international sports teams. Its handball team won the Asian Men’s Handball Championship four times in 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020, and brought home a silver medal at the 2015 Handball World Championship.
Qatar men’s handball team celebrate gold at the 19th Asian Games, October 5th 2023.
Moreover, the Men’s national football team has emerged as a force in Asian football – winning the 2019 Asian Football Confederation Cup.
In 2021, Qatari champion Amal Mohammed claimed the gold medal of the running target event at the Asian Airgun Championship in Kazakhstan.
