HE Lieutenant General Dahlan Jumaan Al Hamad, president of the Qatar and Asian athletics federations and IAAF vice president, crowned Al Khor Sports Club as the winner of the cross country race for the mini-cadet, junior and cadet categories, after the club succeeded in outperforming the other Qatari clubs by taking first place in all three categories, presenting itself as an outstanding club in grassroots athletics, which the Qatar Athletics Federation relies on heavily to produce future champions. This came at the start of the athletics federation’s season, held at the Aspire Sports Excellence Academy park with the participation of all Qatari clubs under the federation’s umbrella: Al Sadd, Al Rayyan, Al Jaish, Al Gharafa, Qatar SC, Al Wakrah, Al Arabi, Al Ahli, Al Khor and Al Shamal.
The championship’s opening saw great enthusiasm from the clubs at the mini-cadet and junior levels, who competed for the top three places in all three categories, with Al Khor surprising everyone and announcing great strength in the cross country with a new generation that succeeded in turning the tables on Al Rayyan, Al Sadd and Al Jaish, clubs known for their excellence in athletics at the younger age groups.
The mini-cadet trio
Al Khor’s team took first place in the mini-cadet category after outperforming Al Wakrah, who finished second, and Al Sadd, who came third. This category saw Al Jaish fall away from the front, finishing sixth, while Al Ahli came fourth, Al Rayyan fifth, Al Gharafa seventh, Qatar SC eighth, and Al Arabi and Al Shamal in ninth and tenth.
Al Arabi and Qatar SC juniors challenge Al Khor
In the junior category, Al Arabi and Qatar SC challenged Al Khor for first place, but Al Khor succeeded in coming out on top to win the cup, with Al Arabi taking second place and Qatar SC third. Fourth to tenth places were shared among Al Jaish, Al Rayyan, Al Gharafa, Al Ahli, Al Wakrah, Al Sadd and Al Shamal.
Al Ahli shines in the cadet category
Al Khor’s team deservedly won first place in the cadet category after outperforming Al Ahli, who were outstanding in this category, taking second place after fierce competition with Al Khor, while Al Gharafa came third. Al Khor’s cadets thus claimed the first-place trophy amid great joy, confirming the club’s ability to deliver the required contribution.
Award ceremony
The start of the season saw a distinguished turnout from the athletics family, led by Major General Al Hamad, federation president, and board members Abdulhakim Al Amri, technical committee chairman, Abdulrahman Al Noubi, Yousef Ahmed, the federation’s financial director, and Yaqoub Abdullah, head of the equipment committee, along with a large number of club athletics department heads led by Thabet Sorour, head of athletics at Al Rayyan Club, Talal Mansour, head of athletics at Al Sadd Club, and Mohammed Sharif Al Emadi, head of athletics at Al Ahli Club, who received the second-place trophy, alongside a large gathering of athletics fans from the various clubs.
In the individual results for the top ten in the junior category, Qatar SC’s Nooruddin Mohammed finished first, Al Arabi’s Abdullah Jamal second, Mohammed Al Attar third, Al Sadd’s Abdulrahman Ahmed fourth, Salim Jaboor Ibrahim fifth, Al Gharafa’s Abdulrahman Sami sixth, Al Khor’s Anwar Moumen seventh, Al Ahli’s Yousef Mohammed Ali eighth, Qatar SC’s Mohammed Anas ninth, and Al Arabi’s Hussein Fayez tenth.
