After Al Khor’s surprise in the cross-country championship for the cadets and juniors category, the first championship of the Qatar Athletics Federation’s 2015-2016 season, Al Wakrah club turned the balance of power in athletics on its head and managed to snatch the men’s cross-country title, taking first place in the championship and claiming the title amid great joy from the Qatar athletics family – not because the title moved away from Al Sadd or because Al Rayyan and Al Gharafa slipped, but because of the intensity of the competition, which points to a healthy competitive phenomenon that will benefit Qatar athletics this season. The championship, held at the Eastern Park of the Aspire Academy for Sports Excellence with all ten clubs of the Qatar Athletics Federation taking part, saw strong and exciting competition among the stars at both team and individual level
Al Sadd finished runner-up in the championship, while Al Rayyan came third, Al Gharafa fourth, Al Jaish fifth, followed by Qatar SC and Al Ahli, then Al Arabi, with Al Khor in the last place in the competition.
Al Wakrah’s stars scored 46 points, Al Sadd 53 points, Al Rayyan 55 points, Al Gharafa 58 points, Al Jaish 59 points, Qatar SC 85 points, Al Ahli 93 points, Al Arabi 128 points, then Al Khor with 132 points. The competition produced a very narrow margin among the top five places, confirming the principle of strong rivalry and the strength of the season’s opening championships for the Qatar Athletics Federation in the men’s category.
A sporting celebration at the crowning ceremony
Great joy spread through Al Wakrah athletics among players, technical staff and coaches following the medal ceremony, where Al Wakrah’s champions received the championship trophy from Mohammed Ahmed Suleiman, assistant secretary of the Qatar Athletics Federation, who crowned the champions, while the crowning ceremonies for Al Sadd and Al Rayyan were attended by a group of Qatar Athletics Federation officials, namely Abdulhakim Al Omari, head of the technical committee, Khalifa Abdulmalik, the federation’s executive director, and Thabet Sorour, head of the athletics department at Al Rayyan club. The championship also saw participation in the medal ceremony from brothers at the Bahrain Athletics Federation, represented by Badr Nasser, board member and head of the technical committee at the Bahrain Athletics Federation, and Mr Eid Alian, secretary-general of the Yemeni Athletics Federation, who all took part in crowning Al Sadd with second place and the silver medals and Al Rayyan with third place and the bronze medals, in a display of joy at the success of the season’s first championship in terms of competition and the return of a new champion to the podium in athletics, namely Al Wakrah club.
Mike wins the individual award
In the men’s individual event at the championship, Al Jaish runner Mike Kibreto was crowned in first place, Al Rayyan’s Yagi Rivas came second, Alex Kibet third, then Al Rayyan’s Elo Nimr fourth, Al Ahli’s Burhan Bama fifth, Al Wakrah’s Abdi Ibrahim sixth, Al Sadd’s Henry Kiplagat seventh, Al Arabi’s Collins eighth, Al Wakrah’s Evans John ninth, and Qatar SC’s Yasuma Shoji tenth
The men’s and women’s cross-country championship also saw a notable participation by our national teams’ female champions, who took part in the start of the season and achieved a positive showing, and were honoured with medals
