Qatar finish second in athletics at the Gulf Games in Bahrain

Qatar’s national athletics team finished second at the athletics competition of the first GCC Sports Games, held in Bahrain from 10 to 22 October, in which Qatar’s athletics team won 5 gold medals and 5 silver medals, while Kuwait, who took first place, collected 8 gold medals, 4 silver medals and (3) bronze, while third place went to Oman after its athletes collected (4) gold medals and (2) silver medals. The athletics delegation was headed by Mr Khalifa Yousuf Abdulmalik, the federation’s executive director, with Mr Saleh Mohammed as administrator, while Qatar’s team took part in this championship with (15) athletes, the best result coming from runner Abubaker Ali Kamal, who won two gold medals, the first in the 1500m in 3:37.38  minutes, and the second in the 3000m. steeplechase in 8:50.40  minutes. Runner Femi Seun also won the gold medal in the 200m in 20.55  seconds, while Mutaz Essa Barshim comfortably claimed the high jump gold with a height of 2.16 m, and the fifth gold went to Mabrouk Saleh in the 10,000 m race walk in 46:05.13  minutes. As for the silver medallists, they were runner Femi Seun in the 100 m in 10.25 seconds, runner Hassan Aman Salmeen in the 400 m in 47.6 seconds, and runner Mohammed Al Karni in the 1500 m in 3:37.50 minutes, while in the 4×400 m the Qatari team took the fifth silver medal in 3:07.80 minutes, just one hundredth of a second behind Oman’s team, who claimed the relay gold in 3:07.79 minutes.

Head of delegation: our athletics team did what was required of them

HE Sheikh Saud bin Ali Al Thani said Qatar’s athletics team had performed as expected in the first edition of the Gulf Games, living up to expectations after winning several medals for Qatar at the Games, exactly as anticipated. He added that he believed Femi’s participation in the 200m had affected him considerably in the 4x400m relay, which was why the team settled for silver, but added that fate had decided otherwise and that none of the players had fallen short, thanking them for their effort and for this achievement that did honour to Qatari sport. The head of the delegation also praised the Qatari press’s coverage of the Gulf Games, saying it was always present at major events, and thanked them for their efforts.

Khalifa Abdulmalik, the federation’s executive director: we achieved our goal from taking part

Khalifa Abdulmalik, head of the athletics delegation and the federation’s executive director, said the team’s participation in the Games had achieved its intended goal, noting that the team had fielded 16 athletes, nine of them juniors, which was exactly the aim: giving these players the chance to gain experience and good competitive exposure, in addition to winning several medals, which was natural despite the strength of the competition. Abdulmalik thanked officials at the Olympic committee, all officials at the Qatar federation, and all of Qatar’s players for the effort they had put into the Games.

 The following are the results of Qatar’s national athletics team at the athletics championship of the first GCC Sports Games – Bahrain

Standings of the countries at the athletics championship of the first GCC Sports Games – Bahrain