Qatar’s youth team second at GCC youth championship in Kuwait

The Qatari youth national athletics team took part in the GCC Championship, held from 4-6 April on the Ahmad Al Rashdan track in Kuwait, which saw an opening ceremony attended by the tournament’s patron Sheikh Dr Talal Al Fahad, who announced the start of the tournament in the presence of the heads and members of the Gulf delegations, and the president and board members of the Kuwait Athletics Federation, along with Mr Hamad Matar, representative of the National Telecommunications Company, which sponsors the Kuwait Athletics Federation. The opening ceremony was marked by an expressive simplicity reflecting Kuwait’s joy and happiness at hosting the tournament and its keenness to excel in organisation and in achieving results, as the parade of participating Gulf countries entered led by their flags and a number of their athletes, followed by the parade of officials, and everyone stood facing the main stand. The ceremony presented a civilised face of Kuwait, which welcomes friends and brothers. Words of admiration were the prevailing mood on everyone’s faces after they eagerly followed the opening ceremony’s events, beginning with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran after the participants entered in organised parades in front of the main podium, followed by a speech from the Vice President of the Kuwait Athletics Federation and Head of the Organising Committee, Mohammed Khalfan, who welcomed the Gulf delegations to their second home, Kuwait, land of love and peace. 
 
Khalfan said that the participation of the brotherly nations in this tournament is a practical sign and confirmation of Gulf unity and an embodiment of the spirit of love and brotherhood that binds us all, pointing to the great interest shown in athletics by all the countries. 
 
Talal Al Fahad welcomes the guests
Al Fahad, the tournament’s patron, expressed his great happiness at Kuwait hosting this Gulf gathering, saying: today we are happy with this Gulf celebration and with the presence of our brothers from the GCC countries in their second home, Kuwait, to take part in the 13th Gulf Athletics Championship, whose primary aim is to bring together and connect the brothers of the GCC countries and to establish principles of brotherhood and love before the honourable competition for gold, silver and bronze medals, which is a legitimate right.

Al Fahad added: the presence of our Gulf brothers in Kuwait is in itself a success for the tournament even before it begins, and I expect the tournament to see great competition given the presence of many outstanding athletes at the Gulf, Arab and Asian level, and given the development of the sport in most Gulf countries as a result of great effort and work by the federations, technical and administrative staff and the athletes — without everyone’s combined efforts the sport would not have reached this wonderful technical level and achieved so many results at every level.

 
Adel Al Baker: our champions did not fall short 
Separately, Mr Adel Al Baker – head of the Qatari delegation and member of the GCC Athletics Organising Committee – Secretary General of the Qatar Athletics Federation, commented on our national youth team’s results at the tournament, affirming that our promising stars did not fall short in performing their duty and made a commendable effort during the competitions, achieving wonderful results at the tournament by winning (14) medals, comprising (4) gold, (6) silver and (4) bronze medals, and setting a new Qatari record in the hammer throw, set by Ashraf Amjad Mohammed with a distance of (67.79) m, a mark that qualified Ashraf to take part in the World Athletics Championships in Barcelona, Spain. Al Baker wished our players success and even better results in upcoming tournaments. Separately, Mr Al Baker attended the meeting of the Organising Committee held on the sidelines of the tournament, representing the State of Qatar, and the meeting resulted in a number of recommendations relating to Gulf athletics 

Essa Al Harami: the tournament is one of the qualifying stages for the World Championships in Spain, July 2012
Essa Abdullah Al Harami – member of the Technical Committee of the GCC Athletics Organising Committee – Assistant Secretary General of the Qatar Athletics Federation, expressed his thanks and appreciation to our brothers in Kuwait for hosting the tournament and for the wonderful effort they made, and for the warmth of the reception and hospitality, affirming that Qatar’s youth put in an outstanding effort and achieved good results and rose to the responsibility placed on their shoulders, pointing out that this tournament is one of the qualifying stages for participation in the World Championships, and hoping they achieve even better results in upcoming events, including the World Athletics Championships in Spain in July 2012. Mr Essa Al Harami also attended the meeting of the Technical Committee held on the sidelines of the tournament, representing the State of Qatar, and the meeting resulted in a number of recommendations that were submitted to the Organising Committee for discussion and for it to take whatever action it deems appropriate to develop
Gulf athletics. Below are the results of the Qatari youth national team’s athletes at the GCC Championship in Kuwait 2012

Results of the Qatari youth national team’s athletes at the GCC Championship

in Kuwait 2012  

 Country standings at the GCC youth championship in Kuwait 2012