Qatar Clinch Overall Arab Age-Group Aquatic Championships Title

Doha, Qatar: Team Qatar swimmers delivered an outstanding show at the Fourth Arab Age-Group Aquatic Championships, securing overall honours with a 20-medal haul at the Olympic pool in Casablanca. The event, which concluded on Sunday, brought together athletes from 19 Arab countries competing in swimming, water polo, and open-water disciplines.

Qatar's swimmers collected 10 gold, four silver and six bronze medals at the four-day Championships, highlighting a historic medal haul for the country at a regional aquatics gala.

The final day saw Mohamed Mahmoud striking gold in the 200m breaststroke (2:20.24), while Adam Morsi dominated the 13-14 age group in the same discipline (2:29.24). Ali Sayed also added to Qatar's medal tally with a victory in the 100m butterfly, clocking 53.77 seconds.

Ahmed Diab, Abdullah Al Ghamry, Aziz Ismail and Hamza Shaalan then combined to deliver another commendable show to claim silver in the men's 4x100m medley relay (3:51.65).

In other individual events, Ismail, Shaalan and Al Ghamry won bronze medals in the butterfly, breaststroke, and backstroke events, respectively.

Earlier, Qatar had collected medals through Mahmoud who won the 200m individual medley (2:05.78), while Morsi won the 100m breaststroke (1:09.35), setting a new Arab record.

Sayed claimed gold in the 50m freestyle (22.65), while Diab, Al Ghamry, Ismail and Shaalan took silver in the 4x100m freestyle relay. Morsi had also won bronze in the 50m backstroke (28.48).

Qatar kicked off the medal hunt when Sayed secured back-to-back victories in the 50m butterfly and 100m freestyle. Mahmoud triumphed in the 50m breaststroke (28.53), and Morsi again shone in the 50m breaststroke (31.23), setting another Arab record on the opening day in Morocco. Shaalan and the relay quartet added two more silver medals, while Mahmoud and Al Ghamry won bronze medals, making Qatar's intentions clear right from the start of the Championships.

Qatar Swimming Federation (QSF) President Mubarak bin Ali Al-Nuaimi praised the team's achievement, saying:“I am proud to congratulate our team swimmers on securing overall Championship title with 20 medals. These accomplishments would not have been possible without your dedication in training, your commitment to team spirit, and the continuous support of the technical and administrative staff. Today, you stand as a source of pride for the State of Qatar and a shining example of Qatari sports.,"

"I assure you, the QSA will continue to fully support you and provide all the necessary resources to further develop your capabilities and talents, ensuring the Qatari flag continues to fly high at continental and international arenas,” Al-Nuaimi said.

QSF Secretary-General and Head of Mission Ibrahim Al Buainain also commended the team's achievements, stating that it's a clear indication of the development of swimming in Qatar across all age groups.

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