Doha: Qatar's athletics team is set to compete in the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games in Japan, scheduled from September 19 to October 4. A contingent of 16 Qatari athletes will participate in five field events and six track events, with aspirations to secure numerous medals.
According to Qatar News Agency, the national team features prominent athletes such as Mutaz Barshim, Abderrahman Samba, and Ashraf Elseify, who have achieved success at the Olympic, world, continental, and regional levels. Zakaria Ibrahim, Abderrahman Ibrahim, Moaaz Ibrahim, and others will also aim to continue Qatar's sporting achievements in Japan.
The athletics competitions will occur from September 24 to 29 at the Nagoya track and field venue, with events scheduled for both morning and evening sessions. Qatari athletes will face challenges in field events like discus throw, hammer throw, high jump, shot put, and pole vault, given their capabilities and previous records. The track events, including the 400m hurdles, 400m, 800m, 1,500m, and 3,000m steeplechase, along with the mixed relay and 4x400m relay, are expected to be intensely competitive.
The national team has completed its preparations for the Games, with final confirmation of entries to occur at the technical meeting before the start of the athletics competitions. Among the highlights is Olympic and world champion Mutaz Barshim, seeking his fourth Asian Games medal in the high jump, following his previous successes at Guangzhou 2010, Incheon 2014, and Hangzhou 2022.
Barshim's achievements include being the first high jumper to win four consecutive Olympic Games medals, with gold at Tokyo 2020, silver at London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016, and bronze at Paris 2024.
Athletics at the Asian Games provides 66 medals each for men's and women's events. Qatar aims to maximize its medal haul at this edition, particularly as a precursor to the 21st Asian Games in Doha 2030. The event will also offer valuable experience to promising athletes competing in Japan.
Medals at the Asian Games hold significant sporting and symbolic importance, with medalists retaining their champion status for four years. This motivates athletes to compete at their best, aiming to defend their titles in future editions.
The Qatar Athletics Federation has prepared the national team to perform at a high level and vie for medals, reinforcing Qatar's reputation as a leading title contender, as seen in previous editions of the Games.
The Qatari delegation places significant hopes on athletics to boost its overall medal tally, continuing the trend seen at previous editions, most recently Hangzhou 2022 in China. Athletics remains a key contributor to Qatar's sporting success, highlighted by the number of medals won and the participation in track and field events, making it a source of national pride.
