Within the framework of the continuous support provided by the Ministry of Sports and Youth to the sports sector in the country, the Qatar Sports for All Federation contributed to supporting the national Padball team. The Ministry also seeks to open new and diverse fields in the sports game in the State of Qatar and abroad.

In the same context, last October, a contract was signed between the Qatar Sports for All Federation, which is one of the main branches whose work is organized under the umbrella of the Ministry of Sports and Youth, a contract to sponsor and support the Qatari team participating in the World Padball Championship, which will be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 2023, during The period from the eighth to the twelfth of November, in cooperation with Variety Sport.

First national team

The contract was also held at the Lusail Sports Hall, in the presence of Mr. Abdullah Al-Dosari, Director of Events and Activities at the Qatar Sports for All Federation, and Captain Fahd Younis Ahmed, the goalkeeper of the Al Rayyan team, who is the founder of the game of Padball in Qatar, representing Variety Sports.

The aim of this contract is to open the way for Qatari youth to practice this new game inside Qatar, which qualifies them to participate in local and foreign tournaments.

Al-Dosari also explained that this team will be the first national team to participate in an official foreign tournament, with the support of the Ministry of Sports and Youth and the Qatar Sports for All Federation. The Director of Events and Activities at the Qatar Sports for All Federation confirmed that the Ministry of Sports and Youth and the Federation are keen to provide all means of success for Qatari youth to practice various sporting activities, and to give them the opportunity to participate, and even to shine, and to reap achievements, so that the journey of Qatari sports continues to achieve successes. In all sporting forums and tournaments, at various levels.

Captain Fahd Younis explained that the Qatari team was formed with four players: Hamed Al-Ahbabi, Mubarak Al-Muhaiza, Nasib Al-Abdullah, and Ahmed Aoun, two of whom are starters and two are reserves. The captain pointed out that the number of teams participating in the World Championship is eighteen teams, which are divided into three groups, with six teams for each group, of which the first, second, and third best qualify. He stressed that the Qatari team seeks to provide a good level and work to honor Qatari sports. He raised her name high and added, “We have great hope of surpassing the group stage, and we also have great confidence in the capabilities of our Qatari youth, who will do their best to achieve the best results, and they have the potential, determination and determination, and are qualified to make their World Cup participation a success, under the leadership of the able Argentine coach Gonzalo.”

Captain Hamed Al Ahbabi, player of the Qatari team participating in the World Championship, said: The team underwent a distinguished training period under the leadership of Argentine coach Gonzalo, who is considered the best Padball player in the world, and we benefited greatly from his capabilities, abilities, and experience, as he supervised our training for a period. Three full months, and for our part, we are determined to give our best in the World Championship, which will contribute to the further spread and development of the game of Padball in Qatar. It is worth noting that, at the beginning of this year, the Qatari Padball team won first place in the Gulf Championship, which was held in the United Arab Emirates.

Hopes and ambitions see the light

On the journey of ambition we always arrive, and this is what actually happened with the national Padball team, as it reached the quarterfinals in the World Championship in Brazil 2023 and secured a seat among the top eight in Padball.

It concluded the day before yesterday in Sao Paulo with the participation of eighteen teams from various countries of the world, as the participation of our Qatari team in the World Cup in Brazil this year came after the Qatari Padball team achieved its journey in foreign participation, by winning the title, in the first Gulf Championship, which was held at the beginning of This year, in the United Arab Emirates.

The tournament recorded a wonderful journey for the Qatari team, which participated with an elite group of four distinguished players. Two days before the start of the tournament, they participated in a friendly match against the Kuwaiti team. The Qatari team reached the quarterfinals of the tournament, within the second group, which included France. Argentina, Portugal, Ecuador, and Paraguay, and our Qatari team was able to overcome the competitions of this difficult group and reach the quarterfinals, among the best eight teams in the 2023 World Cup, which in turn motivated the team.

The quarter-finals also witnessed a collision between the Qatari team and its strong Spanish counterpart, as our team lost the match for promotion to the semi-finals, by losing to the holder of the title of all previous tournaments, after a strong and difficult confrontation, which resulted in the Spanish victory, after ending the first half in its favor 6/ 2, and proceeded to confirm its superiority at the beginning of the second half, and advanced with a score of 4/2, but our team was able to turn the score of the half 5/4 in its favor, thanks to the insistence and determination of its players, but in the end, the last word came from the experience of the Spanish team, which enabled it. From returning to the match, and adjusting the result, the second half ended in his favor 7/5, ending the match in his favor with two halves to nothing.

The first-round matches, within the second group competitions, ended with our Qatari team qualifying for the quarter-finals, as the best of the three, accompanied by Portugal, which advanced first without defeat, and Argentina came in second place. The Qatari team also presented a distinguished performance through which it was able to achieve three Victories, over France in two 0-0 games, 6/2 and 6/2, while losing the second match to Portugal 4/6 and 6/1, and then the team returned to victories in the third match, with an easy victory over Ecuador 6/1 and 6/1, and the Qatari team continued, his successful run in the fourth match, he scored a clear victory over Paraguay 6/0 and 6/0, which led him to enter the last and difficult match, against Argentina, with the aim of achieving victory and ensuring qualification through second place in the group. The confrontation witnessed a strong debate between the two teams, and it extended for three rounds, where Argentine won the first half 6/2, and our team was able to adjust the score, ending the second half in its favor 6/2, which guaranteed us qualification to the quarterfinals, as the best of three. In the third half, the Argentine team regained its superiority and achieved victory with a score of 6/2.