Sport in Qatar
Qatar's sports culture combine the traditional sports of Arabia's desert society and modern western sports.
touring cars in QatarTraditional sports in Qatar include Arabian horse racing, camel racing, and falconry, which were all rooted in the country's nomadic past. Contemporary western sports such as basketball, golf, swimming, football (soccer), table tennis, and volleyball are widely played. However, football (soccer) has overwhelmingly became the most popular sport.
Football is the most popular and most played sport in Qatar. A notable football player in Qatar is Mansour Muftah. He was the top scorer in the Qatar Stars League a record four times, as well as being the top scorer for the Qatar national team (53 goals).
The 15th Asian Games, Asia's Olympic-style sporting event, was held in Doha, Qatar in the Khalifa International Stadium in December 2006. Doha was the first city in this region and only the second in West Asia (following Tehran in 1974) to host the Games. It was the first time that all 45 member nations of the Olympic Council of Asia took part in this sporting event. Eurosport broadcasted the event, marking the first time that the European continent could watch this Asian sporting event.
Below are details of sports, sporting events and sports people related to Qatar. Football is clearly the most popular sport in Qatar, and has been given a even greater boost with the country being awarded the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Popular sports of Qatar
- Football (Soccer), Cricket, Golf, Tennis, Horse Racing, basketball, swimming, table tennis, volleyball
Traditional Sports
- Arabian horse racing, camel racing, falconry
Qatar's Sporting Success
- Winners of the Football Gulf Cup twice, first in 1992 and again in 2004.
- 2nd place at the 1981 FIFA World Youth Cup.
- Saif Saaeef Shaheen won the 3,000m steeplechase at the 2003 World Athletics Championships.
- Qatar won the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.
Famous Athletes from Qatar
- Saif Saaeef Shaheen (athletics)
- Mohamed Suleiman (athletics)
- Said Saif Asaad (weightlifting).
- Andres Sebastian Soria Quintana (soccer)
- Khalfan Ibrahim Khalfan Al Khalfan (soccer)
- Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (shooting)
- Jaber Salem (weightlifting)
- Talal Mansoor (athletics)
Qatar Sports trivia
- Qatar first competed at the Olympic Games in 1984.
- There have been two Olympic medalists from Qatar, Mohamed Suleiman (3rd, 1500m in 1992) and Said Saif Asaad (3rd in weightlifting in 2000).
- Talal Mansoor made history at the 1994 Asian Games by winning three gold medals (100m, 200m and 4x400m relay).
Qatar at major events
- Qatar at the Summer Olympics
- Qatar at the FIFA World Cup
- Qatar at the AFC Asian Cup
- Qatar at the Copa América
Past sporting events hosted in Qatar
- 1988 AFC Asian Cup (soccer)
- 1995 FIFA U-20 World Cup
- 1999 Handball World Junior Championship
- 2006 Asian Games
- 2011 AFC Asian Cup (soccer)
- 2014 FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in Doha
- 2015 World Handball Championships
- 2015 Men's World Boxing Championships in Doha
- 2016 Road Cycling World Championships
- 2019 World Athletic Championships, in Doha
- 2019 World Beach Games in Doha
- 2021 FIFA Arab Cup
- 2022 FIFA World Cup
- 2023 World Judo Championships
- 2023 AFC Asian Cup
- 2024 World Aquatics Championships, Doha
Upcoming sporting events in Qatar
- 2025 World Table Tennis Championships in Doha
- 2030 Asian Games in Doha
Annual sporting events held in Qatar
- Qatar Masters Golf Tournament, played at the Doha Golf Club in Doha.
- Qatar Open tennis tournament, Doha.
- Moto GP
- Superbikes
Sporting Facilities in Qatar
- ASPIRE Academy
- Al-Ahly Stadium
- Khalifa International Stadium, Doha
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