Qatar Padel Duo Reach Asian Games Quarterfinals in Aichi-Nagoya

Nagoya, Japan, September 30, 2026 : Qatar’s Rashid Nawaf and Mashari Nawaf advanced to the quarterfinals of the padel competition at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 after securing a commanding victory over Kuwait on Wednesday.

The Qatari pair defeated Abdulaziz Redha and Fouad Behbehani 6-1, 6-0 in their round-of-16 encounter, booking their place in the last eight.

Qatar’s padel team will now look to build on the victory and continue its pursuit of a podium finish, with the Nawaf brothers among the country’s leading players in the sport.

President of the Asian Padel Federation and Secretary-General of the Qatar Tennis, Squash, Padel and Badminton Federation Tareq Darwish Zainal congratulated the players on their performance, praising their determination and efforts throughout the match.

Zainal said reaching the quarterfinal stage represents an important step for the team and expressed hope that the players would maintain their focus and momentum in the upcoming rounds as they target a medal.

He also thanked HE President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani for his support for the inclusion of padel in the Asian Games for the first time.

Zainal described the sport’s inclusion as a significant milestone for padel across Asia, noting its rapid growth and expanding presence throughout the continent. He expressed hope that the debut at Aichi-Nagoya would pave the way for greater opportunities for the sport at future Asian Games.

Rashid Nawaf said he was pleased with the victory over Kuwait, describing the result as an important start to Qatar’s Asian Games campaign. He acknowledged the challenge of the match while expressing his determination to continue into the next round.

In volleyball, Qatar will face hosts Japan in the quarterfinals on Thursday. The Qatari team reached the last eight after finishing second in Pool C, recording victories over Hong Kong and Vietnam before losing 3-2 to India in their final group-stage match.

Qatar will seek to reach the semifinals, although it faces a strong Japanese side playing on home soil.

In wrestling, Qatar’s Shaheen Mohammed will begin his campaign in the 77kg Greco-Roman category on Thursday, facing Tajikistan’s Alisher Rozimadov in the round of 16.

Earlier, Aref Mohamedi advanced to the quarterfinals of the 67kg Greco-Roman competition after defeating Thailand’s Nuttapong Hinmee 9-0. He was subsequently beaten by Kyrgyzstan’s Razzak Beshikiev in the quarterfinals.

In shooting, Mohammed Al Rumaihi and Ray Bassil claimed silver in the mixed trap event, hitting 32 targets to finish second. The result took Qatar’s shooting medal tally at the Games to four, including two gold and two silver medals.

The shooting program will conclude Thursday with the men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol event, where Qatar will be represented by Mohammed Nasser Al Yafei.

In beach volleyball, Qatar 1, represented by Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, reached the semifinals after defeating Iran 2-0, with scores of 22-20, 21-13. The Qatari pair will face Thailand on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Qatari delegation held a ceremony at Qatar House in Nagoya to honor national athletes who secured medals during the Games.

The celebration recognized weightlifting champion Wissal Yakhlef, the national handball team, and Qatar’s medal-winning shooters in the men’s team and mixed trap events.

Source: QNA