Qatar marked a strong start to its participation in the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, held in Japan, with notable performances across several sports disciplines on Sunday.

In karate, Abdulrahman Mustafa secured Qatar’s first medal of the Games by winning silver in the men’s under-60kg category. Mustafa advanced through the rounds with decisive victories over opponents from Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Malaysia, before falling to Kuwait’s Abdullah Shaaban in the final by an 8-0 score. Reflecting on his achievement, Mustafa expressed pride in representing Qatar and dedicated his medal to his family, coach, and the Qatar Karate Federation. He is considered a promising figure within Qatar’s karate program, having previously claimed gold at the 24th Asian Karate Championships in the under-21 category. The country’s karate campaign continues with Yaman Ashraf and Abdullah Rashad set to compete in the under-67kg and under-84kg categories respectively.

In swimming, Ali Tamer broke his national record in the men’s 100-meter freestyle, finishing second in his heat with a time of 48.65 seconds and ultimately placing seventh in the final, slightly improving to 48.63 seconds. Tamer will also join a six-member relay team, including Mohamed Mahmoud, Saad El-Din, Emile Mounir Fouzi, Abdullah Al Ghamri, and Mohamed Aziz Jilani, for the 4x200-meter freestyle event.

Qatar’s handball team launched its campaign with a dominant 40-17 victory over Hong Kong in Group A. After a closely contested start with the score tied at 3-3, Qatar took control and led 19-8 at halftime, then extended their advantage to a 23-goal winning margin. The team will face China next, followed by Japan in their final group match. Qatar aims to secure a fourth consecutive Asian Games gold, having won the title in 2014, 2018, and 2022.

Shooter Retaj Al Yafei recorded a personal best score of 620.8 points in the women’s air rifle competition, finishing 39th overall. Her teammate Maha Al Ali finished 51st. The shooting program continues with participation in men’s individual and team air rifle events and skeet shooting, building on Qatar’s strong performance at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou, where the team earned three medals.

Qatar’s table tennis teams faced setbacks, with the men's team losing 3-0 to China and scheduled to play Macau next. The women’s team suffered consecutive 3-0 defeats against Thailand and Lebanon.

In beach volleyball, Qatar’s defending men’s champions Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan commenced their title defense against the Philippines in Group A, which also includes Oman. A second Qatari pair, Mousa Al Khair and Mohamed Ihab, started their campaign facing South Korea in Group D. In the women’s event, Qatar 1 (Haya Ashraf and Laila Mohamed) lost in straight sets to host nation Japan, while Qatar 2 prepares to face Thailand.

Qatar’s men’s 3x3 basketball team kicks off competition on Monday against Indonesia and Chinese Taipei, aiming to surpass their silver medal finish at the 2022 Asian Games. The squad includes Mohammed Hashim, Hamad Yassin, Nizar Mahmoud, and Mubarak Jama.

Finally, Qatar’s gymnastics team will begin its events on Monday with Rakan Al Harith and Mehrdad Ghadimi competing in the men’s individual all-around qualifiers at Nippon Gaishi Hall in Nagoya. Both athletes completed intensive training in Armenia ahead of the Games.

Qatar’s diverse delegation, now actively engaged across multiple sports, seeks to build on its previous successes and enhance its standing at the 2026 Asian Games.