Doha, November 06 (QNA) - The 45th edition of the Arab Men's and Women's Golf Championship opened on Friday, bringing together 72 players from 14 countries. Organized by the Qatar Golf Association, the championship's official competition begins Saturday and concludes next Tuesday.

The opening ceremony was attended by Arab Golf Federation Vice President Adel Al Fayyad, Qatar Golf Association President Hamad Abdullah Al Mannai and the Association's Secretary-General Fahad Al Nuaimi, alongside heads of participating federations and delegations.

The ceremony featured a parade of participating teams, reflecting the spirit of camaraderie among the Arab delegations. Speeches by representatives of the Arab and Qatar golf federations followed, highlighting the championship's importance as a major event on the Arab golf calendar and its role in strengthening ties among federations, raising playing standards and broadening participation in the sport across the region.

In his address, Al Nuaimi welcomed the delegations, wishing them a pleasant stay in Qatar and success in delivering strong performances. He expressed Qatar's pride in hosting the long-established championship for the first time.

He noted that the championship's inaugural edition was held in Lebanon in 1975 and that, over the decades, it had become an important platform for leading Arab golfers to compete. He expressed hope that the current edition would achieve its intended success.

For his part, Al Fayyad described the championship as an important regional competition, featuring some of the best Arab golfers and providing a sporting forum that fosters closer ties and communication among young people across the Arab world.

He welcomed Qatar's hosting of this edition, praising the country's resources, infrastructure and organizational expertise, which equip it to host major sporting championships.

Following the speeches, Al Mannai declared the championship open, wishing all participants strong competition and outstanding results that reflect the development of golf across Arab countries.

The men's competition features 51 players from 14 countries, while 21 players from nine countries will contest the women's event. Participants will compete for the individual and team titles.

The Qatar national team has completed its preparations with training sessions at Doha Golf Club, aiming to deliver strong performances and achieve positive results. (QNA)