Doha, November 07 (QNA) - Morocco's Reda El Hali surged to the top of the men's individual leaderboard Saturday, firing a five-under-par round as the State of Qatar made its hosting debut at the 45th Arab Men's and 17th Arab Women's Golf Championships in Doha. 
The tournament, which runs through Tuesday at Doha Golf Club, features 72 golfers representing 14 countries, with national teams battling for individual and team titles.
The State of Qatar's debut as host marks a substantial addition to its record of staging major international golf tournaments, while the competition is showcasing the phenomenal progress the sport has made across the Arab region.
The men's field features 51 players representing 14 countries, while 21 female golfers from nine countries are competing for the individual and team crowns. The participating national teams are seeking to deliver their best performances and demonstrate how substantially the standard of Arab golf has developed.
El Hali leads the men's individual standings by far, at five strokes under par. The Moroccan golfer is two strokes clear of the UAE's Jonathan Selvaraj, who sits in second place at three under par. Morocco's Hugo Mazen Trommetter and Mohamed Bouhamou share third place with Bahrain's Khalifa Al Marisi, with all three carding one under par.
For the State of Qatar, Ali Abdullah Al Shahrani and Saleh Ali Al Kaabi share seventh place at one over par. Daniel Sokolov is 10th at two over par, while Fahad Mir stands 24th at six over par.
In the women's individual competition, the UAE's Intissar Rich and Lara Al Shuaib share the lead with Morocco's Rim Imni, with all three recording three-under-par rounds. The State of Qatar's Nada Mir is 15th at 14 over par, while Mouza Al Thani is 16th at 16 over par.
In the men's team competition, Morocco tops the standings with a combined 209 strokes, seven under par. The UAE is second with 214 strokes, two under par, while the State of Qatar occupies third place with 220 strokes, four over par. Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are fourth and fifth, respectively.
The UAE also leads the women's team competition at six under par, followed by Morocco at two under par. Tunisia is third at 10 over par, Egypt fourth at 16 over par, and the State of Qatar fifth at 30 over par.
Mohammed Faisal Al Nuaimi said the race for the titles is expected to become quite exciting, given how closely matched the competitors are. He noted that the performance levels are as close as they could be, making it difficult to predict the eventual winners. He also suggested that the final round could produce surprises and a tremendous battle among the leading stars of Arab golf.
For his part, Mike Choueiri, technical director at the Qatar Golf Association, said in press statements that the opening day featured strong competition in both the individual and team events, with Moroccan players conspicuously dominating the men's competition from the outset.
He said the initial indicators suggest that the technical levels of the participants are incredibly close, raising the prospect of surprises on the final day.
Choueiri said he was pleased that the State of Qatar was hosting the championship for the first time in its history, describing the event as a consequential addition to the State's record of staging major international golf tournaments and a sign of growing confidence in its organizational capabilities. 
He added that the hosting debut could help build further momentum for golf in the country down the road. (QNA)