Doha, May 12 (QNA) - Qatar opened its swimming campaign at the Gulf Games Doha 2026 with a strong haul of five medals, three golds and two silvers, on the first day of competition.

Qatar's Saad Al Din Sami set a new Gulf record to win the 800m freestyle gold in 7:57.54, while Mohamed Mahmoud claimed gold in the 200m individual medley with another record time of 2:03.02. Emil Fawzi added a third gold in the 200m butterfly, also in a new Gulf record.

Silver medals came through Ali Tamer in the 50m freestyle and Abdullah Al Ghamdi in the 100m backstroke.

 President of the Qatar Swimming Association (QSA) Mubarak Ali Al Nuaimi praised the strong start, saying the results reflect intensive preparation and expressed hope that Qatar's swimmers will continue their medal-winning momentum in the coming days of competition. (QNA)