Doha, September 14 (QNA) - Preparations are underway for the Qatar Equestrian Federation (QEF) to participate in the equestrian competitions at the 20th Asian Games, Aichi-Nagoya 2026, scheduled to take place in Japan from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4, with a collection of homegrown Qatari riders taking part in show jumping, dressage and eventing.

The team's holy grail is to achieve phenomenal feats that demonstrate QEF's evolving development and ultimately strengthen its presence at continental and international venues.

Qatar will compete in three main equestrian disciplines - dressage, eventing and show jumping -with four riders in each discipline, while the overall number of participating horses is 10. The horses have been selected and prepared to meet the demands and technical level of the contests.

The Qatari participation comes as part of the ongoing preparations for the national teams, with the QEF having worked to prepare the riders and horses in accordance with a comprehensive preparation program, with the aim of arriving at the competitions in the best technical and physical condition and benefiting from the accumulated experience of the Qatari riders through their continental and international appearances.

The Qatari delegation in the equestrian competitions includes more than 10 riders distributed across the three teams, after undergoing intensive preparations during the past period, including training camps that extended throughout the summer and focused on improving their technical and physical readiness and helping them adapt to the atmosphere and demands of competition in preparation for the much-anticipated Asian event.

Sheikh Ali bin Khalid Al-Thani, Sheikh Fahad bin Jassim Al-Thani, Faleh Suwaid Al Ajmi and Bassem Mohammed will lead the show-jumping team, while Jassim Jham Al Kuwari and Saoud Ahmed Al Buainain will represent Qatar in dressage.

  The eventing team comprises Mohammed Jaber Al Nuaimi, Abdulaziz Ahmed Al Muhannadi, Mohammed Salem Al Marri and Mohammed Nasser Al Qadi. The riders will compete in an event that combines dressage, cross-country and jumping, requiring comprehensive technical and physical readiness and a high level of concentration throughout the competition.

The equestrian competitions begin Sept. 21 with the team and individual dressage competitions in eventing, followed the next day by cross-country, before eventing concludes Sept. 23 with the team and individual jumping competitions.

The dressage competition enters its decisive stage Sept. 25 with the team final and individual qualification, with the individual competition continuing Sept. 26-27.

Qatari fans will turn their attention to the show-jumping competition, with the team competition beginning Oct. 1, followed by the individual competition Oct. 3-4, making equestrian sport one of the disciplines to conclude the Asian Games competition schedule.

Qatar's participation in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games comes after a lengthy preparation period, during which the riders sought to benefit from the summer training camps, improve their technical and physical readiness and arrive at the competition in the best possible state of preparedness, amid an expected field featuring some of the continent's top riders.

Qatari equestrian sport is looking, through its participation in the three disciplines, to compete strongly at both the team and individual levels and achieve results that reflect the development the sport has witnessed in Qatar in recent years, particularly in light of the international experience possessed by several of the participating riders and their ability to handle major competitions, alongside the administrative and technical support that accompanies the teams throughout their participation.

  Qatar's participation in the equestrian competitions reflects the level of attention the sport receives, with Qatar boasting a pool of experienced riders with international appearances, alongside early preparations for the event through training camps that extended throughout the summer.

The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games represent an important milestone for Qatar's riders to test their abilities against a select group of competitors at the Asian level. They also provide an opportunity to enhance their experience and gain exposure to advanced technical levels, helping further develop Qatari equestrian sport and prepare for upcoming events. 

President of the Qatar Equestrian and Modern Pentathlon Federation, Badr bin Mohammed Al Darwish, stressed the importance of this participation, noting that QEF has worked to provide the best possible preparation conditions for the participating riders so they can perform at a level befitting the standing of Qatari equestrian sport.

Al Darwish said he is glad to have reached this stage of preparations, assuring that he remains confident in the abilities of homegrown riders and the experience and capabilities they possess, positioning them to deliver strong performances that meet ambitions.

The riders on the three national teams went through a thoroughgoing preparation program during the summer, including training camps focused on helping the team remain focused on the physical and technical aspects, Al Darwish clarified.

He noted that this has been done in lockstep with the technical and administrative staff, as QEF has held that providing the riders with everything they need to prepare in the best possible way for the competitions is a top priority.

Al Darwish further explained that this participation underscores the breadth of Qatar's equestrian base and the thriving of a distinguished collection of homegrown riders.

QEF looks forward to seeing them turn their lengthy preparation into strong performances and positive results, Al Darwish underlined, while recognizing that competitions will be intense, with some of the continent's top riders taking part.

Al Darwish wished Qatar's riders success at these Games and hoped that they pull off representing their country in the best possible way and hoisting Qatar's flag aloft at this major sporting event.

  Lastly, Al Darwish emphasized that an all-hands-on-deck approach is crucial among the riders as well as coaching and administrative staff to achieve the intended goals, stating that he hoped to see a participation that will usher in a new chapter in the feats that homegrown riders have recorded on the Asian and global stages.

In essence, this kind of sport has an incredible place within Qatar's sporting landscape, amid continued development in rider preparation and horse development, as well as regular participation in international and continental competitions, culminating in promoting Qatar's profile across a wide diversity of equestrian competitions in recent years.

Overall, Qatar's participation features a large delegation of 243 athletes contending in 26 sports and 32 disciplines, demonstrating the broad scope of its participation in this major continental event. (QNA)