Nagoya, Japan, September 26 (QNA) - The Qatar handball team advanced to the semifinals of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games after defeating Iran 31-25 on Saturday in the quarterfinals.

Qatar will face South Korea in the semifinals on Sunday after the South Korean team also advanced at the expense of China.

The opening minutes were evenly contested between the two teams, with Iran gaining their first two-goal advantage in the 13th minute after taking a 6-4 lead.

Qatar then regained their balance and cut the deficit to one goal at 7-6, but Iran regained the upper hand and extended their lead to 9-6. In the closing minutes of the first half, Qatar showed a strong response and cut the deficit to two goals at 13-11 before continuing to apply pressure in the final moments.

Iran ultimately took a one-goal lead into halftime, 14-13.

Qatar quickly pulled level at 14-14 at the start of the second half, and the intensity continued, with neither team able to establish a clear advantage. The score remained tied at 23-23 midway through the half.

With 20 minutes gone, Qatar took their first two-goal lead of the game at 26-24 before extending it to 27-24. Qatar then confirmed their superiority, stretching the lead to six goals and sealing the 31-25 triumph.

Adel Al Anzi, a member of the Qatar Handball Federation's board of directors and head of the national team's delegation at the Games, said the match against Iran was tough, expressing his gratitude to the players for their success in gaining the upper hand and advancing to the semifinals.

Al Anzi added that squaring off against South Korea will not be easy, stressing that each round is more difficult than the previous one. At the same time, he expressed strong confidence in the players and their ability to continue delivering performances befitting the national team and achieving the desired results.

In athletics, world and Olympic champion Mutaz Barshim will compete in the high jump final Sunday, looking to add another medal to his already incredible record at the Games.

Barshim has won three Asian Games gold medals, taking gold in Guangzhou, China, in 2010 and Incheon, South Korea, in 2014. He missed the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta because of injury before returning to win gold in Hangzhou, China, in 2022.

Barshim will enter Sunday’s final facing a major challenge and stiff competition from the other athletes, but he has the experience and ability to handle the challenge ahead, with hopes of continuing his strong form and hoisting the Qatar flag aloft at this continental showcase.

Qatar's Abderrahman Samba and Bassem Hemeida will also compete in the men's 400-meter hurdles, with both looking to advance to the final.

Qatari hurdler Omar Dawoud had already advanced to the final of the 110-meter hurdles, which was held Saturday.

Dawoud delivered a phenomenal performance in the heats, posting a time of 13.63 seconds to finish second in his heat despite the stiff competition and the rain under which he competed. He thus secured his spot in Sunday’s final.

Dawoud is looking to maintain his strong showing and compete for a medal despite the strength and difficulty of the race. He remains among the leading contenders in the 110-meter hurdles final and hopes to challenge for a medal and hoist the Qatar flag at the Games.

Qatar's Ibrahim Abbas and Mohamed Waheed also advanced to the 1,500-meter final in athletics. Abbas topped his heat with a time of 3:45.54, confirming his place in the final and raising hopes of a medal challenge. Waheed also delivered a strong performance, completing the race in 3:45.83 to finish fourth in his heat and secure his place in the final.

Qatar's Ahmed Jebrin finished sixth in Saturday’s shot-put final. Jebrin produced a solid performance in a closely contested final and recorded a throw of 19.00 meters to finish sixth overall.

In the 400-meter final, promising Qatari runner Ammar Ibrahim finished fourth after clocking 45.35 seconds. Ammar had advanced to the final after finishing second in the heats with a time of 45.31 seconds.

Qatar's beach volleyball team Qatar 1, made up of Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, will face Oman Sunday in a key Group A matchup.

Qatar opened their campaign with a deserved triumph over the Philippines, collecting their first points and strengthening their position in the race for the top spot in the group.

They now face Oman, one of the group's leading contenders, making Sunday’s matchup an all the more high-stakes test for the Qatari duo.

Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan are looking to maintain their strong form and claim another victory that would give Qatar an important boost in their Asian Games campaign.

Qatar's beach volleyball team Qatar 2, made up of Mohammed Ehab and Mousa Alkhair, ended their group-stage campaign with a straight-sets loss to Thailand in their final Group D match.

Despite the loss, Qatar finished second in the group after winning two matches and losing one. They finished as runners-up to Thailand, which topped the group, with both teams advancing to the round of 16. Qatar 2 now look to continue their campaign strongly in the knockout stages.

Qatar's men's volleyball team will begin their Asian Games campaign Sunday against Hong Kong, China, in the opening Group C match.

  Qatar are in Group C alongside India, Vietnam and Hong Kong, China. The players recognize the importance of the opening match, particularly because a victory at the outset could have a significant impact on the group's standings and set the tone for the three successive tests facing the team as they pursue their ambitions in the competition.

Qatar held their first training session Saturday amid a positive atmosphere and high energy among the players.

During the session, the coaching staff focused on putting the finishing touches on the game plan for Hong Kong, while also settling on the lineup and personnel. (QNA)