Nagoya (Japan), September 30 (QNA) - The Qatari duo of Rashid Nawaf and Mashari Nawaf advanced to the quarterfinals of the padel competition at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Japan.
The Qatari duo defeated Kuwait's Abdulaziz Redha and Fouad Behbehani 6-1, 6-0 in their round-of-16 match on Wednesday.
Qatar's padel team is looking to keep winning and push forward in pursuit of the top spots and a medal, amid the standout ability of Rashid and Mashari Nawaf, who are regarded as among the most prominent padel players on the Asian continent.
President of the Asian Padel Federation and Secretary-General of the Qatar Tennis, Squash, Padel and Badminton Federation Tareq Darwish Zainal said he was grateful for the victory, congratulating the players on the level they showed and the indomitable spirit they displayed throughout the contest.
Zainal congratulated the players on the triumph and thanked them for their tremendous efforts, hoping they would maintain the same obdurate determination and remain focused on the upcoming competitions.
Reaching this stage is a consequential step, Zainal said, adding that he looks forward to keeping the momentum going as they compete strongly for the gold medal and hoist Qatar's flag aloft at this Asian Games appearance.
On this occasion, Zainal extended his thanks and gratitude to HE President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani, for his support and commitment to bringing padel into the Asian Games for the first time, a historic and highly important step for the sport and its players across the Asian continent.
  He highlighted that padel's inclusion in the Asian Games represents a watershed moment and underscores the tremendous growth and expansion the sport has achieved in recent years.
The Federation are pleased with this step and aspire for this participation to serve as the beginning of bigger opportunities for padel at future Asian Games, with the sport continuing to grow and expand across countries throughout Asia, Zainal underlined.
Qatari player Rashid Nawaf said he was delighted to secure the win over Kuwait, saying the triumph was hugely important at the start of their Asian Games campaign. He emphasized that the contest was tough, but he pulled off the win and advanced to the next round.
In the volleyball competition, Qatar face a heavyweight matchup against Japan Thursday in the quarterfinals. The Qatari team secured their spot in the quarterfinals after finishing second in Pool C, recording two straight wins over Hong Kong and Vietnam before falling 3-2 to India in the final match of the pool stage.
Qatar are looking to continue their run in the tournament and advance to the semifinals, but they are aware of the tough task against a strong Japanese team playing on their home court in front of their home crowd.
The Qatari wrestling team will continue their Asian Games campaign Thursday, with wrestler Shaheen Mohammed beginning his run in the 77-kilogram Greco-Roman wrestling competition.
Shaheen will square off against Tajikistan's Alisher Rozimadov in the round of 16, looking to secure the win and keep his run going in the competition.
Qatari wrestler Aref Mohamedi competed today in the 67-kilogram Greco-Roman wrestling competition and advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Thailand's Nuttapong Hinmee 9-0 in the round of 16. In the quarterfinals, Mohamedi fell to Kyrgyzstan's Razzak Beshikiev, bringing his run in the competition to an end.
  Mohammed Al Rumaihi and Ray Bassil won the silver medal in the mixed trap event in shooting. The duo put together a standout performance, hitting 32 targets to finish second and keep Qatar firmly in the mix in shooting, which has produced several medals during the Games.
The silver won by Al Rumaihi and Bassil continued Qatar's strong run in shooting at these Games, with the team having captured four medals thus far, including two golds and two silvers.
The shooting competition at the Games will conclude Thursday with the men's 25-meter rapid-fire pistol event, in which Qatar will be represented by shooter Mohammed Nasser Al Yafei.
Qatar 1, featuring the duo of Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, also continued their strong run in the beach volleyball competition after booking their spot in the semifinals with a 2-0 win over the Iranian duo, 22-20, 21-13. Qatar 1 will face Thailand Thursday.
The Qatari delegation celebrated the medal-winning heroes of the national team who reached the podium over the past two days, recognizing their achievements at the Games.
The celebration, held at Qatar House in Nagoya, honored Qatari weightlifting champion Wissal Yakhlef and the handball team, along with Qatar's medal-winning shooters in the men's team and mixed doubles trap events. (QNA)