Doha, September 08 (QNA) - The Qatar Tennis, Squash, Padel and Badminton Federation announced Qatar's participation with distinguished athletes in the squash and padel competitions at the 20th Asian Games, Aichi-Nagoya 2026, scheduled to take place in Japan from September 19 to October 4, with high hopes of competing for medals and strengthening Qatar’s sporting presence on the continental stage.

Qatar’s participation in this edition is particularly significant, as padel makes its official debut at the Asian Games. The Qatari national team will be aiming to compete strongly for the top places, building on the remarkable progress it has made in recent years and the impressive results it has achieved in several regional, continental and international tournaments.

In the squash competitions, the Qatari national team will also be aiming to compete for gold medals in both the individual and team events, drawing on its players’ experience gained through Asian and international tournaments.

The Qatar Tennis, Squash, Padel and Badminton Federation, chaired by HE Nasser Al Khelaifi, said in a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA) that the squash delegation includes head coach Amir Wagih Radwan and team manager Nasser Ahmed Al Obaidli, along with players Abdullah Mohammed Al Tamimi, Syed Azlan Iqbal, Salem Youssef Al Malki and Ali Ahmed Al Darwish.

The padel delegation comprises coaches Pablo Nicolas Sisti and Florencia Sofia Galdo, team administrator Rashid Abdullah, and male players Rashid Nawaf Naif, Mashari Nawaf Naif, Hassan Adel Wali and Mohammed Saadoun Al Kuwari. The female players are Maha Abdulridha Falamarzi, Hanan Hassan Al Abdulrahman, Maryam Mansour Al Sultan and Dana Mohammed Al Mudahka.

Qatar’s squash delegation is pinning its hopes on Abdullah Mohammed Al Tamimi, who boasts an impressive record of achievements at the continental and international levels. He is aiming to return to the podium after winning bronze in the men’s singles event at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, a landmark achievement for Qatari and Gulf sport.

Al Tamimi also won the men’s Individual silver medal at the 23rd Asian Squash Championships, held in Malaysia in 2025. He claimed the title at the fourth Qatar Squash Federation Bronze tournament in 2023 after beating former world champion Tarek Momen of Egypt. He also won the Cape Town Squash Open in South Africa in 2024, in addition to the Qatar Challenger, Atlanta Open and Qatar Professional tournaments in 2023.

In the padel competition, Qatar will rely on the experience gained by the national team players and the achievements they have made at the Arab, continental and international levels since the sport was officially brought under the umbrella of the Qatar Tennis, Squash, Padel and Badminton Federation in January 2020.

The Qatari padel team claimed second place and the silver medal at the inaugural Asian Padel Championship, hosted by Doha in 2025.

The team also qualified for the World Cup for the first time in its history in November 2021 after defeating Japan in the final of the Asia-Africa qualifiers.

Qatar also won the inaugural Gulf Padel Challenge Cup in 2022 following fierce competition among the region’s national teams. It continued its impressive run at this year’s Gulf Games in Doha, recording consecutive victories over Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

In preparation for the Asian Games, the Qatari national squash team underwent intensive training camps focused on enhancing physical fitness and developing technical and tactical skills. They also participated in a number of challenging friendly matches to boost their competitive edge and reach peak performance before the official competitions begin.

In padel, the team's preparation program emphasized strengthening team cohesion and understanding among the pairs, particularly the key duos, including Mohammed Saadoun Al Kuwari and Hassan Waly. Preparations included both domestic and international training camps, building on the team's recent impressive performances in several regional competitions.

Secretary General of Qatar Tennis, Squash, Padel, and Badminton Federation Tariq Zainal confirmed that the squash and padel teams are fully prepared to participate and compete at this continental event. He noted that the preparations leading up to this continental competition have strengthened their aspirations for a strong showing and honorable results.

In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Zainal expressed his confidence in the players' ability to perform at their best, reach advanced stages, and compete strongly for medals, given their experience, technical skills, and the progress they have demonstrated in recent competitions.

He explained that the squash and padel teams possess the necessary elements to compete and achieve the desired results, thanks to the integrated administrative and technical work of the federation, combined with the players' experience and determination. This, he said, forms a fundamental pillar for realizing Qatar's aspirations in this Asian event.

The Secretary General emphasized that the ambitions extend beyond achieving results and winning medals. They also include continuing the development of racket sports in Qatar, encouraging future generations to participate, and enhancing the presence of Qatari sports at both the continental and international levels.

The Qatar Olympic Committee recently announced that Qatar will send a delegation of 243 athletes to the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026, scheduled to take place from September 19 to October 4. The committee explained that the Qatari delegation participating in the Games comprises 427 individuals, including 243 athletes - 184 men and 59 women - alongside 142 technical and administrative staff, 23 members of the administrative delegation, and 16 media delegates.

Qatar is participating in 26 sports and 32 disciplines through 18 sports federations, with aspirations of achieving outstanding results that will enhance the presence of Qatari sports at the Asian Games. (QNA)