01 May 2024
Aspire Academy student-athletes helped Qatar dominate in swimming and table tennis at the inaugural GCC Youth Games in the United Arab Emirates.
There were also medals for the Aspire Academy student-athletes representing Qatar in the fencing events.
The latest medals come after the seven won by Aspire student-athletes in the track and field events earlier in the GCC Youth Games, which started on 16 April.
The GCC Youth Games featured 28 different sports, and participants came from all six Gulf Cooperation Council members—Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, and Qatar.
The Qatar team's success in athletics, table tennis, swimming, and fencing is once again a testament to the continued collaboration between Aspire Academy and the national governing bodies of the various sports.
TABLE TENNIS
In table tennis, Qatar’s team of Aspire Academy student-athletes won golds in the team event, the doubles and the singles.
Qatar’s five-man team at the games included three Aspire Academy student-athletes: Ahmed Korani, Rawad Al Nasser and Yousef Abdulla.
They were joined by two former Aspire student-athletes, Sultan Al-Kuwari, who is set to train at the Academy and Obad Nasser Al Abdulla.
As well as gold in the doubles for Ahmed Korani and Sultan Al-Kuwari there was bronze for Rawad Al Nasser and Yousef Abdulla.
Rawad Al Nasser then claimed gold in the singles event, completing Qatar's clean sweep of medals. Sultan Al-Kuwari won silver, and Ahmed Korani took bronze.
Obad Nasser AlAbad joined the four medalists from the doubles event to help clinch the gold in the team category.
FENCING
Aspire Academy fencers Abdulrahman Al Jadra, Yousef Abdeltawab and Ali Alkhlif combined to win the silver medal for Qatar in the team epee event.
In the foil, the team bronze was won by Adham Eldeeb, Yousef Eldeeb and Abdulrahman Poorgharib.
Aspire Academy’s Head Fencing Coach, Massimo Omerri, praised the team's efforts and highlighted that while the GCC Youth Games is open to under-18 participants, two of the foil team members are still eligible to compete at the under-14 level.
“The epee team is also very young overall. Both teams are technically very promising,” he added.
“What is most important is the quality of fencing on show. The only indications of whether a fencer is developing at this age is if they can win even with poor fencing or lose a match despite demonstrating excellent technical and tactical skills.
“All the athletes who competed are the result of the Pre Academy program and therefore 100% made in Aspire.”
SWIMMING
Qatar dominated in the swimming pool, finishing top of the medal table with 37 medals—14 golds, 12 silvers, and 11 bronzes.
Of those medals, Aspire Academy student-athletes won all 14 gold medals, 9 silver medals, and 8 bronze medals.
All the Aspire student-athletes on the Qatar team are returning home with at least one medal.
In addition to the huge haul of medals, several of the team members posted new personal bests in various events. Ahmad Diab also set a new national under-17 Qatar record by finishing second in the 100m freestyle.
Swimming medals won at the 1st GCC Youth Games
16-17 Age Group
Abdalla Elghamry
GOLD: 4x100m Medley Relay
GOLD: 4x200m Free Relay
GOLD: 200m Backstroke
GOLD: 4x100m Freestyle Relay
SILVER: 50m Backstroke
SILVER: 100m Backstroke
Ahmed Diab
GOLD: 4x100m Medley Relay
GOLD: 4x200m Freestyle Relay
GOLD: 50m Beaststroke
GOLD: 200 Individual Medley
GOLD: 4x100m Freestyle Relay
SILVER: 100m Freestyle
BRONZE: 200m Freestyle
Saif Al Burchaid
SILVER: 100m Butterfly
Aziz Jelany Mohamed Ismail
GOLD: 4x100m Medley Relay
GOLD: 4x200m Freestyle Relay
GOLD: 100m Butterfly
GOLD: 200m Butterfly
GOLD: 4x100m Freestyle Relay
SILVER: 50m Butterfly
BRONZE: 50m Freestyle
Hamza Shalan
GOLD: 4x100m Medley Relay
GOLD: 4x200m Freestyle Relay
GOLD: 4x100m Freestyle Relay
SILVER: 50m Breaststroke
BRONZE: 100m Breaststroke
BRONZE: 200 Imdividual Medley
14-15 Age Group
Ziad Morsy
GOLD: 4x100m Medley Relay
GOLD: 200m Freestyle
GOLD: 100m Backstroke
GOLD: 100m Freestyle
SILVER: 50m Freestyle
BRONZE: 4x200m Freestyle Relay
Saad Al-Sulaiti
GOLD: 4x100m Medley Relay
SILVER: 200m Butterfly
SILVER: 200m Individual Medley
BRONZE: 100m Butterfly
BRONZE: 50m Butterfly
Marwan Hassan (Part-time athlete)
GOLD: 4x100m Medley Relay
GOLD: 400m Individual Medley
GOLD: 200m Backstroke
BRONZE: 50m Backstroke
BRONZE: 4x200m Freestyle Relay