Members of the Qatar delegation celebrate as high jump legend Mutaz Barshim carries the OCA flag during the closing ceremony. (Xinhua)
Doha, Qatar: The final flourish came on horseback. Faleh Al Ajami produced a superb performance to win the individual show jumping gold, while fellow rider Bassem Mohammed claimed bronze yesterday as Qatar brought its Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 campaign to a close with 18 medals, six each of gold, silver and bronze.
The haul marked a clear improvement on Qatar’s performance at Hangzhou 2023, where the delegation won 14 medals, including five gold, six silver and three bronze. The four-medal improvement, along with an additional gold, underlined Qatar’s progress at the continental showpiece.
Riding Qapella, Al Ajami delivered when it mattered most in the final stages to secure the top spot in the 1.40-1.50m individual jumping competition with a flawless round in 78.91 seconds.
Faleh Al Ajami won the individual show jumping gold, raising Qatar's medal tally to 18.
Bassem, aboard Chaccball, finished third in the challenging 1.55m event, adding another podium finish for Qatar. The individual competition featured some of Asia’s leading riders and was contested across two categories based on fence height.
For Qatar’s equestrian team, the medals provided a strong finish after the team competition failed to go their way.
“We are extremely happy to have won gold and bronze on the final day of the equestrian competitions,” said Sheikh Ahmad bin Noah Al Thani, Secretary General of the Qatar Equestrian Federation.
Qatar's Basem Mohammed (Right) poses with his bronze medal on the podium. (Xinhua)
“We congratulate our riders Faleh Al Ajami and Bassem Mohammed on this achievement. Things did not go our way in the team competition, but we managed to make up for that in the individual events. Thankfully, we were able to conclude the competition on a positive note.”
The final-day medals completed one of Qatar’s strongest Asian Games campaigns, with the 18-medal haul setting a new benchmark for the delegation in recent editions.
Campaign of history and breakthroughs
The journey to that tally was marked by history and breakthrough performances.
Rashed Nawaf and Mashari Nawaf created history by winning Qatar’s first Asian Games gold in padel, which made its debut on the official Games programme. Their triumph was followed by another golden celebration when Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan won beach volleyball title for a third successive edition.
Athletics produced another highlight when Bassem Hemeida won the 400m hurdles gold in 47.82 seconds.
Shooting also produced a golden double, with Rashid Saleh Al Athba winning individual skeet gold with a new Asian record before joining Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah and Ali Ahmed Al Ishaq to claim the men’s team title.
Ouisal Ikhlef added another historic moment by becoming the first female Qatari weightlifter to win an Asian Games medal, taking bronze in the women’s +86kg category with a total lift of 273kg.
The breadth of the medal haul was perhaps the clearest indication of Qatar’s progress. The 18 medals came across 10 different sports, with padel, wrestling and karate entering Qatar’s Asian Games medal record for the first time.
Director of the Sports Sector at the Qatar Olympic Committee Sheikh Khalifa bin Khalid Al Thani said the diversity of the results reflected the development of Qatari sport.
“We achieved an outstanding result at Aichi-Nagoya by winning 18 medals. The diversity of these medals reflects the progress of Qatari sport,” Sheikh Khalifa said.
Qatari rider Jassim Al Kuwari carries the Asian Games flag during the Doha 2030 handover ceremony. (Xinhua)
“We won medals across 10 different sports, while three sports - padel, wrestling and karate - were added to Qatar’s Asian Games medal record for the first time. This diversity confirms that our work is moving in the right direction and that there is clear progress in the level of our athletes across different sports.”
The improved medal tally now provides a strong platform for the next chapter, with Doha preparing to welcome Asia in 2030.
“We have a clear strategy focused on preparing for the 2030 Asian Games,” Sheikh Khalifa said. “From now, we will continue working to develop our sports and athletes and build on the gains achieved at Aichi-Nagoya, as we look ahead to Doha hosting the next edition and aim to deliver a performance worthy of Qatar.
