Qatar's Ammar Ismail Y Ibrahim on his way to win the men's 400 metres final (left)
Doha, Qatar: Ammar Ismail Y Ibrahim secured Qatar’s first gold medal at the 26th Asian Athletics Championships, delivering a standout performance to win the men’s 400m race in Gumi, South Korea, yesterday.
Ibrahim clocked an impressive 45.33 seconds, leading the field in a highly competitive final. Japan’s Kentaro Sato took the silver with a time of 45.50 seconds, while Kalinga Kumarage of Sri Lanka earned the bronze with his season-best of 45.55 seconds.
Fellow Qatari sprinter Ashraf Hussen M Osman, who reached the final after a strong performance in the heats, finished seventh with a time of 45.91 seconds.
Qatar Athletics Federation President Mohammed Issa Al-Fadala and Board Members Issa Al-Harmi and Thabet Sorour Al-Abdullah celebrate with Ammar Ismail Y Ibrahim.
Ibrahim’s gold medal elevated Qatar to fourth place in the overall standings at the Asian Athletics Championships. China lead the table with 11 gold and four silver medals, followed by Japan with three gold, five silver, and six bronze medals. India sit third, having claimed two gold, four silver and two bronze medals.
In the men’s 1500m final, Qatar’s Abdirahman Saeed Hassan and Hatim Aitoulghazi finished 10th and 12th, respectively. Hassan clocked 3:47.69, while Aitoulghazi completed the race in 3:51.90. The event was won by Japan’s Kazuto Lizawa, who crossed the line in 3:42.56.
Meanwhile, Oumar Doudai Abakar excelled in the men’s 110m hurdles qualifiers, topping his heat with a time of 13.39 seconds — a Qatar national record — to storm into the final.
Oumar Doudai Abakar competes in the men’s 110m hurdles qualifiers.
In the men’s 100m semi-final, Qatar’s Salah Nur Yunis failed to reach the final, finishing ninth overall with his time of 10.42 seconds.
On the field, Qatar’s Asraf Amgad Elseify missed out on a medal, finishing fifth in the men’s hammer throw final after registering a best throw of 69.82 metres.
China’s Wang Qi claimed the gold with 74.50 metres, while Japan’s Tatsuto Nakagawa and Shota Fukuda secured silver and bronze with throws of 71.97 metres and 71.89 metres, respectively.
Over 2,000 athletes representing 43 nations are participating in the event, which will conclude on Saturday. South Korea is hosting the Asian Athletics Championships for the third time, having previously staged the event in the 1975 and 2005 editions.
