Qatar Athletes Win Bronze Medals in Fencing and Wrestling at Islamic Solidarity Games Riyadh 2025
Khalid Al Yafei secured the bronze medal in the men’s foil event in fencing, while Shaheen Mohammad clinched bronze in the 77kg weight category in wrestling, boosting Qatar’s medal tally at the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh on Tuesday.
The two medals lifted Qatar’s total to seven: three gold, two silver, and two bronze.
Al Yafei claimed his bronze after a 10–15 semi-final loss to Turkey’s Kivanc Kirtay, exhibiting remarkable tactical ability throughout the tournament.
According to Abdullah Ali Al Ghanim, President of the Qatar Fencing Federation:
“The medal won by Khalid is not just the result of a single match, but rather the product of a comprehensive system of work that began years ago. Khalid is a hardworking fencer with a high ability to read the flow of a match and make the right decision at the right moment, and this was clearly demonstrated during his participation in this tournament.”
In wrestling, Shaheen Mohammad began his campaign with a 4–1 quarter-final victory over Turkey’s Younes Basar, followed by a narrow 3–5 semi-final loss to Kyrgyzstan’s Akzhol Makhmudov. He bounced back to decisively beat Tunisia’s Sami Salama 8–1 to earn bronze.
Sheikh Fahad bin Khalid Al Thani, President of the Qatar Boxing and Wrestling Federation, stated:
“Shaheen’s performance was exceptional, and he deservedly earned his place on the podium. He demonstrated his high technical abilities and his capacity to handle pressure throughout the tournament, achieving a feat befitting the advanced level that Qatari wrestling has reached.”
Meanwhile, Aref Mohammedi narrowly missed out on a medal in the 67kg wrestling category, finishing fourth after a 2–5 loss in the bronze-medal match against Aytjan Khalkhmakhanov of Uzbekistan.
In women’s fencing, Sheikha Jassim exited in the Round of 16, losing 8–15 to Saudi Arabia’s Nada Abed, while Thikrayat Al Abdullah fell in the Round of 32 in a tight 14–15 contest against Dhi Al Amri, also of Saudi Arabia.
Elsewhere, Qatar’s handball team dominated the Maldives with a 44–6 victory, their third consecutive win, securing the top spot in Group A with a perfect six points. They will take on Bahrain, second in Group B, in the semi-finals on Wednesday.
In athletics, Abubaker Haydar advanced to the 800m final after winning his heat with a time of 1:50.09, while teammates Ashraf Osman and Hussein Ibrahim failed to qualify for the 400m final. In shot put, Ahmed Jibril narrowly missed out on a medal, finishing fourth with a throw of 18.51m.
The Qatar men’s 3×3 basketball team also progressed to the semi-finals, having topped Group B after a 21–20 win over Turkiye and a close 15–16 loss to Iran. They are set to face Egypt, the second-placed team in Group A, next.
In the women’s 3×3 basketball competition, the Qatar team concluded their participation after suffering defeats against Iran and Egypt in the final round of the group stage.
Team V.DIR-EM-UAE
