The Pan Arab Games returned for the first time after more than a decade-long hiatus, with 22 nations and territories competing for the medals in Algeria.
The curtain has fallen on the Pan Arab Games 2023 with Team Qatar bagging a total of 23 medals at the competition in Algeria, the Qatar Olympic Committee confirmed.
Some 115 Qatari athletes taking part in the event took home 9 gold medals, 2 silver, and 12 bronze. Athletes secured 9 gold medals in handball, hurdles track, two in chess, pole jumping, discus throw event, fencing, 400-meter race and the men’s foil team event.
Meanwhile, 12 bronze medals were achieved in boxing, 3×3 basketball, volleyball, fencing, table tennis, hurdles track, shot put event, track, pommel horse competition, parallel event of gymnastics, 110-meter race and handball, while two slivers were won in hammer throw and men’s high jump.
Qatar competed in several sports, including handball, volleyball, basketball, swimming, Triathlon, gymnastics, chess, fencing, sailing, boxing, Karate, judo, and badminton.
On the last day of the competition, Qatar’s handball team clinched the gold medal after defeating Saudi Arabia 37-24 in the final match held in Oran city’s main arena.
The Qatari squad cruised through the international multi-sport event defeating Jordan and Iraq to make their final run against the Saudis.
Finishing the first half with an 18-14 lead, the Qataris concluded the match with a vast 13 goals to end the campaign at 38-24.
In the game of chess, Grandmaster Zhu Chen pieced up her second consecutive gold medal in Algeria. The Chinese-born Qatari chess player excelled in the blitz chess event to clinch the win.
In the men’s doubles table tennis event, Qatar’s Mohamed Abdulwahab and Ahmed Khalil claimed the bronze medal.
Following suit, Team Qatar received another medal when the men’s volleyball team defeated Jordan 3-1 to win the bronze medal.
In the fencing games, Ali Al Athba won the gold medal, with Abdullah Khalifa winning the bronze medal in the same competition.
Rakan Al Harith won the bronze medal in the pommel horse contests, and Salma Hamed won the bronze medal in the parallel gymnastics competition.
