Bronze worth its weight in gold, says Ikhlef

Nagoya [Japan], September 30: On a day of fluctuating fortunes at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 on Tuesday, Team Qatar made a rich haul of five medals - three silver and two bronze - across shooting, athletics, handball and weightlifting, taking Qatar's overall tally at the Games to 12 medals: three gold, five silver and four bronze.
Qatar's medal hunt on Tuesday began with a silver in shooting in the men's team trap event, secured by Mohammed Al Rumaihi, Saeed Hamad Abu Sharib and Angelo Scalzone, who finished second to add another medal to Qatar shooting's tally following the earlier individual and team skeet gold medals.
In athletics, Qatar's men's 4x400m relay team claimed silver while Abubaker Abdalla made it to the podium winning bronze in the men's 800m.
In handball, Qatar added another silver medal finishing a close second in the tournament.
In weightlifting, Qatar's Ouissal Ikhlef delivered an impressive performance to claim bronze in the women's +86kg category.
Qatar's handball stars edged by Bahrain in gripping final
Qatar's men's handball team had to endure with a silver in a tight-fisted final against Bahrain. Qatar were edged 33-32 at the final whistle.
The result gave Bahrain their first Asian Games handball gold medal, while Qatar settled for silver after having claimed gold at the previous three editions - at Incheon 2014, Jakarta 2018 and Hangzhou 2022.
The final was closely contested throughout both halves, with Bahrain eventually prevailing after capitalizing on several errors by Qatar.
The opening stages were evenly matched as the two teams traded goals. Bahrain took the lead on several occasions, with Qatar responding to draw level, before Bahrain ended the first half ahead 16-15.
The second half also began evenly, with Qatar drawing level at 19-19 in the fifth minute.
Bahrain then moved 21-19 ahead before Qatar reduced the deficit to one goal at 22-23. Bahrain maintained their advantage and led 30-26 in the 22nd minute, but Qatar fought back to reduce the deficit to 28-30 and then 29-31.
Bahrain restored a three-goal advantage at 32-29, but Qatar refused to give up and pulled back to 31-32, setting up a dramatic finish as they came close to drawing level.
Bahrain eventually held on to win 33-32.
Shooters excel in men's team trap
Qatar shooters continued their medal-winning campaign at the Asian Games as the trio of Mohammed Al Rumaihi, Saeed Hamad Abu Sharib and Angelo Scalzone finished second with 349 targets in the men's team trap to secure silver. Kuwait claimed gold, while Kazakhstan took bronze.
The result added another medal to Qatar shooting's tally after Team Qatar had earlier claimed gold in both the team and individual skeet events.
In the women's team event, Qatar's Kholoud Hassan Al Khalaf, Ray Bassil and Metha Hamad Albinali finished fourth with 324 targets, just one behind bronze medallists Kuwait, who recorded 325.
In the men's individual trap final, Saeed Hamad Abu Sharib finished sixth. Kuwait's Khaled Almudhaf claimed gold, Chinese Taipei's Yang Kun-Pi took silver and China's Qi Ying won bronze.
President of the Qatar Shooting and Archery Association (QSAA) Dr Mishal Al Nasr, expressed his delight on the silver in the men's team trap. Al Nasr said: "We congratulate our champions Mohammed Al Rumaihi, Saeed Hamad Abu Sharib and Angelo Scalzone on winning the silver medal after three days of strong competition and maintaining their position among the leading teams until the end.
"The trap silver comes after the individual and team skeet gold medals and confirms Qatar shooting's strong presence at these Games. It also reflects the tremendous efforts of our shooters and the technical and administrative teams to achieve the best possible results.
"We dedicate what Qatar shooting has achieved at these Games to His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of the State of Qatar, and to H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, in appreciation of the tremendous support provided to Qatari sport.
"This support motivates us to continue working, achieve further success and raise Qatar's flag at future championships and competitions."
Mohammed Al Rumaihi said the medal came after a highly competitive contest. "We are delighted to win the silver medal and add another medal to Team Qatar's tally at the Games. The competition was strong from the first day, and we maintained our focus throughout the rounds to achieve the best possible result. Thankfully, we managed to finish the competition on the podium."
Saeed Hamad Abu Sharib stressed that the result was the product of teamwork and sustained concentration throughout the competition. "We are happy with this medal. The competition was strong and required us to maintain a consistent level and a high degree of concentration throughout the three days. Each of us was determined to give his best, and in the end we succeeded in winning the silver medal," he said.
Ikhlef stands out in weightlifting
Qatar weightlifter Ouissal Ikhlef was impressive in a challenging women's +86kg category contest, recording a total lift of 273kg.She finished third behind China's Li Wenwen, who won gold with a total of 310kg, while South Korea's Park Hye-jeong took silver with 300kg.
The Qatari weightlifter demonstrated her quality throughout the competition to add another medal to Qatar's Asian Games tally in a highly competitive +86kg category featuring some of Asia's leading weightlifters.
The bronze medal represents an important achievement for Ouissal, who secured a place on the podium and raised the Qatari flag in one of the Games' strongest weightlifting competitions.
Mohammed Yousef Al Mana, President of the Qatar Weightlifting Federation, praised Ikhlef's performance. He said: "We are grateful for this medal. Ouissal gave everything she had to reach the podium. Competition in this category was extremely strong, particularly with the presence of champions from China and Korea who have achieved major success at world level. The battle for the medals was therefore intense from the start and until the final attempts.
"Considering the strength of the competition, Ouissal's bronze medal is an important achievement. We thank her for the tremendous effort she made and the fighting spirit she demonstrated throughout the competition."
Al Mana added: "This medal will be a major incentive for us to continue working and preparing for the upcoming competitions. We aim to further develop the level of our female athletes and achieve better results in future championships."
Al Mana also thanked H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, for his continued support for Qatari sport and athletes.
Bronze as good as gold: Ikhlef
Ouissal Ikhlef said the bronze medal holds a special value for her. "I am extremely happy with this medal. I consider it one of the most difficult medals I have won in my career because of the strength of the competition and the presence of top-level champions from China and Korea. Reaching the Asian Games podium is not easy, so I feel very proud of this achievement.
"This medal has special value for me because it is my first Asian Games medal, and that is why I consider this bronze medal as good as gold," she added.
Abdalla wins bronze in 800m
Qatar athlete Abubaker Abdalla claimed bronze in the men's 800m with a personal best of 1:45.25.
Qatar's Hatem Hameed also competed in the race, finishing sixth in 1:46.41.
Abdalla said: "I dedicate this achievement to our wise leadership, to H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, to the people of Qatar, my family and everyone who supported me on the way to the podium."
Silver for Qatar in men's 4x400m relay
Qatar athletes also claimed silver in the men's 4x400m relay. The quartet of Bassem Mohammed, Ismail Abakar, Youssef Abdulaziz Jebreen and Ammar Ibrahim clocked 3:00.93, their best time of the season. Hosts Japan (3:00.75) claimed gold while India (3:00.93) took the bronze.
Source: Qatar Tribune