Category: Sports

The pathway towards the inaugural AFC Champions League Two (ACL Two) season was unveiled today by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), with 32 teams competing for top honours in the Continent's brand-new second-tier men's club competition. In accordance with the finalised AFC Club Competitions 2024/25 slot allocations and club licensing requirements, 27 teams from across 21 Member Associations (MAs) 12 from the West region and 15 from the East qualify directly to the Group Stage, along with the three teams (two West, one East) that will be eliminated from the Preliminary Stage of the AFC Champions League Elite. Four teams will undergo the Preliminary Stage between July 31 and August 14 to fill the remaining two ACL Two Group Stage berths in the West: India's East Bengal FC will face Turkmenistan's Altyn Asyr FC, while Bahrain's Al Ahli battles Kuwait's Kuwait SC. The two winners will complete the 32-strong cast for the 2024/25 campaign, where they are divided evenly into eight groups to contest a round- robin, home-and-away format from September 17 to December 5. The official draw ceremony for the Group Stage will be conducted on 16 August 2024, with further details on the Draw Mechanics to be announced in due course. Following the conclusion of the Group Stage, the top two finishers from each group advance to the double-legged Round of 16, which takes place from February 11 to 20, 2025. The pairings will be determined by the Knockout Stage draw, which will also chart the pathways for the Quarter-finals, Semi-finals and Final; regional division will apply throughout the entire tournament. The Quarter-finals and Semi-finals, both double-legged affairs, will be played between March 4 and 13, 2025 and April 8 and 16, 2025 respectively, before the season culminates in a single-leg Final on May 17, 2025. According to The AFC, All participating clubs will be supported by significant increases in financial distribution, as teams entering the Group Stage are guaranteed a minimum of USD 300,000, with additional m onies available based on their eventual placings, meaning that the champions will receive at least USD 3.28 million. Source: Qatar News Agency

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced Wednesday the initial cast for the debut 2024/25 season, in accordance with the finalised AFC Club Competitions 2024/25 slot allocations that features 27 teams from across 12 Member Associations (MAs) six from each of the West and East regions. Ranked in second place, the State of Qatar secured two direct and one indirect spots in the AFC Champions League Elite, with selection based on the customary participation of the league and cup champions along with the second-place league finisher. As such, Al Sadd (league champion) and Al Rayyan (league runner-up) will participate with two direct spots, while Al Gharafa, third place holder, will play in the indirect spot. Running from August 6 to 13, the Preliminary Stage will see five clubs battling it out to detemine the remaining slots in the League Stage: in the West, Qatars Al Gharafa will play the winner of the tie between the representative club from the Islamic Republic of Iran and United Arab Emirates Shabab Al Ahli, while in the East, China PRs Shandong Taishan FC will square off against Thailands Bangkok United. The losing teams from the Preliminary Stage will directly enter the AFC Champions League Two Group Stage. The winning teams will join the clubs that have qualified directly for the League Stage and continue their quest to reach the pinnacle of Asia between September 16, 2024 and February 19, 2025. A pivotal change in the revamped ACL Elite sees the traditional Group Stage make way for the League Stage format, ensuring a robust competition with top quality football across all matches. The 24 clubs will be divided into two leagues of 12 teams across the West and East regions, with each team to play against eight different opponents within its region in the form of four home and four away matches. The official draw ceremony for the League Stage will be conducted on August 16, 2024, with the top eight teams from each League advancing to the double-legged Round of 16, scheduled from March 3 to 12, 2025, which will be followed by a unique centralised Finals. This will see all matches, from the Quarter-finals onwards, being contested at a single host MA, with Saudi Arabia having been confirmed for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons. All participating clubs will be supported by significant increases in financial distribution, as teams entering the League Stage are guaranteed a minimum of USD 800,000, with additional monies available based on their eventual placings, meaning that the champions will receive at least USD 12 million. No regional division will apply during the Finals, which will witness single-legged ties for each of the Quarter-finals (for which a draw will be conducted to determine the pairings), Semi-finals and Final that will take place between April 25 and May 4, 2025. Source: Qatar News Agency

The Qatari beach handball team on Wednesday qualified for the main round of the World Championship after defeating Uruguay (2/0), within Group 4 in the tournament currently held in China's Pingtan Island, and will continue until June 23. With this victory, Qatar occupy third place in the group behind Germany and US, thus secured a spot in the main round of the tournament. The Qatari team lost their first match on Tuesday to US 1/2, and also lost today to Germany 0/2. 16 teams are participating in the tournament, distributed into four groups, as the first group features the teams of Australia, Oman, Denmark and Hungary, the second group includes Tunisia, Spain, China and Brazil, the third group includes Puerto Rico, Portugal, Argentina and Croatia, and the fourth group includes the teams of Qatar, Germany, Uruguay and the United States. The first three teams from each group in the preliminary round qualify for the main round of the tournament. The Qatari team's participation in the current World Cup is it s seventh in a row, the first was 2010 Turkey. The team won the gold medal at the Asian Beach Games in 2012, 2014 and 2016, in addition to winning the gold medal at the 2nd Gulf Beach Games in Doha in 2015. Source: Qatar News Agency

Doha: In celebration of International Olympic Day, 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum will be hosting a day of exhilarating activities under the theme "Let's Move 2024 X Paris 2024" on 23 June 2024. This International Olympic Day programme, in collaboration with the Olympic Museum Network, Qatar Olympic Committee, Sports Federations, and Get Started Sport Center, is designed to inspire the community to participate in sports and celebrate the rich heritage of the Olympic Games. The "Lets Move 2024 X Paris 2024" programme will offer a range of engaging activities that promise to energise and entertain participants of all ages. Throughout the day, visitors can participate in interactive competitions in the Activation Zone, featuring activities that focus on speed, height and strength which is in line with the Olympic motto of "Citius, Altius, Fortius". Winners will be recognised for their achievements and be awarded medals for the top three positions. Demonstrations in a number of Olympic sports activities will be available throughout the day for all to participate in, where attendees can measure their speed, agility and strength adding to the dynamic atmosphere of the event. A number of workshops will be held, focusing on the core Olympic values where participants will engage in creative activities such as crafting crowns for the winners of the Ancient Olympics and gold medals for the Modern Olympics. The workshops will also feature the Paris 2024 Mascot, providing a fun and educational experience for all. Director of 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum Abdulla Yousuf Al Mulla said: "We are thrilled to invite the community to join us in celebrating International Olympic Day. This event is a unique opportunity for everyone to experience the excitement and spirit of the Olympic Games firsthand. Our diverse range of activities is designed to inspire people of all ages to get moving and embrace the values of excellence, friendship, and respect that the Olympics represent." This event is the result of 3-2-1 Qata r Olympic and Sports Museums mission to research, collect, educate and share the story of global and Qatari sports in an engaging, empowering and entertaining way. Through its participatory spaces and planned programming, the museum aims to inspire and engage its community and encourages the public to take part in sports and physical activity. Source: Qatar News Agency

Portugal defeated the Czech Republic 2-1 in their Group F opener of the UEFA Euro 2024, held in Germany and continuing until July 14. Portugal's goals came from an own goal by Czech defender Roben Hranac (69th minute) and a late strike by Francisco Conceicao (90th minute). The Czech Republic's lone goal was scored by Lukas Provod in the 62nd minute. With this victory, Portugal secured their first three points, placing them second in Group F, behind Turkiye, who also have three points after their 3-1 win against Georgia earlier today. The Czech Republic and Georgia are in third and fourth places, respectively, with no points. Source: Qatar News Agency

National News Agency correspondent in Nabatieh reported that the Israeli warplanes carried out an air attack at approximately 1:30 this afternoon targeting the town of Yaroun in the Bint Jbeil district with two air-to-surface missiles. Source: National News Agency - Lebanon

French football star Kylian Mbappe, who recently joined Real Madrid, that he will not represent his country at the upcoming Paris Olympics, which will be held in France, from July 26 to Aug. 11. Speaking at a press conference Sunday ahead of France's opening Euro 2024 game on Monday against Austria, Mbappe said that he is committed to Real Madrid's decision not to participate in the Olympics; wishing the French team success in the tournament to win the gold medals. Kylian Mbappe joined Real Madrid with a contract extending until 2029, after the expiration of his contract with his former club, Paris Saint-Germain. The French U-23 team begin their journey at the Paris Olympics by facing the United States. Source: Qatar News Agency

The Netherlands national football team defeated Poland 2-1 in their opening match of Group D at the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament on Sunday at the Volksparkstadion. Cody Gakpo and Wout Weghorst scored for the Netherlands in the 29th and 83rd minutes, respectively. Poland's sole goal was netted by Adam Buksa in the 16th minute. Euro 2024, currently being held in Germany, will continue until July 14. Source: Qatar News Agency