Show jumping: Qatari trio qualifies

Doha: Qatar show jumping riders began their Rio campaign on a promising note with three of the four qualifying for the next round.

Sheikh Ali Al Thani, Hamad Ali Mohamed Al Attiyah and Ali Yousef Al Rumaihi performed to the expectations to advance to the next stage.

Mohammed Bassem Hassan, the fourth Qatari rider failed to make it past the preliminary stage.

Jumping, the last of three equestrian events, kicked off with qualifying rounds yesterday in the Deodoro equestrian park.

The team made history when they became the first Qatari show jumping team to qualify to the Olympics, after winning the second stage of the FEI Nations Cup in Abu Dhabi last year.

'Qualifying for Rio was an indescribable feeling. We worked hard to achieve this goal and we succeeded. We were incredibly happy to be the first ever Qatari show jumping team to qualify to the Olympic Games. As teammates we have a very strong relationship which makes us a strong, competitive team. We hope to get a gold medal and make Qatar proud,” Sheikh Ali said before his competition.

Meanwhile in handball on Saturday, Qatar went down fighting 26-25 to Denmark.

The winners secured a one-goal win, off a fast break goal from Mikkel Hansen scored right before the buzzer.

Qatar began the game with a narrow edge after the first goal came from Bassel Alrayes, holding a 4:3 advantage at the 10-minute mark before Rafael Capote scored two consecutive goals that turned their one-goal lead into three at 7:4 in the 12th. The Asian champions increased their advantage further to 9:5 in the 16th thanks to Kamal Aldin Mallash, before Denmark managed two consecutive goals courtesy of Michael Damgaard Nielsen and Rene Toft Hansen that put the score at 8:10 in the 19th.

Rene Toft Hansen scored the goal that decreased the deficit to one in the 23rd, and they levelled the score at 13:13 when Lasse Svan ran a fast break just before the 25-minute mark. It was Svan who struck again off an in-flight pass from his left wing counterpart Casper Mortensen a minute later to pull Denmark in front by one (14:13).

But Bertrand Roine was the last to score in the half, adding his third goal from three shots for Qatar and thereby levelling the score at 14:14 ahead of the buzzer for the break. In the second half Denmark allowed Qatar a brief glimpse of the lead in the 35th (15:16) before they pulled ahead by two with a goal from Mads Christiansen. Damgaard created a three-goal difference at 20:17 in the 42nd, but as the minutes ticked down it would prove impossible for the Danes to pull away to a more significant difference.

When a penalty was called for Denmark in the 25th with the score at 24:22 for the Scandinavian team, it looked as though they were about to create a more comfortable advantage, but Danijel Saric saved Mikkel Hansen";s shot and the score remained at 24:22. With a minute left on the clock Denmark had possession with a one-goal deficit at 24:25.

Qatar played an active 5-1 defence but Mads Mensah Larsen broke through to find the goal, levelling the score inside the last 60 seconds. Qatar moved into attack, and Rene Toft Hansen caused a turnover that sent Mikkel Hansen running down the court on a fast break, racing the clock.

Mikkel Hansen had no choice but to shoot from well outside nine, around 12 or 13 metres from the goal, and incredibly he scored right before the final whistle to earn Denmark a one-goal win that put them on six points from three wins at the end of round four. Very little has been decided after four rounds of play.

France, Denmark and Croatia have all qualified out of Group A. Germany and Slovenia will advance from Group B. Brazil, Poland and Egypt all enter the final round with a lot of work to do to secure those final two spots in Group B, while a showdown between Argentina and Qatar will settle the fourth and final place in Group A.

The Peninsula