Casablanca: The Qatari chess team has secured the gold medal at the Arab Age Group Chess Championship held in Casablanca, Morocco, which wound up Monday with 216 players from 13 Arab nations competing. The event was organized by the Royal Moroccan Chess Federation under the supervision of the Arab Chess Federation.
According to Qatar News Agency, the gold came courtesy of Qatar's chess talent Khaled Al Jumaat, who topped the Under-10 category by scoring 7.5 points over nine rounds. This milestone accentuates the rapid advancement of chess in Qatar and expands the talent pool across all age groups, constituting a key part of the Qatar Chess Association's (QCA) strategic plan to promote youth categories, reflecting enduring efforts to build a promising new generation of chess players across the nation.
Qatar's chess squad at this tournament featured a powerful lineup across all age brackets. The Under-18 group included Turki Al Kuwari, Saif Ahmed, and Fahad Al Mansouri. In the Under-16 category, Hamad Al Kuwari, Lian Al Qassabi, and Rodha Al Qassabi represented the team. The Under-14 spot went to Ibrahim Al Janahi, while the Under-12 group featured Amer Al Hamadi. In the Under-10 division, rising star Khaled Al Jumaat joined Asma Al Hamadi. The youngest on the team, Abdulaziz Al Muhassna, competed in the Under-8 category.
President of QCA Mohammed Al Mudahka expressed satisfaction with the results of this championship, highlighting that the participation offered the male and female players an incredible chance to engage with various schools, in addition to elevating the international classification, culminating in reaping honored results. The tournament broke the record in terms of participation and accorded global titles to those who clinched first ranks, something that substantially enhances the value of this achievement and catalyzes the continuation of work ahead of the forthcoming participations, Al Mudahka added.
Executive Director of QCA, Hamad Al Tamimi, affirmed that this success was a product of the strategic vision embraced by the association which is centered on advancing chess domestically through investing in various age groups and ramping up regional and global participations.