Proud to raise Qatar's flag, says Hemeida as athletes chase more medals

Doha [Qatar], September 29: Bassem Hemeida lived up to the expecations as he won gold in the men's 400m gold on another raining day at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium on Monday.
The 26-year-old Hemeida, who previously won silver at the Hangzhou Asian Games, on this occasion held off Japan's 17-year-old Taiju Goto to put Qatar on top of the podium. Hemeida clocked 47.82 seconds to edge Goto, who clocked 47.93. Chinese Taipei's Chung-wei Lin took bronze in 48.74, a personal best. The race was closely contested, with Hemeida and Goto running virtually together for much of the final. Hemeida, however, found another gear in the closing stages to pull clear and secure his first Asian Games gold.
A delighted Hemeida later said, his gold medal was a reward for years of hard work. "This medal is the result of a great deal of hard work since the previous Asian Games. Thankfully, that effort has culminated in winning the gold medal," he said.
"I am proud to raise Qatar's flag at the Asian Games and I look forward to achieving more in the future."
Hemeida said the absence of his team-mate and defending champion Abderrahman Samba, who missed the Games through injury, provided additional motivation. "His absence gave me additional motivation to produce my best performance, win the gold medal and ensure Qatar's presence on the podium," he said.
Hemeida also credited Khalifa Abdulmalik, Director of the National Teams, for helping him execute his race plan. "The credit for this strategy goes to Khalifa Abdulmalik, Director of the National Teams, who gives me advice and the right tactical guidance before every major race. That played a part in winning the gold medal," he said.
The victory was Qatar's third gold medal at Aichi-Nagoya 2026 and took the country's overall tally to seven medals: three gold, two silver and two bronze.
Qatar's first gold came through the men's skeet team of Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah, Rashid Saleh Al Athba and Ali Ahmed Al Ishaq, before Al Athba added a second gold in the individual event.
Hemeida's gold followed silver medals for karate athlete Abdulrahman Mustafa in the men's under-60kg event and Qatar's 3x3 basketball team. Abdullah Rashad Mohieddin Babiker won Qatar's first bronze in the men's under-84kg karate event.
Ibrahim wins bronze in steeplechase
Adding to Team Qatar's and the nation's joy was Zakaria Ibrahim, who won bronze in the men's 3000m steeplechase, finishing third in 8:18.13 on his Asian Games debut.
The 22-year-old, who was the youngest athlete in the event's final, said, "I am very happy to win the bronze medal. Although I was aiming for silver, I faced some difficulties, but I am delighted to be on the podium.
"This is my first appearance at the Asian Games, and thankfully I have won a bronze medal, which will be a great motivation for me in the future. I was also the youngest athlete in the final, and this experience will give me greater confidence and motivate me to pursue further achievements."
Zakaria thanked the Qatar Athletics Federation for its support and training camps, saying the preparation had helped the athletes reach the required level of readiness.
Meanwhile, Qatar's men's 4x400m relay team qualified for Tuesday's final after finishing second in the heats in 3:01.71, their best time of the season. Ismail Dawood, Youssef Abdulaziz Jebreen, Samer Mousa Hassan and Mohammed Kalla made up the quartet.
Saif Abdulsalam will compete in the men's pole vault final on Tuesday, while Abubaker Abdalla and Hatem Hameed will line up in the men's 800m final. The 4x400m relay team will also bid for a place on the podium.
Source: Qatar Tribune