Aspire Academy congratulates athletes on Arab Games success

Aspire Academy’s pole vault champion Seif Hemeida. © Aspire Academy
Aspire Academy’s pole vault champion Seif Hemeida. © Aspire Academy

Doha, Qatar, July 17, 2023: As the 15th Arab Games drew to a close in Algeria on Friday, July 14, Qatar returned home with a total of 22 medals across eight different disciplines, with 13 of those won by Aspire Academy student-athletes and graduates.

Aspire Academy is proud that its student-athletes and graduates won medals in athletics, fencing, gymnastics and table tennis – with a total of five gold medals, one silver and seven bronze.

The medals at another international event again highlight the success of the ongoing close working relations with various national associations – including the Qatar Athletics Federation, Qatar Fencing Federation, Qatar Table Tennis Association and the Qatar Gymnastics Federation.

ATHLETICS

Aspire Academy’s Seif Hemeida (Seifeddine Mohamed Abdessalem), 18, won pole vault gold with 5.51 metres – breaking his Qatar national record of 5.50m.

His older brother and Aspire Academy graduate Bassem Hemeida matched him with gold in the 400m hurdles.

There was also gold for another graduate, Mohamed Ibrahim Moaaz, as he threw a new personal best of 62.48m to win the discus. 

Graduate Ahmed Amgad Al-Seify won silver in the hammer with a throw of 69.61m while current part-time athlete Oumar Doudai Abakar clinched a bronze with a personal best of 14.20s in the 110m hurdles.

FENCING

Qatar claimed a total of five medals in fencing with two gold and three bronze thanks to Aspire Academy student-athletes and graduates.

Ali Turki Owaida took gold in the individual foil competition as fellow graduate Abdalla Khalifa clinched bronze.

The duo then teamed up with another Aspire Academy alumni, Khaled Aref, to take the team foil title.

There was further success in the epee events with current student-athlete Meshal Alqahtani winning a bronze medal in the individual event.

He also claimed bronze in the team event with two of his classmates - Mohammed Al Oulan and Mohammed Al Hazzaa and Jaber Al Fadaaq, who graduated last month.

GYMNASTICS

Rakan Al-Harith Rakan, who graduated from Aspire Academy in 2022, added to Qatar’s medal tally as he won bronze on the pommel horse. 

TABLE TENNIS

There was a bronze in the men’s team event for graduates Ahmed Khalil, Mohammed Abdulwahab, Abdullah Abdulwhab, Fahed Almughanne and Ahmed Alawlaqi.

Mohamed Abdulwahab and Ahmed Khalil then teamed up to win their second bronze of the games in the men's doubles.