Doha, 5 October 2026 – The Qatar national padel team received a warm welcome upon its arrival in Doha following its historic gold medal victory in the men’s competition at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games in Japan, marking padel’s first appearance on the official programme of the Games.
The delegation was welcomed at Hamad International Airport by H.E. Nasser bin Ghanim Al Khelaifi, President of the Qatar Tennis, Squash, Padel and Badminton Federation; Mr. Tareq Zainal, Secretary-General of the Federation and President of the Asian Padel Federation; and Mr. Khalid Al Khulaifi, Board Member and Chairman of the National Teams Committee, alongside several federation officials. The players were greeted with flowers in celebration of their historic achievement.
Brothers Mashari and Rashed Nawaf secured Qatar’s first-ever men’s padel gold medal in Asian Games history after defeating Malaysia’s Christian Chin and Aidan Yunus in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1, in the final.
The Qatari duo had advanced to the final after overcoming Iran’s Hami Golestan and Arya Roghani in the semi-finals, winning 6-4, 6-2.
Speaking on the occasion, H.E. Nasser bin Ghanim Al Khelaifi described the achievement as a source of great pride for Qatari sport. He congratulated the players, coaching staff and administrative team on their outstanding performances and the tremendous efforts they demonstrated throughout the competition.
He added that the victory reflects the significant progress of padel in Qatar and is the result of the continued support and care provided to Qatari sport by the country’s wise leadership.
H.E. Al Khelaifi emphasized that winning the gold medal in padel’s debut at the Asian Games makes the achievement particularly special and serves as a strong motivation to continue building on this success in upcoming competitions.
He reaffirmed the Federation’s commitment to providing the players with all necessary support and ensuring their preparation at the highest level, with the aim of strengthening Qatar’s presence in continental and international competitions and achieving further success for Qatari sport.
For his part, Mr. Tareq Zainal stated that the historic triumph marks the beginning of a new chapter for the national team as it looks ahead to future competitions.
He expressed his confidence in the abilities of brothers Mashari and Rashed Nawaf, as well as the other members of the national team, while highlighting the team’s ambition to compete strongly at the upcoming World Championships.
