The much-awaited 4th GCC Games will get underway tomorrow (Monday) at the Al Shaqab Arena in Doha. The mega sports event, which will last from May 11 to 22, will feature more than a thousand athletes from six Gulf countries.
The games will begin with a grand ceremony attended by the presidents of the Olympic committees of various Gulf countries and high-ranking officials. A special musical program (Operetta) titled ‘One Gulf, One Heart’, based on the theme of unity and brotherhood of the Gulf countries, will also be staged as part of the opening ceremony.
The competitions will be held in a total of 17 sports.
- The main events are: handball, athletics, volleyball, swimming, basketball (3×3), tennis, boxing, shooting, horse racing, etc.
- Women’s participation: The strong participation of women athletes in about seven events including athletics, shooting, and archery is a special feature this time.
- Qatar’s presence: About 300 athletes are participating in various events representing the host country, Qatar.
Although the opening ceremony will be held on Monday, the official competitions will begin on Tuesday. Swimming competitions will be held at the Hamad Aquatic Center on Tuesday and basketball competitions at the Al Gharafa Club Hall. Various competitions will be held in the following days at the Aspire Dome, Lusail Shooting Range, and Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium. The sports festival will conclude with a karate competition on May 21.
Qatar aims to present one of the best tournaments in the Gulf region by utilizing world-class sports infrastructure. Countries such as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia topped the medal table in previous GCC Games. Qatar is hoping to achieve a better result on home soil this time.
