Alkass Digital
The Qatari chess team clinched the silver medal in Category E at the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad held in Budapest, Hungary, with participation from 190 countries.
The national squad comprised five players: Hussein Aziz, Irfan Mohammed, Mohammed Al Qassabi, Hamad Al Kuwari, and Turki Al Kuwari. Notably, Hamad Al Kuwari earned the title of Candidate Master (CM).
The teams were divided into five categories: A, B, C, D, and E. India made history by winning both the men’s and women’s titles.
In addition to their team victories, India also took home four individual gold medals as the tournament concluded in the Hungarian capital on Sunday.
The USA secured silver in the men’s event with Uzbekistan taking bronze. In the women’s competition, Kazakhstan earned silver while the USA settled for bronze.
Additionally, Mohammed Al Mudahka, President of the Qatar Chess Federation, attended the General Assembly meetings of the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
Several notable figures were present, including Ju Shen, FIDE Treasurer, and Hamad Al Tamimi, Advisor to the Competitions Committee and Executive Director of the Qatar Chess Federation. International arbiter Hussein Al Haddad and federation referee Sara Al Mahandi officiated the Olympiad.
Al Mudahka expressed satisfaction with the Qatari team’s performance and commended the players' efforts. He emphasized that winning the silver medal would positively impact the players' rankings and confirmed that the federation will persist in its initiatives to improve the skills of national team members in preparation for future competitions.
He also noted that the Qatari teams are preparing for the Arab Age Group Championship, scheduled to take place in Tunisia at the end of October.