Qatar’s fencing team is gearing up for a significant milestone as they prepare for the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Scheduled from September 19 to October 4, this event marks Qatar’s ambitious quest for its first-ever medal in fencing at the Asian Games.
Meet the Fencing Team
The Qatari delegation comprises nine skilled fencers, including Ali Turki Awida, Khalid Arif Hussein, Abdullah Ismail Khalifa, Abdulrahman Bourghrib, Abdulrahman Al-Jadra, Mohammed Abdulali, Yousef Abdul-Tawab, Ali Al-Khalif, and the team’s female competitor, Isabelle Bettadini. These athletes are part of a more extensive contingent of 243 Qatari participants—184 men and 59 women—competing across 26 sports at the Games. Zamel Al-Shammari, a board member of the Qatar Fencing Federation, leads the delegation, along with coaches Ines Boubakri, Alvaro Felipe Monteiro, and Hugues Thierry Dergal, who bring their experience and expertise to the team’s training.
Intensive Training Regimen
In preparation for this pivotal moment, the athletes have undergone rigorous training. The male fencers held a camp at Aspire Academy from August 23 to 29, while their female counterparts trained in Italy from August 17 to 25. As the competition approaches, both squads will finalize their preparations with an additional training camp in Tokyo from September 13 to 20. The Aspire Academy camp included 66 fencers from various countries, such as the Netherlands, Greece, and Argentina, allowing the Qatari team to sharpen their skills against diverse international styles.
Khalid Suwaid, a senior administrative expert at the Qatar Fencing Federation, highlighted the importance of this training camp, noting its role in elevating the team’s spirit and readiness. Suwaid shared with Qatar News Agency that the team aims to vie for a top-four finish among Asian nations and secure medals, emphasizing that their goal now extends beyond mere participation in the Games.
Historical Context and Recent Successes
Qatar made its debut in fencing at the Asian Games during the 2006 event when it was hosted in Doha. Since then, they’ve competed in every subsequent edition, including Guangzhou 2010, Incheon 2014, Jakarta-Palembang 2018, and Hangzhou 2023, without achieving a medal until recently. In 2025, Qatar’s épée team garnered its first Asian medal by clinching silver at the Asian Fencing Championships for under-23s in Kuala Lumpur—a crucial milestone, as they lost the final to Uzbekistan by a narrow margin.
This success was part of a trend of strong performances, including four medals at the 2023 World Combat Games in Riyadh, where Qatar secured gold and bronze in various categories. The 2025 West Asian Championships also brought home 12 medals, showcasing the team’s growing prowess on the continent.
A Bright Future Ahead
Emerging talent complements the seasoned athletes in the Qatari fencing team. Notably, Isabelle Bettadini demonstrated her potential by reaching the quarterfinals at the Asian Junior Fencing Championships in Singapore last month. This blend of experience and youthful enthusiasm bodes well for Qatar as they pursue their first medal in fencing at the Asian Games. With rigorous training, a committed delegation, and a treasure trove of recent accomplishments, Qatar enters this championship poised to make history on the international stage.