Doha [Qatar], May 8: The Organizing Committee of the 4th GCC Games - Doha 2026 has officially approved the competition schedule for the event, set to commence on May 11, with broad participation from national teams representing all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
Athletes competing in the fourth edition will take part in 17 diverse sports: handball, table tennis, athletics, padel, fencing, boxing, taekwondo, karate, swimming, billiards, snooker, 3x3 basketball, shooting, archery, volleyball, equestrian, and bowling. Competitions will be staged across 10 state-of-the-art venues, including Aspire Dome, the Women's Sports Hall, Hamad Aquatic Centre, Qatar Sports Club, the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation Hall, Al Gharafa Sports Club, Lusail Shooting Range, Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club, Qatar Bowling Federation Hall, and Duhail Sports Hall.
Swimming events will kick off on May 12 at the Hamad Aquatic Centre and run for four days, alongside the start of 3x3 basketball competitions at Al Gharafa Sports Club for two days. Aspire Dome will host taekwondo events over two days, in addition to table tennis competitions continuing until May 17 at the same venue. Meanwhile, billiards competitions will run until May 15 at the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation Hall, while bowling events at the Qatar Bowling Centre will continue through May 17.
On May 13, equestrian events will begin at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club and continue until May 15. Aspire Dome will also host fencing competitions over three days and boxing over two days, while shooting events at Lusail Range will run until May 20.
Athletics competitions will commence on May 14 at Suhaim bin Hamad Stadium at Qatar Sports Club and continue for four days. Handball events will also begin at Duhail Sports Hall, running through to the final day on May 22.
Snooker competitions will take place from May 15 to 19, while volleyball events will run from May 16 to 19 at the Women's Sports Hall. Padel competitions at Aspire Dome will continue until May 20.
Archery events will begin on May 17 at Lusail Shooting Range and run until May 21, while karate competitions will be held on May 21 at Aspire Dome for one day.
Historically, the inaugural GCC Games were held in Manama, Bahrain, from October 11 to 22, 2011, featuring around 1,500 athletes from six nations competing in 11 sports. Qatar finished third with 20 medals (7 gold, 11 silver, 2 bronze).
The second edition took place in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, from October 12 to 26, 2015, with five participating nations and nearly 1,500 athletes competing in 15 sports. Qatar again secured third place with 59 medals (21 gold, 22 silver, 16 bronze).
The third edition was hosted by Kuwait from May 16 to 31, 2022, featuring over 1,500 athletes competing in 16 sports. Qatar placed fifth with a total of 52 medals (16 gold, 21 silver, 15 bronze).
Source: Qatar Tribune