Olympics: Third Qatar woman books London seat

DOHA: Air rifle shooter Bahiaal Hamad has been confirmed as the third woman in the Qatar team to compete at the London Olympics, according to the Qatar Olympic Committee. Hamad, 19, was Qatar’s most successful athlete at the 2011 Arab Games. She joins swimmer Mohammed Wafa Arakji and 100 and 200 metres sprinter Nooral Malki in the Qatar team. “We are absolutely delighted that we have been able to secure another place for one of our young female athletes at London 2012,” Qatar Olympic Committee general secretary Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahmanal Thani said in a statement. Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Brunei have never sent women athletes to the Olympics.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 9^th, 2012.