Doha, Qatar: Brace yourselves, for we have selected a list of top sporting events this week, covering the different interests of Qatar’s diverse sports audience. Be it basketball or cue sports, this week promises a very entertaining sports-watching session for all.
AFC Champions League Elite
Qatari teams are back in Asian action this week at the AFC Champions League Elite. On Monday, reigning Ooredoo Stars League champions Al Sadd will take on Emirati outfit Al Wasl in the UAE, while Al Gharafa travel to Iran to take on the country’s record league title holders Persepolis. Finally, Al Rayyan travel to Uzbekistan to take on Pakhtakor on Tuesday.
Date and Time: (Al Wasl v. Al Sadd) November 4; 5pm
Date and Time: (Persepolis v. Al Gharafa) November 4; 7pm
Date and Time: (Pakhtakor v. Al Rayyan) November 5; 7pm
PIBAQ big game
Barangay Malasakit Boss Lorens basketball team celebrates after winning PIBAQ's 34th Rising League Championships on November 1, 2024.
Ready for live hoops action? Pinoy Basketball In Qatar (PIBAQ), the premier Filipino basketball league in the country, has you covered.
This Friday, Qatar Foundation take on Stallions Najeh Sportswear at the UDST Multipurpose Hall in PIBAQ’s Premier League Division. The event is free to attend.
PIBAQ was founded by a group of passionate basketball enthusiasts with the aim of creating a dedicated platform with the purpose of cultivating sportsmanship, unity, and camaraderie among Overseas Filipino Workers in Qatar.
Date and Time: November 8; 10:30am
Venue: University of Doha for Science & Technology (UDST) Multipurpose Hall
Cricket fanatics gear up!
Pakistan's captain Shan Masood (2L) and teammate Abdullah Shafique (L) shake hands with England's Harry Brook (2R) and Joe Root at the end of the third and final Test cricket match between Pakistan and England at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on October 26, 2024. (Photo by Aamir QURESHI / AFP)
Pakistan and Australia are set to face off in a three-match ODI series, marking their first encounter since last year’s ODI World Cup.
Australia go into the series fresh from a hard-fought 3-2 victory over England in September, though they’ll surely be thinking ahead to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Meanwhile, Pakistan bounced back from a rough beginning in their home Test series against England, ultimately winning 2-1 on big spinning wickets.
Date and Time: November 4; 6:30am
India is gearing up to kick off their 2024 South Africa Tour with a four-match T20I series, beginning on Friday, November 8, at Kingsmead Cricket Ground. This series marks the first time South Africa and India face-off since the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup final.
India's Hardik Pandya (R) bowls during the ICC men's Twenty20 World Cup 2024 final cricket match between India and South Africa at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, on June 29, 2024. (Photo by Chandan Khanna / AFP)
Date and Time: November 8; 5:30pm
England are also set to tour the West Indies, with the action set to unfold at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. The series is currently tied 1-1, with England having one the last encounter by 5 wickets.
Matthew Forde (R) of West Indies congratulate Liam Livingstone (L) of England for winning the 2nd ODI match between West Indies and England at Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium in North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda, on November 2, 2024. (Photo by Randy Brooks / AFP)
Date and Time: November 6; 9pm
UEFA Champions League
The biggest football championship on earth is on this week, with some very exciting matches up ahead.
Reigning champions Real Madrid are set to host Italian giants AC Milan in a classic matchup that brings together the tournament’s two most successful sides.
Date and Time: November 5; 11pm
English side Liverpool are set to host German champion Bayer Leverkusen 04 in a game that could also be a great contender for game of the week, with both teams known for playing high pressing, physical football.
Date and Time: November 5; 11pm
Another heavyweight clash will see French outfit PSG host Atletico Madrid in a match that is guaranteed to full of action.
Date and Time: November 6; 11pm
Last but certainly not least, Italian champions Inter are set to host Premier League runner-ups Arsenal in what is also expected to be a very contested matchup with two sides that will surely bring it all.
Date and Time: November 6; 11pm
WTA Finals
Italy's Jasmine Paolini (R) hits a return against Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina during their women's singles tennis match at the WTA Finals Championship in Riyadh on November 2, 2024. (Photo by Fayez NURELDINE / AFP)
The Women’s Tennis Association finals are taking place in Riyadh from November 3 to November 8. Iga Swiatek, the current women’s champion, is set to begin her title defense against Barbora Krejčíková on November 3, Sunday, followed by an all-American bout when Coco Gauff, world number 3, takes on Jessica Pegula, world number 6.
Date and Time: (Swiatek v. Barbora) November 3; 3:30pm
Date and Time: (Gauff v. Pegula) November 3; 6pm
World number 1 Aryna Sabalenka will play the next day, against the very tough world number 3 Jasmine Paolini, while record breaker Qinwen Zheng, the first Asian tennis player to win gold at the singles Olympics (Paris 2024) will be in a surely exciting matchup against Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina, ranked the number 5 female tennis player in the world.
The final match is scheduled to take place on November 9.
Date and Time: (Rybakina v. Zheng) November 4; 3:30pm
Date and Time: (Sabalenka v. Paolini) November 4; 6pm
World Snooker Tour’s International Tournament
Representational image. Pic by: Gislane Dijkstra on Unsplash
Get ready for all the exciting action from the South New City National Fitness Center (SNCNFC) in Nanjing, China, as the world’s best battle it out for £175,000 ($226,240) out of a total prize fund of £825,000 ($1,065,941).
Defending champion Zhang Anda, World champion Kyren Wilson, snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan, and a number of other top performers are set to be in action on Sunday.
Date and Time: November 3; 2:30pm onwards
