Qatar men's national ice hockey team
Qatar's national team, IIHF member since 2012, remains unranked globally.
The Qatari national ice hockey team (Arabic: منتخب قطر لهوكي الجليد) is the national men's ice hockey team of Qatar, controlled by the Qatar Winter Sports Committee. It has been a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) since 18 May 2012. The team is currently not ranked in the IIHF World Ranking and has not entered any World Championship tournaments or Olympic Games, having played only once in the Challenge Cup of Asia Division I tournament in 2016.
Quick Facts
- Association
- Qatar Winter Sports Committee
- Coach
- Marius Gliga
- Asst Coach
- Nico Kivilahti / Jon Galang
- Iihf Code
- QAT
- First Game
- OMN 9–3 QAT · (Doha, Qatar; 28 February 2014)
- Largest Win
- QAT 7–2 OMN · (Kuwait City, Kuwait; 12 June 2014)
- Largest Loss
- PHI 14–2 QAT · (Sapporo, Japan; 23 February 2017)
- Regional Name
- Gulf Ice Hockey Championship
- Regional Cup Apps
- 2
- Regional Cup First
- 2014
- Regional Cup Best
- 2nd (2016)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Ice hockey was mostly unknown in Qatar until the establishment of the first Qatar Ice Hockey Championship, organized by the Sports Affairs Department of the Qatar Olympic Committee, with four teams including Qatari, Canadian, English, Czech, and Finnish players. The national team participated at the 2017 Asian Winter Games in Sapporo, Japan. The country has two ice rinks (Gondolania Ice Arena and City Centre Mall) and a two-division hockey league providing official competition; the six teams for 2009–10 were RasGas, Sandvipers, Qatar Qanucks, European Fitness Club, Sundogs, and CNAQ Breakers.
On 18 May 2012, Qatar was added as an official IIHF member. Qatar played its first game against Oman, losing 2–1. In 2014, Qatar participated in the Gulf Ice Hockey Championship, playing five games, losing four and winning one, earning the bronze medal with a 7–2 victory over Oman. In 2018, Qatar was scheduled to compete in the Challenge Cup of Asia Division I tournament in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, but cancelled. Qatar currently sits 31st in the Asian men’s ice hockey national team rankings, according to AsianIceHockey.com.
Reader's Guide
Qatar's national ice hockey team represents a nascent hockey program in a region where the sport was largely unknown. Its significance lies in its rapid organizational development: within a few years of the first domestic championship, the team gained IIHF membership and competed in regional tournaments such as the Gulf Ice Hockey Championship (earning a bronze medal in 2014) and the Challenge Cup of Asia Division I (2016). The team's participation in the 2017 Asian Winter Games marked its highest-profile appearance. However, Qatar has not entered World Championship or Olympic events and remains unranked in the IIHF World Ranking. The team's legacy is tied to the growth of ice hockey infrastructure in Qatar, including two ice rinks and a multi-division league, and its role in expanding the sport in the Persian Gulf region. The cancellation of the 2018 Challenge Cup appearance highlights the challenges faced by emerging hockey nations.
Did You Know?
- Qatar became an IIHF member on 18 May 2012.
- Qatar's first international game was a 2–1 loss to Oman.
- Qatar won a bronze medal at the 2014 Gulf Ice Hockey Championship, defeating Oman 7–2.
More in International and Olympic Ice Hockey, Part 2 1-24
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