KUWAIT - Led by high jump superstar Mutaz Essa Barshim, Qatar’s track and field athletes will target a bright show when the third GCC Games begin in Kuwait on Friday.

The 19-day event, which ends on May 31, will see competitions in athletics and six other disciplines start well ahead of the opening ceremony,

which is scheduled for May 22. The opening ceremony will be held at the Rafael Nadal Academy in the Sheikh Jaber Al Abdullah International Tennis Complex.

The women’s 100M and 400M finals are among the 11 track and field events scheduled for the opening day at the Ahmed Al Rashdan athletics track.

More than 2000 athletes will compete in a total of 17 disciplines across 12 venues during the Games. The disciplines are: athletics, 3x3 basketball,

basketball, cycling (road), e-sports, fencing, futsal, handball, ice hockey, judo, karate, padel, shooting, swimming, tennis, table tennis and volleyball.

Qatar’s volleyball, handball and athletics teams as well as the nation’s talented stars in individual sports -- paddler Abdul Wahab, fencer

Haya Diab and Tokyo Olympics rower Tala Abujbara who will compete in cycling -- will be targeting podium finishes.

The first two editions of the GCC Games were held in Bahrain (2011) and Saudi Arabia (2015).

The 2022 edition has many firsts associated with it. It will be the first time women athletes will take part in the Games. Three new disciplines

have been added to this year’s event – men’s and women’s table tennis, women’s 3x3 basketball and women’s futsal. Also featuring in the Games for the first time will be women’s competitions in e-sports, athletics and cycling.

Source: Qatar Olympic Committee