Qatar to not participate in Arab Football Championship

DOHA

Qatar will not participate in the 2018 Arab Football Club Championship due in July, chairman of the Saudi General Sport Authority has said. 

In a statement on Twitter on March 29, Turki al-Sheikh said he notified Qatar that the country will not participate in the championship due to take place in Morocco between July 22 and Aug. 6.

Al-Sheikh did not give a reason for the decision, which came amid tensions between the Qatar and other Gulf nations.

Qatar blacklisted 20 people and eight organizations on March 22 as “terrorist,” nine months after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt cut diplomatic and trade ties with it, accusing Doha of bankrolling Islamist extremists.

Qatar denies the charges.