Al-Sahil goalkeeper celebrates after making a save during the handball league game against Salmiya.

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 17: Al-Nasr (4 points) will go head-to-head with Al-Salmiya (4 points) at 6:00 pm on Saturday in the marquee clash of the third round of the Kuwait Handball League "Merge." The day's action kicks off at 4:30 pm with Khaitan (2 points) taking on Al-Sahel and wraps up at 7:30 pm. when Al-Arabi (4 points) faces Al-Sulaibikhat (2 points).

The third round will continue on Sunday and Monday, with matchups featuring Al-Qurain vs. Kazma, Al-Fahaheel vs. Kuwait Club, Al-Tadamon vs. Burgan, and Al-Yarmouk vs. Al-Qadsiya.

Heading into the third round, Kazma leads the standings with 4 points, edging out Al-Salmiya by a goal difference in second place. Kuwait Club holds third, followed by Al-Nasr in fourth and Al-Arabi in fifth. Khaitan is in sixth place with 2 points, ahead of Al-Fahaheel in seventh, Burgan in eighth, and Al-Sulaibikhat in ninth. Al-Qurain, Al-Qadsiya, Al-Yarmouk, Al-Sahel, and Al-Tadamon sit at the bottom of the table without any points, having lost their first two games.

The showdown between Al-Nasr and Al-Salmiya is tomorrow's highlight, with both teams sharing the same point tally. A win would secure the top spot for either side, while a loss would end their joint leadership. Both teams are expected to put in their best effort to secure the crucial points.

Al-Salmiya, coached by Yaqoub Al-Moussawi, has been impressive so far, finishing second in the Arab Championship and winning their first two rounds against Al-Sulaibikhat and Al-Sahel. Its key players include Tunisian Mohamed Al-Soussi and German Valentin Spohn. Al-Nasr, under Bosnian coach Dever, recently defeated last season's league runner-up Al-Qadsiya, and followed that with a victory over Al-Yarmouk. The team boasts Egyptian professional Mahmoud Noman and Algerian Al-Hajj Saduq.

The second week of the preliminary round wrapped up on Wednesday with victories for Kazma and Kuwait Club in two key matches.

Kazma dominated their first match, securing a commanding 37-14 win over Al-Tadamon, marking its second consecutive victory this season.

In the highlight of the week, Kuwait Club defeated Qadsia 28-21 in a fast-paced clash. Kuwait Club led 13-11 at halftime and maintained their momentum in the second half, handing Qadsia its second loss of the season.

Other results from the week include Burgan’s 28-25 win over Al-Fahaheel, Al-Nasr’s 31-25 victory over Al-Yarmouk, Al-Salmiya’s 30-22 triumph over Al-Sahel, and Al-Sulaibikhat’s 31-25 win against Al-Qurain.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff