Al-Salmiya seeks to strengthen its lead in the league.

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 19: The eighth round of the preliminary phase of the Handball League wraps up with two matches at the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Indoor Halls Complex. Al-Salmiya will face Al-Qurain at 6:30 pm, while Al-Arabi takes on Al-Yarmouk at 5:00 pm.

Al-Salmiya leads the standings with 12 points and is keen to solidify its position and edge closer to securing a spot in the Premier League, reserved for the top six teams in the preliminary round. Al-Qurain, currently in seventh place with 7 points, aims to deliver a strong performance and secure a positive result to remain in contention for qualification.

In the second matchup, Al-Arabi is the clear favorite, facing an Al-Yarmouk side that has yet to earn a point after six rounds. Al-Arabi enters the game in second place with 10 points, while Al-Yarmouk languishes in 13th place.

The league follows a single-round format in its preliminary stage. The top six teams will advance to the Premier League, which will adopt a three-division format, with teams carrying forward points earned in the initial phase. Teams ranked seventh to fourteenth will compete in a two-division league to determine final rankings. Matches involving Kuwait and Kazma have been postponed to November 23 due to their participation in the ongoing Asian Championship in Doha, Qatar.

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff