KUWAIT CITY, Sept 15: The 39th edition of the Arab Handball Clubs Championship for League and Cup Champions will kick off, hosted by Kuwait Club from September 16-26. Ten clubs are set to participate, divided into two groups following the draw. Group One features the titleholder and host Kuwait Club, alongside Al-Ahly of Qatar, Al-Karkh of Iraq, Al-Qoton of Yemen, and Al-Salmiya of Kuwait. Group Two includes Al-Bank Al-Ahly of Egypt, Al-Gharafa of Qatar, Maliha of the UAE, Al-Hashd of Iraq, and Al-Qadsiya of Kuwait.

The opening day at the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Complex Hall in Sabah Al-Salem will see four matches. The schedule starts at 2:00 pm with Al-Hashd vs. Al-Ahly Bank, followed by Al-Salmiya vs. Al-Ahly at 4:00 pm. At 6:00 pm, Al-Qadsiya will take on Al-Gharafa, and the day concludes with the Kuwait Club vs. Al-Qoton match at 8:00 pm.

Notably, several clubs withdrew before the draw, including Algeria’s Mouloudia Bordj Bou Arreridj and Olympique El Wadi, as well as Al-Huda of Saudi Arabia and Al-Sha’la of Yemen. Mudhar of Saudi Arabia withdrew after the draw. Kuwait is the defending champion. Kuwait will be represented for the first time, by three teams, offering a strong opportunity for one or more to reach the final and retain the title that the "Sons of Kaifan" won in the last edition.

Historically, Tunisia’s Esperance leads with seven Arab Championship titles, followed by Egypt’s Al-Ahly with five. Tunisia’s Etoile and Algeria’s Mouloudia have each claimed three titles. Teams such as Al-Ahly, Al-Nour, and Al-Khaleej of Saudi Arabia, as well as Tunisia’s African Club and Algeria’s Naft Wahran, have won two titles each. The championship has also been won by clubs from the UAE, Algeria, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, and Tunisia.

The Whites participate with key professionals including Qatar’s Frankis Marzo and Portugal’s Angel Hernandez, along with Egyptian Mamdouh Hashem and Portugal’s Semedo, coached by Haitham Al-Rashidi. The "Yellow" team relies on Montenegro’s Vladan, Egypt’s Abdullah Farouk, and Bahraini goalkeeper Mohammed Abdulhussain, under the leadership of Croatian coach Slavko Klosa. Meanwhile, the "Sky Blues" are led by Tunisian Mohammed Al-Soussi and German Valentin Spon, alongside tournament professionals including Brazilian Vinicius and Tunisian Anwar bin Abdullah, coached by Yaqoub Al-Moussawi.

Chairman of the Organizing Committee, Sameh Al-Hajri, warmly welcomed the participating Arab teams and acknowledged the efforts of the Kuwait Club’s board, led by Khaled Al-Ghanem, to ensure smooth tournament preparations. He promised that the championship would be presented at its best, highlighting the strong technical level expected given the history of the competing clubs. Al-Hajri also noted the hard work of the organizing committees, which have been diligently preparing for the event, ensuring no detail is overlooked. The Arab delegations were greeted at Kuwait International Airport, except for teams from Iraq and Yemen, which arrived via land borders.

Secretary-General of the Arab Handball Federation, Fakher Al-Ghashi, expressed his confidence in Kuwait Club’s ability to deliver a well-organized tournament. He welcomed the teams back to Kuwait, the "country of friendship and peace," and wished them success, anticipating a high level of competition that showcases the development of Arab handball.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff