MANAMA, Jan 24: Kuwait is set to play its final match in the 21st Asian Handball Championship, which also serves the"2025 World Cup Qualifiers,", when it plays Bahrain for the bronze medal at 4:00 pm. Subsequently, the Asian title final between Qatar and Japan will take place at 6:30 pm.

The four teams have already secured qualification for the upcoming World Cup, slated to take place from January 14 to February 2, 2025, in Croatia, Denmark, and Norway.In the semi-finals, Kuwait suffered a second defeat against Qatar, setting the stage for today's bronze medal match.

Leading up to the Asian Championship, Kuwait underwent preparation through an external camp held in Slovenia and Croatia, featuring a series of official matches.This marks the ninth time that Kuwait has qualified for the World Championship in its history, ending a 15-year absence. The team's previous qualifications were in 1982, 1995, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, and the most recent in 2009.

In a recent announcement, the Minister of State for Youth Affairs revealed a set of rewards for teams achieving international success. The handball team is set to receive 2,000 dinars for securing the bronze medal at the Asian Games held last September in China, along with an additional 5,000 dinars for qualifying for the World Cup.

Should Kuwait clinch the bronze medal, each player will be awarded 2,000 dinars. Following their World Cup qualification, the Handball Federation declared a financial reward of 1,000 dinars for each player, as well as the technical and administrative staff.

Khaled El Anzi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff