ZAGREB, May 30: Kuwait has been assigned to Group C, alongside Qatar, France, and Austria, for the upcoming Handball World Championship. The championship is set to take place next year in Croatia, Norway, and Denmark in Zagreb, Croatia.

Kuwait qualified for the World Cup finals by finishing fourth in the 21st Asian Championship held in Bahrain last January. This will be the ninth time the " team has qualified for the World Cup, with previous appearances in 1982, 1995, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009 in Croatia.

Commenting on the draw, our national team coach, Saeed Hegazy, said, "Kuwait has been placed in a challenging group, but World Cup groups are always difficult." He added, "We are preparing rigorously, as all teams will be competitive. We must adhere to the Federation's roadmap, which includes several friendly matches."

In other news, Kuwait Club achieved a significant victory over Al-Qadisiya, avenging its previous defeat with a 34-26 win at the end of the Premier League's first leg. The match took place in the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Complex. This win widened its lead over Kazma to seven points, bringing it closer to securing the league shield for the 12th consecutive time. In other matches, Kazma defeated Burgan 29-25, while Al Arabi and Al Salmiya ended in a 28-28 draw.

Meanwhile, former national team star Faisal Siwan invited the president of the Sulaibikhat Club, Saad Enad, to attend his retirement festival, which will be held in the final round of the Premier League on June 9.

Group A: Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Switzerland
Group B: Denmark, Italy, Algeria, and Tunisia
Group C: Kuwait, France, Austria, and Qatar
Group D: Hungary, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, and Guinea
Group E: Norway, Brazil, Portugal, and the USA
Group F: Sweden, Spain, Japan, and Chile
Group G: Slovenia, Cuba, Iceland, and Cape Verde
Group H: Egypt, Croatia, Argentina, and Bahrain

Khaled El Anzi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff