Players fighting for the ball.

KUWAIT CITYThe quarter-finals of the 56th edition of the Handball Federation Cup are set to kick off at the Saad Al-Abdullah Complex Hall. Defending champion Kuwait Club will face Burgan at 5:00 pm followed by Al-Sulaibikhat vs. Al-Salmiya at 6:30 pm. The quarter-finals will conclude tomorrow with Al-Qadsiya taking on Kazma and Al-Nasr battling Al-Arabi. The tournament will wrap up on October 7.

Kuwait Club earned a direct quarter-final spot as last season's league and cup champions, while Burgan advanced by defeating Al-Qurain 34-30 in the preliminary round. Al-Sulaibikhat qualified by beating Al-Fahaheel 38-28, and Al-Salmiya secured its spot with a 26-23 victory over Al-Yarmouk. Group Two’s preliminary matches saw Kazma thrash Al-Sahel 42-15, Al-Nasr dominates Al-Tadamon 44-24, and Al-Arabi edge Khaitan 27-26.

The Handball Federation had postponed the 56th Cup competition from last season, scheduling it for the start of this season in a knockout format with 14 teams, while Al-Jahra and Al-Shabab remain absent. Kuwait Club holds the record for the most Cup titles with 13, followed by Al-Arabi with 10, Al-Salmiya and Kazma with eight each, Al-Qadsiya with seven, Khaitan with four, Al-Fahaheel with three, and Al-Sulaibikhat with two.

Following the Cup, the Merger League Championship will begin on October 9 and run until March 2025. In November, matches involving Kuwait and Kazma will be postponed due to their participation in the Asian Club Championship in Qatar, though the league will continue. The competition will pause on December 6 for Kuwait’s national team to prepare for the World Cup in January 2025, with an optional tournament held during the break, concluding on January 13.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff