KUWAIT CITY, Jan 6: Kuwait team delegation is set to return today following the conclusion of its external camp, named the "Blue" camp, held in Slovenia and Croatia. This preparation was geared towards their participation in the 21st Asian Handball Championship, which also served as the "2025 World Cup Qualifiers," scheduled to take place in the Kingdom of Bahrain from January 11-25. The team is placed in the first group alongside Qatar, Oman, and China Taipei.

During the European camp, Kuwait engaged in several trial matches against the Slovenian Olympic team, the Saudi team, and the Georgian team. The technical staff, led by Algerian Saeed Hegazy and Mohamed Masoudan, worked diligently to finalize the lineup for the team's opening match against Oman on the 12th. This process included focusing on both physical and technical aspects, as well as strategic plans for offensive and defensive plays.

Faisal Siwan, the director of the national teams in the Handball Federation, commended the European camp, highlighting the players' commitment and the collective effort of the entire team, including players, technical, and administrative staff. Their goal is to make the most of the camp to present a strong performance in the upcoming Asian Championship and vie for a qualification spot in the 2025 World Cup.

In a separate development, the Spanish club Mallorca has submitted a loan request for Saleh Al-Moussawi, a prominent player from both the national team and Kuwaiti handball club. This request comes on the heels of Al-Moussawi's outstanding performances in recent tournaments, including the Asian Games in China, the 2024 Paris Olympics qualifiers in Qatar, the World Club World Cup in Dammam, and the Asian Club Championship in Kuwait.

Al-Moussawi, recognized as one of the top wingers in Asia, has garnered numerous personal awards for his exceptional contributions, being consistently named the best player in matches and securing a spot in the best squad at various tournaments.

Khaled El Anzi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff