MANAMA, Nov 11: The draw for the 21st edition of the Asian Men's Handball Championship, also serving as the 2025 World Cup Qualifiers, placed Kuwait in Group A alongside Qatar, the Sultanate of Oman, and Chinese Taipei. The draw took place in the Kingdom of Bahrain, set to host the Asian competitions from January 11-25, with the presence of Badr Al-Dhiyab, Vice President of the International Handball Federation for the Asian continent, and the President and members of the Bahrain Football Federation, along with representatives of the participating clubs.

Group B features Iran, South Korea, China, and New Zealand, while Group C includes Saudi Arabia, Iraq, India, and Japan. Group D consists of Bahrain, the Emirates, Hong Kong, and Kazakhstan.

Faisal Siwan, the director of the national teams at the Hand Federation, revealed that Kuwait will embark on a European camp in Slovenia, Croatia, and Hungary from December 15 to 17 in preparation for the Asian Championship. The camp will include several trial matches.

He noted that injured players Mohammed Amer and Abdulaziz Yassin, along with Al-Kuwait players currently involved in the World Club Championship, will be absent from training. Al-Qadsia players will also miss training during the Asian Club Championship starting next Friday.

Siwan expressed concerns about the lack of training facilities for the national teams, emphasizing the need for additional venues beyond the Da’iya hall. The junior team is currently training in the Al-Nasr hall, thanks to the club's management's approval and the accommodating game schedule, while the youth and senior teams practice in Da’iya during noon hours, which poses challenges for players balancing work commitments and family responsibilities.

In other news, Al-Kuwait suffered a loss to Egypt's Al-Ahly with a score of 25-35 at the Club World Cup Championship in Dammam. The defeat means "Al-Abyad" will face the losers of the match between Al-Najma Al-Bahraini and Al-Khaleej Al-Saudi to determine seventh and eighth places in the World Championship.

Al-Kuwait manager Haitham Al-Rashidi attributed the loss to Al-Ahly's superior physical performance throughout the match and the team's missed opportunities. He expressed dissatisfaction with the players' performance, citing injuries that needed attention before the Asian Club Championship.

Meanwhile, Al-Qadsia secured the services of Sulaibikhat professional Karl Tom, for his participation with the "Yellow" team in the upcoming Asian Club Championship.

Khaled El Anzi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff