MANAMA, Jan 10: The 21st edition of the Asian Men’s Handball Championship, serving as the "2025 World Cup Qualifiers," kicks off at Bahrain's Khalifa Sports Hall. Sixteen teams, grouped into four, will compete until the tournament's culmination on the 25th of this month.

The opening day features four matches, starting with the UAE facing Hong Kong in Group Four. The action continues in Group Three with clashes between India and Iraq, followed by Japan versus Saudi Arabia. The host nation, Bahrain, concludes the day's matches against Kazakhstan in Group Four. The Qatari and Chinese Taipei teams join the UAE and Hong Kong in Group One, with the Kuwait making its debut tomorrow against Oman at 5:00 pm.

The tournament format dictates that the top two teams from each group progress to the main round, where they will compete in two groups. The subsequent stage sees the first and second-placed teams from each group advancing to the semi-finals, securing qualification for the upcoming World Championship.

The Kuwaiti national handball team, led by Handball Federation Secretary-General Qayed Al-Adwani, is part of the competition. The delegation includes Treasurer Khaled Talib, Federation member Mubarak Al-Daihani, administrative staff represented by National Teams Director Faisal Siwan, and First Team Director Abdulaziz Al-Zaabi. The technical staff, headed by Algerian Saeed Hegazy, comprises his compatriot Mohamed Masoudan, physical trainer Issam Al-Lahyani, physiotherapist Mohamed Mahdi, goalkeeper coach Ayman Al-Sheikh, and team worker Masoud Rana.

Kuwait squad comprises 20 players, including goalkeepers Mahdi Khan, Abdulaziz Al-Dhafiri, and Hassan Safar. In preparation for the championship, the team underwent external training in Slovenia and Croatia, engaging in several test matches.

A brief historical overview notes the inaugural Asian Handball Championship in 1977, hosted in Kuwait and won by the Japanese team. South Korea holds the record for the most titles with eight, followed by Qatar with five titles in the last five editions. Kuwait's  secured four titles in 1995, 2002, 2004, and 2006, joining the exclusive group of teams to win the Asian Men's Handball title.

Khaled El Anzi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff