Kuwaiti players prepare for the first International Championship.

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 4: The technical staff of the Kuwait handball team has unveiled the roster for the upcoming first Kuwait International Championship, set to take place at the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Complex Hall from November 6-9. This inaugural tournament will feature competing teams from Bahrain, Tunisia, and Cape Verde.

The roster includes 18 players: Abdulaziz Al-Shammari, Haidar Dashti, Saif Al-Adwani, Mohammed Amer, Fawaz Mubarak, Abdullah Al-Khamis, Fawaz Al-Shammari, Saleh Al-Raghib, Abdulaziz Daif, Abdulrahman Saeed, Ali Naseer, Mishaal Al-Harbi, Saleh Ali, Mohammed Al-Sanea, Abdulrahman Al-Shammari, Mohammed Ali, Hassan Safar, and Mohammed Bouyabes.

The technical team, led by Algerian coach Saeed Hijazi, includes assistant coach Mohammed Masoudan, goalkeeper coach Marwan Al-Maqaiz, technical analyst Ayman Al-Sheikh, physical therapist Mehdi Al-Bakoush, national teams manager Faisal Saywan, and team administrator Abdulaziz Al-Zaabi.

According to the tournament schedule, the opening day will feature Tunisia facing Bahrain and Kuwait taking on Cape Verde. The following day, Tunisia will play against Cape Verde, and Kuwait will compete against Bahrain. The tournament will conclude on November 9 with Bahrain playing Cape Verde and Kuwait facing Tunisia.

This friendly tournament serves as a vital preparation for the national handball team ahead of their participation in the 29th edition of the 2025 World Cup, which will be held from January 14 to February 2 in Croatia, Denmark, and Norway. The "Blue" team will begin their World Cup journey against Austria in Group Three on January 16, followed by matches against France and Qatar.

Additionally, the Bahraini handball team arrived in Kuwait yesterday in preparation for the tournament. Notably, the event will also include a retirement match for former national team and Al-Salmiya Club star Abdulaziz Al-Zaabi, which will take place during the match between Kuwait and Bahrain, under the patronage of Sheikh Ahmed Al-Youssef Al-Sabah.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff