Bahrain step up preparations for handball world championships

TDT | Manama                      

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com   

Bahrain’s senior men’s national handball team have stepped up their preparations locally for their participation in the 28th International Handball Federation (IHF) Men’s Handball World Championship, taking place in January.

The nationals continue to train under head coach Aron Kristjansson from Iceland at the Bahrain Handball Association arena in Um Al Hassam.

The worlds will be held from 11 to 29 January, to be co-hosted by Poland and Sweden, with the Bahrainis amongst 32 national teams from across the globe taking part.

Bahrain Olympic Committee vice-president His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa visited one of the team’s practices and spoke with the squad’s players and officials.

HH Shaikh Isa was accompanied by BOC secretary general Faris Al Kooheji, BOC member and Bahrain Handball Association president Ali Isa, and other officials.

The BOC deputy chief delivered a message of encouragement to the national team and wished them all the best in the world championship.

The Bahrainis are scheduled to compete in a warm-up tournament in Spain early next month prior to the worlds.

The other participating nations there are Argentina, Romania and the host Spaniards.

Argentina and Spain are also playing in the global showcase.

Bahrain are in Group H alongside Denmark, Belgium and Tunisia.

The 32 nations from five confederations have been divided into eight groups for the tournament’s preliminary stage.

The upcoming event will mark Bahrain’s fifth appearance at global handball’s premier competition, and fourth straight.

The nationals had previously also played in the 2011, 2017, 2019 and 2021 editions.