Bahrain’s stars back in action in handball, football

TDT | Manama         

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain’s senior men’s national handball team and under-23 Olympic football team are back in action today in their respective competitions at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

The handball squad will be going up against Uzbekistan in their concluding Group C fixture, while the football team will play North Korea in a round-of-16 elimination contest.

In men’s handball, Bahrain are coming off a resounding 45-22 win over Kazakhstan in their opening game and will be looking to secure first place in their pool against the Uzbeks. The game is scheduled for a 7am start, Bahrain time.

The nationals are looking to advance to the next stage as Group C winners. They will play in the ensuing main round along with the other eight qualified teams, who will be divided into two pools for a single round-robin from Friday to Sunday.

That will determine the four semi-finalists, who will clash on 3 October; which will in turn set up the bronze and gold medal games on 5 October. In men’s football, the under-23 Bahrainis face a tough task against the North Koreans, who won all three of their matches in the preliminary round.

The Bahrainis have yet to claim a victory in the competition, having squeezed into this stage with two draws and a loss. Today’s clash is scheduled for an 11.30am kickoff, Bahrain time. A victory for Bahrain would put them through to the quarter-finals on Sunday, where they will take on the winner of the other round- of-16 contest between Japan and Myanmar.