Bahrain get tough group for Asian handball event

TDT | Manama    

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain’s senior men’s national handball team were last night drawn in a tough Group D for the 21st Asian Men’s Handball Championship.

The Bahrainis are in the same pool as the UAE, Hong Kong and Kazakhstan for the preliminary round of the continental competition, which is scheduled to be held 11 to 22 January in the Kingdom.

The event is not only a tournament to determine Asia’s best, but it also acts as a qualifying competition for the 2025 IHF World Men’s Handball Championship.

A total of 16 nations are competing in the championship, with the top five securing places in the worlds.

Group A features defending champions Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Chinese Taipei. Group B includes Iran, South Korea, China and New Zealand; and Group C is composed of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, India and Japan.

The draw was held yesterday.

A number of Bahrain’s greatest handball players took part in the ceremonies, some of whom were Dr Nabeel Taha, Saeed Johar, Jaffar Abdulqader, and current national team captain Hussain Al Sayyad.

Also present was Bahrain Handball Association president Ali Issa. Bahrain is hosting the continental competition for the fourth time in its history.

It previously also staged the event in 2016, 2014 and 1993.

The Bahrainis have never won the Asian men’s title, but have claimed the silver medals five times in the past and also won the bronze medal once.

The nationals claimed their silver in 2010, 2014, 2016, 2018 and in last year’s championship. Their bronze medal was won in 1995.

Qatar are the reigning champions. They have won the gold medal the last five editions of the tournament.