Bahrainis set for France challenge

TDT | Manama                                                     

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Twenty-two players have been named on Bahrain’s senior men’s national handball team that will be competing in an international friendly tournament in Nantes this week. The competition is part of the Bahrainis’ preparations for the 21st Asian Men’s Handball Championship, set to be hosted by the Kingdom from 11 to 25 January.

The nationals are scheduled to leave for France today. Bahrain Handball Association president Ali Issa met with the team in a local training session prior to their departure. In Nantes, Bahrain will be playing their counterparts from Brazil on Thursday and then take on Tunisia on Saturday.

The squad, coached by Icelandic tactician Aron Kristjansson, includes top stars Mohammed Abdulhussain, Mohammed Mirza, Ali Mirza, Mohammed Habib Ahmed, Mohammed Habib Nasser, Mujtaba Al Zaimour and Ali Eid, among others.

The rest of the team features Hassan Shahab, Hassan Al Samaheeji, Mohammed Hameed, Hesham Ahmed, Qassim Qambar, Mohamed Abdulredha, Ahmed Redha, Ahmed Jalal, Abdulla Al Zaimour, Hassan Madan, Ahmed Almaqabi, Adel Mohammed, Hassan Mirza, Jassim Khamis and Ali Al Ashiri. Inspiration captain and international star Hussain Al Sayyad is not joining the team in France as he is currently nursing an injury.

He is, however, expected to be ready for the Asian championship. Organised in cooperation with the Asian Handball Federation (AHF), the continental showcase also acts as a qualifier for 2025 IHF World Men’s Handball Championship. Matches in the tournament are set to take place at Khalifa Sports City Arena in Isa Town.

Bahrain are in Group D for the preliminary round along with Kazakhstan, Hong Kong and the UAE. The Bahrainis take on their Kazakh counterparts in their first match on opening night. The nationals then face Hong Kong on 13 January in their second assignment, and then play their Emirati rivals in their last pool fixture on 15 January.

A total of 16 nations are competing in the Asian championship, with the top five on the final classification securing places at 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.

Following the competition’s first stage, the top two from each group move on to the main round, while the remaining teams compete in the ninth to-16th classification. After another round-robin in the main stage, the top two advance to the semi-finals, scheduled for 23 January, and then the gold medal match will be held on 25 January along with the bronze medal contest.

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