Bahrain all set for Olympic qualifiers

TDT | Manama         

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain’s senior men’s national handball team are all set to compete in their qualifying competition for the Paris Olympic Games. The Bahrainis head today to the Spanish city of Granollers, where they will play in one of three Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (OQT) for a spot at this year’s Olympiad.

The nationals are in the same OQT as their counterparts from hosts Spain, Slovenia and Brazil. The second OQT features Croatia, Algeria, Austria and group hosts Germany; while the third OQT is composed of Norway, Portugal, Tunisia and home side Hungary.

All three competitions will be held from this Thursday to Sunday. Bahrain need to finish in the top two of their OQT to earn a spot at this year’s Olympics. The six OQT winners will join the six others who have already booked their tickets to the French capital, including hosts France, reigning world champions Denmark, Asian Men’s Qualification Tournament winners Japan, Pan American Games winners Argentina, European champions Sweden, and African champions Egypt.

The Bahrainis narrowly missed out on direct qualification after losing to the Japanese 29-32 in the final of their continental qualifiers held last October in Doha. National team head coach Aron Kristjansson has named 18 players for the OQT.

Missing are their star veterans Hussain Al Sayyad, Ali Mirza, Mohammed Mirza, Mohammed Ha[1]bib Ahmed and Mohammed Abdulhussain, who have each been given suspensions by the Asian Handball Federation for incidents that took place in the Asian Men’s Handball Championship in the Kingdom last January.

Stars

The squad features two of the Kingdom’s stars who play as professionals overseas, including Mohammed Habib Nasser from Al Huda SC and Ali Eid with Al Noor SC, both in Saudi Arabia.

The other locally based talents are Mohammed Hameed and Ali Mahmoud (Al Ettifaq ); Ahmed Jalal, Ahmed Redha, and Jassim Khamis (Al Shabab); Hassan Al Samaheeji, Hussain Mahfoudh, and Hassan Al Fardan (Al Ahli); Qassim Qambar (Barbar); Abdulla Al Zaimour, Mujtaba Al Zaimour, Mohammed Abdulredha, and Hassan Mirza (Al Najma); and Hesham Issa, Ali Alasheeri, and Hassan Madan (Al Dair).

Bahrain begin their OQT against Spain on Thursday. They then face Brazil the following day, before taking on Slovenia on Sunday. Bahrain qualified for the last Olympics in Tokyo in 2021 with their historic victory in the Asian Men’s Qualification event in 2019, also held in Doha.

It was not only the national team’s first time competing in the men’s handball tournament at any Olympics, but it was also the Kingdom’s maiden appearance in any team sport in the history of the quadrennial sporting showcase. At the Tokyo Olympiad, Bahrain turned heads and made it all the way to the quarter-finals.

They had won just one of their five games in the preliminary round, but showed they belong amongst the world’s top teams, losing by just one goal to Sweden and Portugal, and defeating Japan in their group. In the last eight, the Bahrainis were ousted from further medal contention after bowing to eventual gold-medallists France. Denmark won the silver medals, while Spain claimed the bronze.