KUWAIT: Defending champions Qatar will face Saudi Arabia on Thursday in their opening match of the main round at the 22nd Asian Men’s Handball Championship, which is being held in Kuwait until January 29.
The tournament also serves as a qualifying competition for the 2027 World Championship in Germany.
Qatar advanced to the main round after finishing second in Group A, where they opened with a 27-15 victory over Oman before suffering a narrow 32-31 defeat by South Korea. South Korea topped the group, with both teams progressing to the next stage.
In the main round, Qatar will compete in Group B alongside Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. Group A features hosts Kuwait, Iraq, Japan and South Korea.
Qatar will be aiming to start strongly against Saudi Arabia before taking on Bahrain on Friday and concluding their main-round fixtures against the UAE on Jan. 25.
The top two teams from each main-round group will advance to the semi-finals and secure automatic qualification for the 2027 World Championship.
Qatar are seeking to defend their Asian crown, having won the title in the last six editions, and to qualify for the World Championship for the 11th time in their history. Their best finish at the global tournament came in 2015, when they were runners-up on home soil.
The Qatari side lifted the Asian title at the previous edition of the championship in Bahrain last year, defeating Japan 30-24 in the final.
