Tokyo: Qatar’s national handball team defeated Japan 37–28 yesterday in their final Group A match at the 20th Asian Games – Aichi-Nagoya 2026, currently taking place in Japan until 4 October.
The victory was Qatar’s third in succession and took their tally to six points, securing top spot in Group A and setting up a quarter-final meeting with Iran, who finished fourth in Group B, today.
Team Qatar produced a strong performance against Japan, taking an 18–13 lead into half-time before extending their advantage in the second half.
The match began evenly, with the two teams trading goals throughout the opening 10 minutes as defence dominated. Qatar repeatedly took the lead only for Japan to equalise, with the score eventually reaching 6–6.
Qatar then began to establish a clear advantage, opening their first two-goal lead in the 22nd minute at 13–11 before extending it to 15–12 in the 27th minute. Their defensive solidity and an outstanding performance from goalkeeper Saif Eddin Deeb, who made a number of important saves, played a key role.
