Tokyo: The Qatar national handball team will face South Korea today in the semi-final of the 20th Asian Games, Aichi-Nagoya 2026, aiming to continue its successful campaign, secure a place in the final and move one step closer to retaining its Asian title.
Al Adaam enter the match with high confidence after a series of positive results since the beginning of the competition. Qatar topped Group A with a perfect six points after three consecutive victories. They began with a 40–17 win over Hong Kong, followed by a 30–25 victory over China, before finishing the group stage with a 37–28 win over Japan.
Qatar continued its successful run in the knockout stages by defeating Iran 31–25 in the quarter-final. After trailing 13–14 at halftime, the team produced a strong second-half performance to win by six goals and book its place in the semi-final.
Qatar will be looking to maintain its strong form against South Korea, who secured their semi-final place after defeating China in the quarter-final. The match is expected to be a highly competitive battle for a place in the final.
The other semi-final will see hosts Japan face Bahrain. Japan advanced after defeating Kuwait 37–32 in the quarter-final, while Bahrain booked its place in the last four with a 37–16 victory over Hong Kong. The winners of the two semi-finals will meet in Tuesday’s final.
Al Adaam have major ambitions at the current Asian Games, as they seek to remain on the podium and defend the gold medal they have won at the last three editions — Incheon 2014, Jakarta 2018 and Hangzhou 2022. Qatar has established itself as a dominant force in Asian handball for more than a decade.
The team is aiming to reach the final and continue its pursuit of a fourth consecutive Asian Games gold medal, which would further strengthen Qatar’s record in Asian Games handball.
