Defending champions, Bahrain will take on Iran tonight in their final Group A game of the 9th Asian Men’s Youth (U19) Handball Championship at the Khalifa Sports City arena, writes ADNAN SIPRA.
The match is crucial for both teams as they seek to clinch a semi-final berth. Both are level on four points each after three games, but Iran have the edge as they are ahead on goal-difference. However, whichever team wins tonight will go through to the last-four stage, along with South Korea who have already sealed their semi-final spot after winning all four of their group games.
The other Group A game today is between Uzbekistan and India who will be playing for pride more than anything else with both teams having lost every match they have played thus far.
Meanwhile, Japan and Saudi Arabia will face each other in their final Group B match, with both teams assured of their places in the semi-finals after having won all their games so far.
Today’s game will only serve to decide which of these two teams tops the group and plays the second-placed team from Group A, which could be either Bahrain or Iran.
The other Group B games are between Kuwait and Qatar, both of whom have four points each from four games, and the UAE and Iraq, who languish at the bottom of the table with both teams having lost all the matches they have played.
The Bahrain-Iran game will start at 7pm.
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