Al NAJMA roared to a sensational, come-from-behind, 31-30, win over Qatar’s Al Duhail in the fourth, five-minute period of extra time in a dramatic final last night to clinch the 25th Asian Men’s Club League Handball Championship title in Isfahan, Iran.
This is Al Najma’s second title in the championship with their first coming in 2017 in Hyderabad, India, when they defeated the same opponents, 21-16, in another exciting final.
“This is a massive win!” a delighted Al Najma club president Shaikh Abdulrahman bin Mubarak Al Khalifa told the GDN after the final. “This is also a very emotional win. The team has made up for losing the final to Al Kuwait last year and the Gulf Cup to them earlier this year.
“I have dedicated this win to His Majesty King Hamad because all sports in the kingdom fall under his patronage. We won in the name of Bahrain.
“And I think all of Bahrain was watching this epic game. I’ve been receiving countless congratulatory calls and messages since the match ended.”
Having trailed their opponents 10-13 at half-time, Al Najma were still one goal behind, at 21-22, with less than five seconds of regulation time left as the clock ticked down to the 60-minute mark.
But their livewire centre back Mohammed Ahmed somehow managed to fire a rocket throw past Al Duhail goalkeeper Marouane Maggaiz just before the buzzer went off to tie the score at 22-22 and force the game into a 10-minute extra time play-off.
As soon as play resumed for the first five-minute period of the play-off, Al Duhail pulled a goal ahead immediately but Al Najma levelled the score again in the next minute.
The cat-and-mouse game continued until the five-minute period was up, with Al Duhail leading 25-24.
The second five-minute period then mirrored the first as Al Duhail took a one-goal lead only for Al Najma to draw level again and when the clock ran out, the scoreboard read 26-26.
That meant that a third five-minute extra time period was required and, in the second minute, Al Najma drew ahead for the first time in the game, at 27-26.
But Al Duhail equalised through the tall Christian Dissinger almost immediately before Qasim Qamber put Al Najma ahead again at 28-27.
There was still no way to separate the two teams at the end of that period, however, which ended with the scoreboard reading 29-29. But Dissinger had been fouled just before time ran out so he was awarded a penalty throw, meaning that if he scored, Al Duhail would win.
The Al Najma players formed a wall directly in front of him and Abdulhussain fidgeted nervously behind them as Dissinger lined up his throw.
Using his height, Dissinger managed to arrow the ball over the outstretched hands of the Al Najma players but Abdulhussain stuck his right hand up at the last second and the ball bounced off to the side.
This meant that the game had now entered its fourth five-minute period of extra time. All the players looked visibly spent but the championship was on the line and soon they were on the court again.
And, once more, Al Najma pulled ahead at 30-29 only for Al Duhail to draw level again through Shinnosuke Tokuda.
But there was still more drama to come.
Abdulhussain managed to make two fantastic saves, denying Al Duhail the chance to go ahead as the five-minute period entered its last 60 seconds.
And, then, somehow, Al Najma managed to score again to make it 31-30 and just four seconds to go.
However, Al Duhail had possession and Dissinger unleashed a bullet throw that whistled through the Al Najma defenders only to rebound back to him off Abdulhussain’s knee. But, in his haste to gather the ball quickly and try again, he fumbled and the buzzer sounded, sparking emotional celebrations in the Bahrain camp, with several players breaking down in tears as the enormity of what they had achieved sank in.
“Like I said, it was very emotional for all of us, the players especially,” Shaikh Abdulrahman said. “I’m so proud of all of them. They seemed to be tiring as the end of regulation time approached but, in extra time, their energy levels went up.
“They never gave up, never stopped believing. They were trailing by three goals at half-time and by four as the end of regulation time approached. So this was an incredible comeback, a truly incredible win. And now, we will play in the Super Globe tournament in October.”
By emerging victorious in the tournament, Al Najma did more than just win the trophy – they have qualified for the 17th IHF Men’s Super Globe, to be held from October 17-23 in Saudi Arabia, where they will be representing Asia.
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