HANDBALL – BAHRAIN salvaged a 29-all draw against African powerhouses Tunisia last night in the President’s Cup of the 11th IHF Men’s Youth World Championship, currently being played in Cairo, Egypt.
The kingdom’s under-19 handball national team battled back from four goals down in the final 10 minutes of action to come away with a share of the points. Salman Alshowaikh made two of the conversions, including the equaliser on a fastbreak with under two minutes remaining. Qassim Sabt and Ali Aryash were also on target during this crucial period.
Despite the stalemate, the Bahrainis narrowly missed out on a place in the 17th-to-20th bracket for the tournament’s final classification. That spot was taken by the Tunisians, who finished level with Bahrain in the President’s Cup’s Group IV table on five points apiece, but had a superior goal difference. The nationals will instead play in the 21st-to-24th bracket.
The President’s Cup is the competition’s lower-tier category that follows the preliminary round. It will decide 17th to 32nd places on the worlds’ final ranking.
The Bahrainis are joined in their placement bracket by Brazil, Kosovo, and Argentina. They next face off with the Brazilians tomorrow at 5.15pm, Bahrain time, at the Covered Hall New Administrative Capital in Cairo. The winner will move on to lock horns with the victor from the Kosovo-Argentina contest to decide 21st overall, while the two losers will face off for 23rd position. Those concluding classification matches are both scheduled for Friday.
In Bahrain’s game against Tunisia last night, the nationals took the lead early on but their opponents fought back to keep the score tight throughout the first half. A Sayed Majeed Almuhafda penalty gave the Bahrainis a 15-14 lead a minute before the break, but they then conceded back-to-back goals to Tunisia’s Iyed Chattali for a slim 15-16 deficit heading into the locker rooms.
After the re-start, the heated affair continued and Tunisia were able to build a 26-23 advantage following a Mustapha Jmour fastbreak with a quarter-hour left on the clock. Their lead ballooned to 28-23 and later Mahdi Teber scored from six metres on the right to make it 29-25 with the concluding 10 minutes to play.
That set the stage for Bahrain’s game-ending run, sparked by an Aryash strike from the left wing. Alshowaikh then converted a penalty, and then Sabt scored on a fastbreak, leading to Alshowaikh’s tying shot.
Both teams had chances to eke out the win, but their defences held up against the last-gasp efforts.
Mahmood Yusuf finished as Bahrain’s leading scorer with seven goals, while Alshowaikh contributed six and Aryash had five. Almuhafda and Mohamed Tarrada scored three apiece, while Sabt and Mohamed Aadam had two each. Sayed Ahmed Alfalahi’s single goal rounded out the national team’s contributors.
Mohamed Rayane Ben Fredj paced Tunisia with six goals, while Jmour added five and Chattali had four.
Bahrain are competing for the sixth time in the history of the youth worlds, which are organised and run by the International Handball Federation (IHF). The tournament is scheduled to continue until Sunday.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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