HANDBALL – DEFENDING champions Al Najma eked out a hard-earned 26-25 victory over Al Ahli last night to kick off the sixth week of play in the 2025-26 Khalid Bin Hamad Bahrain Handball League.
Ahli held a slim 13-12 advantage at the break, but Najma were able to get things done in the second half to claim the narrow win at the Bahrain Handball Federation (BHF) Arena in Um Al Hassam.
With the result, Najma remained undefeated in six games as they cemented their hold on first place on the league table, while Ahli suffered their second loss to go with four triumphs.
Meanwhile in yesterday’s other matches at the same venue, Tubli defeated Samaheej 28-22 after narrowly leading 13-11 at the half, and Al Ettihad outclassed Al Ettifaq 35-25, using a strong second half after heading into the break-up 16-14.
Tubli claimed their third win in five games while handing Samaheej their fifth defeat in six, while Ettihad secured their third win after five outings and Ettifaq suffered their third loss to go with two wins.
League action continues tonight at the BHF Arena with another two matches on schedule. At 5.30pm, Al Shabab face winless Bahrain Club, followed at 7.30pm by Barbar taking on Al Dair.
This year’s league marks its 52nd edition, and it is being held under the patronage of Supreme Council for Youth and Sports first deputy chairman, General Sports Authority chairman, and Bahrain Olympic Committee president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
The regular season is to be played in a double round-robin. Following this phase, the top four clubs will advance to the Super League, which will eventually determine the overall 2025-26 champions, while the teams ranked fifth through eighth will qualify for the lower-tier President’s Cup.
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