HANDBALL – BAHRAIN were drawn in a tough group yesterday for the men’s handball tournament at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan, taking place later this year.
The kingdom’s senior men’s handball national team are one of nine squads that have been divided into two pools for the preliminary round of their competition.
The upcoming Asiad is scheduled for September 19 to October 4, with handball – featuring events for both men and women – scheduled for September 20 to 29. It is one of the 43 sports on the exciting Asian Games programme.
Bahrain have emerged in Group B alongside South Korea, Kuwait, Iran, and Kazakhstan. Group A features hosts Japan, China, Hong Kong, and two-time defending champions Qatar.
The pools were announced yesterday by the Olympic Council of Asia.
The schedule for both the men’s and women’s competitions are expected to be released in the coming weeks.
The Bahrainis, coached by Swede Robert Hedin, enter their tournament with the aim of securing the Asiad handball gold medals for the first time.
The nationals have climbed the podium thrice in the past – finishing as silver-medallists in the two previous editions of the Asian Games in 2022 and 2018, after winning bronze in 2014 – but this time will be hoping to go all the way. The nationals have so far enjoyed an incredible winning run in the past several months under Hedin’s tutelage.
They most recently won the handball title at the fourth GCC Games in Doha, Qatar last May, after capturing continental gold – for the first time ever – at the 22nd Asian Men’s Handball Champion in Kuwait City, Kuwait in January. The Bahrainis had also secured the gold medals at the sixth Islamic Solidarity Games in November of last year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Aside from the upcoming Asiad, Bahrain are also looking forward to taking part in the 30th IHF Men’s Handball World Championship 2027.
The kingdom’s senior men are one of 32 national teams from all over the world set to compete in the biennial International Handball Federation (IHF) tournament, which is to be hosted by Germany from January 13 to 31.
The Bahrainis are in preliminary Group H alongside Iceland, North Macedonia, and fellow-continental side Japan.
Group A features Germany, Serbia, Tunisia, and Uruguay; Group B is composed of Egypt, Italy, Cape Verde, and Saudi Arabia; Group C is comprised of Croatia, Spain, Chile, and Türkiye; Group D consists of Argentina, France, Brazil, and Kuwait; Group E includes Sweden, Norway, Greece, and Qatar; Group F features Portugal, Faroe Islands, Poland, and Algeria; and Group G is composed of defending champions Denmark, Slovenia, the US, and Angola.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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