Bahrain team members are inconsolable after the final defeat yesterday
BAHRAIN were an agonising half-minute away from gold and glory yesterday in the handball final at the 18th Asian Games, but what could and should have been a golden dream coming true quickly turned into a nightmare.
Qatar first took a timeout with 27 seconds left and then scored in the dying seconds to equalise 25-25 to take the final into extra-time. They then sealed the match 32-27 leaving Bahrain and its supporters shell-shocked.
Tunisian-born pivot Yousef Ali was one of the heroes for Qatar as his throw from six metres on the left wing drew the teams level.
His goal was not only enough to send the game into two five-minute extra sessions but it also deflated the spirits of Bahraini players, who just moments earlier appeared to be heading towards an historic victory.
Instead, the Qataris dominated extra-time. They took a 29-26 lead at the end of the first five minutes, outscoring Bahrain 7-2 for the final winning margin.
The result earned Qatar their second successive men’s handball gold at the Asian Games while Bahrain had to settle for their maiden silver in this event.
It was Bahrain’s seventh silver at the Asian Games and 26th overall, Bahrain finished 11th on the table with 12 gold, seven silver and seven bronze, their best haul in the history of Asiad which was first held in 1952.
Bronze
Meanwhile, South Korea edged past Japan 24-23 in yesterday’s bronze medal match.
Bahrain made a bright start, taking a 5-2 lead with a goal from nine metres by captain Hussain Al Sayyad. Bahrain maintained the advantage before Qatar could fight back to within one, 13-14, heading into the break.
Qatar went ahead for the first time 15-14, three minutes after the restart but back-to-back goals from Mahmood Abdulqader and Bilal Askani tied it at 16 and then Bahrain went on a roller-coaster ride to widen the gulf to 20-17 on a Hasan Alsamahiji effort from the left wing with just under 18 minutes to go.
Qatar continued to battle and soon tied it at 20-all and things remained close the rest of the way. Al Sayyad gave Bahrain a narrow 25-24 lead with just over two minutes remaining paving the way for Ali’s late heroics for Qatar that forced extra-time.
Alsayyad opened the extra-time with a goal to put Bahrain ahead 26-25 but that was the last time Bahrain would lead as the Qataris connected on five straight occasions to make it 30-27 while conceding just one.
Al Sayyad was Bahrain’s leading scorer with five goals. Askani and Ali Merza contributed four apiece, Abdulqader, Alsamahiji, Mohamed Ahmed and Hasan Al Fardan three each and Ali Salman two.
For the triumphant Qataris, Anis Zouaoui registered seven goals, Frankis Marzo six, Bertrand Roine five and Ali, Rafael Capote and Allaedine Berrached four each.
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