Qatar secured their second successive win at the Asian Men’s Handball Championship after getting past Iraq 37-22 at the Ministry of Sports Hall in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, yesterday.
After a splendid performance against Oman in their opening Group C match, the four-time winners continued their fine show against Iraq and led the first half 17-9 before sealing another dominant win. Qatar, who are on brink of entering the main round after the big win, will play their final preliminary round match against the UAE today.
Since winning their first Championship in 2014, Qatar have been unstoppable in the continental tournament, beating Bahrain in three finals and South Korea in the last edition two years ago in Kuwait. The 2015 world silver medallists could match the record for most title victories in a row, currently held by South Korea from 1983 to 1993.
South Korea is the most successful team in history with nine titles, but the last of these came in 2012. Their best performance since then was at the last tournament, losing 33-21 in the final. However, they are down to sixth on the continent in the world rankings, sitting 49th worldwide.
In other Group C match yesterday, UAE bounced back after the loss to Iraq on inaugural day, edging past Oman 24-23 after a tough battle. Oman after suffering back-to-back defeats will face Iraq in their last match today.
The 16 participating teams of the event are split into an initial four groups of four teams each, with the teams ranked first and second progressing into two main round groups. The top two teams in each main round group will then move into the semi-finals, followed by medal matches.
Meanwhile, Kuwait continued their winning momentum, outwitting Singapore 43-14 in Group A while nine-time winners South Korea also notched up another victory after a hard-fought win over Jordan 27-24 in other match of the group.
In Group B, hosts Saudi Arabia claimed full after outclassing Australia 30-13 while Iran prevailed over India 42-29 to continue their impressive run. Hong Kong and Bahrain were victorious in their respective Group D matches.
The top two in each progress to the a second round of groups, which determine the semi-finalists. The top five teams from the Championship will directly qualify for the 2023 World Men’s Handball Championship, to be held jointly by Poland and Sweden. Saudi Arabia was awarded the tournament after the Championship was moved in September by the Asian Handball Federation due to the spread of Covid-19 in the initial host country, Iran.
RESULTS
Group A: Kuwait beat Singapore 43-14; South Korea beat Jordan 27-24
Group B: Iran beat India 42-29; Saudi Arabia beat Australia 30-13
Group C: Qatar beat Iraq 37-22 (17-9); UAE beat Oman 24-23 (14-15)
Group D: Hong Kong beat Vietnam 31-27; Bahrain beat Uzbekistan 35-19
