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Team Qatar win Asian Handball Championship

Team Qatar win Asian Handball Championship

QOC

Qatar handball team defeated their South Korean counterparts 33-21 to win the 19th Asian Championship in Kuwait, their fourth title in a row.

Yesterday win in the final further stamped Qatar dominance in the region as it was their fourth successive Asian title having earlier won in 2014, 2016 and 2018.

South Korea is the record winners of the continental event, having won it nine times, but their last success was in 2012.

It is the Qataris who have established themselves as the dominant Asian force since then, besides winning the Asian title thrice and reaching the World Championship final on home soil in 2015.

Qatar meant business right from the kick-off and had no trouble in taking a firm grip over the proceedings.

They started on a flourish and went into the half time break with the scores leading 14-11.

In the second half, Qatar stepped up the pace and widen the gap and wrapped up the proceedings in an emphatic fashion registering a facile win.

This is the second defeat South Korea suffered at the hands of Qatar at the Championship in Kuwait.

The winners of the last three editions saw off the last bronze medallists 37-24 in the group match.

Bahrain, who lost to Qatar in the semi-final,  have been runners-up at four out of the last five Asian Championships, including all of the last three behind Qatar.

Besides the finalists, the other two losing semi-finalists also qualified for the 2021 World Men's Handball Championship to be held in Egypt.