The Peninsula
Reigning champions Qatar carried their brilliant form into the main round of the Asian Men’s Handball Championship, thrashing hosts Saudi Arabia 34-19 in their opening Group I match in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, yesterday.
The four-time winners, who topped their group with three straight wins in the preliminary stage, led against the home side from the word go, taking a lead of 17-10 in the first half at the Ministry of Sports Hall.
In the second match of the group yesterday, nine-time winners South Korea also continued their unbeaten run after defeating Uzbekistan 31-21 to claim maximum points.
Qatar will meet Uzbekistan while South Korea and Saudi Arabia will face off in the next Group I fixtures tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Iran prevailed over Iraq 28-25 after a thrilling battle in the opening Group II fixture. The other match of the group saw Bahrain bagging full points after a one-sided 29-15 win over Kuwait.
Iran will take on Kuwait while Iraq face Bahrain in the group tomorrow.
Top two teams from each group will book berths in the semi-finals of the event, which will be played on January 29. The final will be played on January 31.
This year’s Asian Championship is serving as a qualifier for the 2023 World Men’s Handball Championship as top five teams from the event will qualify for the global competition to be jointly hosted by Poland and Sweden.
RESULTS
Group I
Qatar beat Saudi Arabia 34-19
South Korea beat Uzbekistan 31-21
Group II
Iran beat Iraq 28-25
Bahrain beat Kuwait 29-15