Players are preparing for the championship.

KUWAIT CITY: The Arab Handball Federation has confirmed the participation of 10 clubs in the 40th Arab Championship for League and Cup-winning teams, scheduled to take place in Kuwait from September 12 to 22. Participating clubs include hosts Kuwait Club, Kazma, Al-Salibkhat, Egypt’s National Bank, Iraq’s Al-Hashd Al-Riyadi, Al-Tali’a, Al-Nawaeer, Syria’s Al-Shabab, Al-Ahli, and Qatar SC.

Kuwaiti teams are ramping up preparations with overseas training camps. Kuwait Club and Al-Salibkhat are training in Bosnia, while Kazma is in Izmit, Turkey. Clubs have also bolstered their rosters with foreign players. Kuwait Club added Montenegrin Vladan Lipovina and Portuguese Victor Ituriza, joining current Qatari professional Francis Marzo, under Algerian coach Said Hijazi.

Al-Safeer strengthened its squad by signing Slovenian Lapaine Ganus to join Tunisian duo Anwar Ben Abdullah and Mohamed Farad, with Serbian coach Bozo at the helm. Al-Salibkhat, coached by Kuwaiti Walid Salmeen, brought in French-Algerian Nouri Ben Halima and Portuguese Gonzalo Ribeiro, while seeking a third foreign player.

Kuwait Club, winners of the last two editions, defeated Egypt’s Zamalek in the 2023 final in Dammam and overcame Al-Salmiya in last year’s final in Kuwait. The club aims for a three-peat, leveraging thorough preparation and home-court advantage to continue its dominance in the Arab handball scene.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff