Al-Otaibi: Club World Championship will prepare Burgan for the new season

Burgan President Anwar Al-Otaibi.

KUWAIT CITY, Sept. 20: Burgan president Anwar Al-Otaibi believes the IHF Men’s Club World Championship will provide his team with valuable international experience and serve as an important part of its preparations for the new season.

The tournament will be held in Cairo from Sept. 24 to Oct. 1, with Burgan looking forward to testing themselves against some of the world’s top clubs.

Al-Otaibi, who recently led the team’s delegation at a training camp in Bosnia, said Burgan has ambitious goals but acknowledged that their financial resources and current preparations do not match the scale of the global competition.

“Our main objective is to gain as much technical benefit as possible, gain experience, and compete against different handball schools,” Al-Otaibi said.

He added that Burgan aims to challenge strongly for domestic titles, particularly the league and cup, while completing last season’s suspended competitions. The Club World Championship, he said, will be an important part of the team’s preparation for those commitments.

Al-Otaibi praised the coaching and administrative staff and the players for their efforts in recent months, particularly during the Asian Club Championship hosted by Kuwait, where Burgan won the title for the first time in their history despite considerable pressure.

He said he would not put additional pressure on the players at the Club World Championship, stressing that the priority is to make a respectable appearance, gain international experience, and return better prepared for the domestic season and upcoming competitions.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff