Burgan faces financial and visa hurdles ahead of the Asian Handball Championship

A file photo of a Burgan player preparing to take a shot.

KUWAIT CITY, June 2: Burgan Club is facing growing concerns ahead of the 28th Asian Club Championship for Men’s Handball, which begins on June 6 and runs until June 15, amid delays in financial allocations and the late issuance of visas for its three Egyptian professional players.

A club source said the challenges are affecting the team’s final preparations, with only a few days remaining before the tournament begins. The delay has limited the foreign players' ability to fully participate in training sessions and build chemistry with the squad ahead of the competition.

The source added that the club’s management is working urgently to resolve both issues, stressing their importance in ensuring proper technical and administrative readiness. Burgan will represent Kuwait in a highly competitive tournament featuring Asia’s top clubs, marking its first appearance in the continental championship.

The club has renewed its appeal to sports authorities, including Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Tareq Al-Jalhem and Acting Director General of the Public Authority for Sport Bashar Abdullah, calling for immediate intervention to resolve visa and funding issues so the team can compete under suitable conditions and represent Kuwaiti handball effectively.

Burgan previously announced the signing of three Egyptian internationals on loan from Al Ahly—goalkeeper Abdelrahman Hamed, left back Nabil Sherif, and right back Mohsen Ramadan—alongside Japanese player Kosuke Yasuhira to strengthen the squad for the tournament.

Elsewhere, Saudi club Al-Khaleej has signed Austrian right-back Janko Bozovic (40), arriving from Kuwait’s Al-Salmiya, thereby completing their foreign player quota for the Asian championship.

In other news, Al-Qadsia has renewed the contract of player Abdulaziz Salmeen for four years following his strong performances last season, and also approved the loan of several players to Kazma for two seasons.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff