Egyptian pivot Youssef Azzo

KUWAIT CITY, Feb 2: Burgan Club has completed the signing of Egyptian pivot Youssef Azzo to bolster the team until the end of the current season. Azzo previously represented Zamalek, Sporting, and Algeria’s WA Ain Tuta, and is regarded as an experienced player in the pivot position.

Burgan is set to resume action in the Premier Handball League next Friday as the ninth round gets underway. Salmiya will face Burgan, while Al-Arabi takes on Al-Nasr. The following day sees Kazma meet Al-Sulaibikhat, with Kuwait Club clashing with Al-Qadsia in the standout fixture of the round.

Kuwait Club leads the standings with 16 points from eight wins, followed by Kazma with 11 points. Burgan is third with eight points, level with fourth-placed Al-Qadsia but ahead on goal difference. Al-Sulaibikhat sits fifth on seven points, Al-Arabi sixth with six points, Salmiya seventh also with six, and Al-Nasr eighth with two points.

The league is played in a three-round league format, with the team accumulating the most points crowned champion. The eighth-placed team will be relegated directly to the First Division, while the team finishing seventh will contest a playoff against the First Division runners-up for a place in the Premier League.

The league has been suspended since October due to clubs’ international commitments and Kuwait’s national handball team's participation in the Asian Championship, which concluded in Kuwait last week. The national team finished third, while Bahrain claimed the title after defeating Qatar in the final.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff