High hopes as Kuwait departs to Bahrain for Asian Handball Championship

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KUWAIT CITY, Jan 8: Kuwait national handball team is set to embark on its journey to the Kingdom of Bahrain for the 21st Asian Handball Championship ,  scheduled from January 11-25.The championship also serves2025 World Cup Qualifiers.

Leading the delegation is the Secretary General of the Handball Federation, Qayed Al-Adwani, accompanied by Treasurer Khaled Talib, Federation member Mubarak Al-Daihani, and administrative staff represented by the Director of National Teams, Faisal Siwan, Director of the First Team, Abdulaziz Al-Zaabi, and the technical staff led by Algerian Saeed Hegazy and his compatriot, Mohammed Masoudan. The team is further supported by physical trainer Issam Al-Lahyani, physical therapist Muhammad Mahdi, goalkeeper coach Ayman Al-Sheikh, and national team worker Masoud Rana.

The squad comprises 20 players, including goalkeepers Mahdi Khan, Abdulaziz Al-Dhafiri, and Hassan Safar. Other members include Abdullah Al-Khamis, Saleh Al-Moussawi, Ahmed Al-Qattan, Haider Dashti, Muhammad Al-Hindal, Muhammad Al-Erian, Youssef Daif, Muhammad Al-Sanea, Mishari Siwan, Hussein Karam, Saad Al-Haidari, Saif Al-Adwani, Muhammad Ali, Abdulaziz Al-Shammari, Fawaz Al-Shammari, Abdulaziz Salmeen, and Fawaz Abdulhadi.

Prior to their departure, the handball team concluded their last local training session, with coach Saeed Hegazy refining the squad for their upcoming matches, starting with the opening fixture against the Omani team next Friday. The group stage also features matches against China, Taipei, and Qatar. The team recently participated in a training camp abroad, engaging in trial matches with the Slovenia Olympic team, as well as the Saudi and Georgian teams, during their stay in Croatia and Slovenia.

Abdulaziz Al-Zaabi, the director of the handball team, expressed optimism about the team’s potential to qualify for the World Cup finals despite facing formidable opponents such as the Qatari team, the host country Bahrain, Japan (already qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics), South Korea, and Iran. Al-Zaabi emphasized the team’s commitment to presenting a performance befitting Kuwaiti handball and their determination to hoist the Kuwaiti flag high in this significant Asian forum.

Several players voiced their eagerness for the national team to make a strong showing in the Asian Championship and secure one of the four qualifying spots for the upcoming World Cup. Abdulaziz Al-Shammari highlighted the notable cooperation between players and the technical and administrative staff, showcasing everyone’s commitment to seeing the team return to podium success.

Khaled El Anzi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff

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