Kuwait beats China to stay on course for fifth place

Players celebrate the victory over China.

BEIJING, July 25: Kuwait claimed a deserved 36-31 victory over China in the 5th-8th place classification round at the 19th Asian Men's Junior Handball Championship, which concludes tomorrow in China.

The Blues delivered a strong performance across both halves, taking control of the match and sealing a five-goal win to remain in contention for the best possible finish.

Kuwait will conclude its campaign tomorrow against Chinese Taipei in the playoff for fifth place. The team will be aiming to end the tournament with a victory after missing out on the semifinals and a place at the 2027 IHF Men's Youth World Championship.

Meanwhile, the Asian Handball Federation has announced the schedule for the 11th Asian Men's Junior Handball Championship, a qualifier for the 2027 IHF Men's Youth World Championship, to be held in Amman, Jordan, from Aug. 20-31.

Kuwait has been drawn in Group B alongside South Korea, Iran, Jordan, Syria and India. The team will open its campaign against Syria on Aug. 20, followed by matches against Iran, India and Jordan, before facing South Korea in its final preliminary-round fixture on Aug. 26.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff