Yousef Mohammed Madoh is congratulated after scoring a goal.

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 18: Kuwait kicked off preparations for the Asian Under-17 Championship with training sessions at the Martyr Fahad Al-Ahmad Hall in Al-Da’iya, led by Croatian coach Ivan and his assistant Khaled Al-Mulla.

The early stage of training is focused on physical fitness, strength building, and ball work to help players regain sharpness ahead of the continental tournament.

Meanwhile, the national U-19 squad returns to Kuwait today after completing its campaign at the 11th Junior World Championship in Cairo. Germany captured the title with a thrilling 41-40 victory over Spain in the final.

Kuwait finished 26th out of 32 teams, with standout player Yousef Mohammed Madoh placing 14th among the competition’s top scorers after netting 45 goals. Slovenia’s Algous led the scoring charts with 67 goals.

Madoh expressed pride in his achievement, describing it as another milestone for Kuwaiti handball. He credited the Handball Federation, coaching staff, and teammates for their support in helping him break into the top 15 scorers of the tournament.

Team manager Yousef Al-Shahin also praised the players’ efforts in Cairo, noting that those academic commitments and other challenges disrupted preparations. “The team gained valuable experience by competing against the world’s best and showed great fighting spirit. That will surely benefit us in future competitions,” he said.

On the club front, Burgan opened its Bosnia training camp with a commanding 38-26 win over local side Gorazde in the first of its friendly matches ahead of the new season.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff