The draw for the 39th Arab Clubs Championship in progress.

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 28: The draw for the 39th Arab Clubs Championship, set to take place from September 15-26 at the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Complex Hall, has placed the host team, Kuwait Club in Group A, which also includes Al-Ahly of Qatar, Al-Karkh of Iraq, Al-Qoton of Yemen, Mudhar of Saudi Arabia, and Al-Salmiya of Kuwait. Meanwhile, Group B features Al-Bank Al-Ahly of Egypt, Al-Gharafa of Qatar, Maliha of the UAE, Al-Qadisiya of Kuwait, and Al-Hashd of Iraq. Before the draw, Algerian clubs Mouloudia Bordj Bou Arreridj and Olympique El Wadi, along with Al-Huda of Saudi Arabia and Al-Sha'la of Yemen, announced their withdrawal from the tournament.

The draw ceremony, held in Kuwait, was overseen by Fakher Al-Ghashi, Secretary-General of the Arab Handball Federation, and Sameh Al-Hajri, Director of the Handball Department at Kuwait Club. The ceremony was attended by representatives from the participating clubs.

Sameh Al-Hajri extended a warm welcome to the participating Arab clubs, stating, "The club’s board of directors, led by Khaled Al-Ghanim, is committed to overcoming any obstacles in organizing the championship and ensuring everything is prepared to reflect the club's and Kuwaiti handball's dedication to this important event." He expressed confidence that the championship would be showcased at a high level of competition due to the historical strength of the participating clubs. Kuwait Club is the reigning champion. This win followed its successes in the Gulf Clubs Championship and the Asian Championship.

In other news, Kuwait drew 27-27 with South Korea's Habayeb in a friendly match held at the Federation Hall in the Martyr Fahad Al-Ahmad Center in Al-Daiya. This match is part of the teams' preparations for the 10th Asian Junior Championship, which serves as the 2025 World Cup Qualifiers, scheduled to be held in Amman, Jordan, from September 3-14. Kuwait is in Group D alongside teams from China, Iran, and Chinese Taipei. The Kuwaiti team will face South Korea again in a friendly match scheduled for Friday.

Vice President of the Kuwait Handball Federation Shabib Al-Hajri emphasized the team's commitment to achieving its goals and representing Kuwaiti handball with distinction. He noted that the preparation camp included friendly matches with high-caliber teams, aiming to ensure the team is in peak technical, physical, and mental condition for the upcoming Asian events. Al-Hajri praised the efforts of the administrative and technical staff, including team manager Yousef Al-Shaheen and coach Marco Martino Vecchi, along with national coach Hussein Habib, for their role in overcoming challenges and supporting the national teams.

In the summer handball transfer window, Kuwait Club signed goalkeeper Hassan Al-Hajri from Salmiya and circle player Fawaz Abdul Hadi from Burgan. Qadisiya has also added Fawaz Yousef to their squad for the 2024-2025 season.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff