Kuwait Club players attempt to score against Al-Qoton during the opening match of the 39th Arab Handball Clubs Championship.

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 17: Kuwait Club, defending champion and host of the 39th Arab Handball Clubs Championship, will face off against Al-Salmiya at 8:00 pm in a highly anticipated Kuwaiti Derby.

Earlier in the day, Al-Karkh of Iraq will play Al-Qoton of Yemen at 2:00 pm. In Group 2, Al-Gharafa of Qatar will take on Maliha of the UAE at 4:00 pm, followed by a 6:00 pm clash between Al-Qadsiya and Egypt’s Al-Ahly Bank. All matches are being held at the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Complex Hall in Sabah Al-Salem.

Kuwait Club opened its campaign with a dominant 44-13 win over Al-Qoton while Al-Qadsiya suffered a narrow 22-24 loss to Qatar’s Al-Gharafa in a fiercely contested match. Despite Al-Qadsiya controlling much of the game, Al-Gharafa’s experienced stars secured victory in the final moments. The top four teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals.

Today’s first match is expected to favor Al-Karkh due to the relative inexperience of Al-Qoton, which is considered the weakest team in the tournament. In the second match, Al-Gharafa hopes to continue its strong form against Maliha, while Al-Qadsiya looks to bounce back from its opening loss. Al-Ahly Bank, which lost to Al-Hashd in the first round, also seeks to recover in its game against Al-Gharafa.

The day’s showdown is the highly anticipated derby between the reigning powerhouse of Kuwaiti handball, Kuwait Club, and its rival Al-Salmiya. While Kuwait has had the upper hand in recent local encounters, the stakes and dynamics of the Arab Championship make this a different contest with higher stakes.

Meanwhile, Mubarak Amash Al-Daihani, Board Member of  Kuwait  Handball Federation, dedicated Kuwait’s bronze medal win in the 10th Asian Junior Handball Championship and qualification for the 2025 Junior World Cup Finals to Kuwait’s political leadership, represented by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al- Jaber Al-Sabah and His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, as well as to the Kuwaiti people. He expressed gratitude for their continued support of Kuwaiti sports and handball.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff