Players are preparing for the championship.

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 11: The 40th edition of the Arab Handball Clubs Championship for League and Cup Winners kicks off today at the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Sports Complex in Kuwait, with 11 teams competing until September 22.

The draw placed Kuwait Club (host), Kazma, Al-Ahli (Qatar), Naft Al-Basra (Iraq), and Al-Talia (Syria) in Group A, while Group B features National Bank of Egypt, Al-Hashd (Iraq), Qatar Club, Sulaibikhat, Al-Shabab, and Al-Nawaeir (Syria).

The opening matches see Al-Shabab face Qatar, Al-Hashd play Al-Nawaeir, Al-Ahli meet Kazma, National Bank of Egypt take on Sulaibikhat, and Kuwait Club begin its campaign against Al-Talia. The preliminary round runs in a single round-robin format, with the top four teams from each group advancing to the quarterfinals, leading up to the final on September 22.

Kuwait Club enters as the two-time defending champion, having beaten Zamalek in the 2022 final in Dammam and Al-Salmiya in the 2023 final at home.

Tournament director Sameh Al-Hajri welcomed the participating clubs, expressing pride in Kuwait hosting “this important Arab sporting event in the land of friendship and peace.” He praised the efforts of the club’s management, headed by Khaled Al-Ghanem, as well as the support of the Public Authority for Sport and the Kuwait Handball Federation.

Arab Handball Federation Secretary-General Fakher Al-Ghashi affirmed confidence in the success of this edition, citing Kuwait’s proven track record in hosting major tournaments. Sulaibikhat team director Hussein Siywan added that Kuwaiti clubs stand strong chances of reaching the quarterfinals, noting Sulaibikhat’s return to international competition after a 15-year absence.

Esperance of Tunisia leads the all-time winners with seven titles, followed by Al-Ahli (Egypt) with five. Étoile du Sahel (Tunisia) and Mouloudia Oran (Algeria) have three each. Clubs with two titles include Mouloudia Algiers, Al-Ahli (Saudi Arabia), Club Africain (Tunisia), Al-Noor (Saudi Arabia), Al-Khaleej (Saudi Arabia), and Kuwait Club.

Among the one-time champions are Al-Ain (UAE), Nadit (Algeria), Al-Rayyan (Qatar), Zamalek and Sporting (Egypt), Al-Ahli (Bahrain), Sahelian Ezzit (Tunisia), and Al-Gharafa (Qatar).

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff