Kuwait Club players defend against Kazma player during the Arab Club Handball Championship match in Kuwait.

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 14: Kuwait Club continued its strong run in the 40th Arab Club Handball Championship, defeating Kazma 33-24 in the second round of the preliminary stage. The victory secured Kuwait Club a spot in the quarterfinals and kept it top of Group A with four points, while Kazma sits at two points from a win and a loss.

Team manager Sameh Al-Hajri emphasized that Kuwait Club always aims for first place in every competition, with the primary goal of not only ensuring the success of the tournament—currently held at Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Hall until September 22—but also clinching the Arab title for the third consecutive time, following triumphs in Dammam (2023) and Kuwait (2024).

Al-Hajri praised his side’s performance, stressing the importance of maintaining group leadership to ease the path in the knockout stages. He noted the high level of competition, with clubs like Al-Hashd of Iraq, Al-Ahli Bank of Egypt, and Al-Sulaibikhat emerging as strong contenders.

In other Group A results, Syria’s Al-Taliya drew 27-27 with Iraq’s Naft Al-Basra, while Al-Hashd defeated Qatar 31-21.

Al-Hajri, who also serves as tournament director, thanked Kuwait Club’s board for it strong administrative and technical support, as well as for its efforts in reinforcing the squad, making “Al-Abyad” one of the top contenders for the Arab crown.

Meanwhile, Al-Sulaibikhat’s secretary general, Nasser Mansi, lauded his team’s hard-fought victory over Syria’s Al-Nawaeir, saying: “Despite the difficulty, our players rose to the occasion and delivered when it mattered most.”

Mansi added that the team is now preparing for a decisive third-round clash against Al-Hashd, hoping to maintain momentum and compete strongly, especially as Al-Sulaibikhat has previously lifted the Arab championship.

The tournament will pause for a rest day today before resuming tomorrow with the third round:

2:00 PM: Al-Nawaeir (Syria) vs Al-Ahli Bank (Egypt)

4:00 PM: Naft Al-Basra (Iraq) vs Kazma (Kuwait)

6:00 PM: Al-Sulaibikhat (Kuwait) vs Al-Hashd (Iraq)

8:00 PM: Al-Shabab (Syria) vs Kuwait Club (Kuwait)

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff