Bashar Abdullah, Acting Director General of the Public Authority for Sport, applauds during the Asian Men’s Handball Championship in Kuwait.

KUWAIT CITY, Jan 17 (Agencies): Kuwait continued its strong run at the 22nd Asian Handball Championship with a 39–25 win over Hong Kong on Saturday in Group C of the tournament at the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Indoor Sports Complex. Kuwait delivered another assured performance, recording its second consecutive victory.

Kuwait took early control and went into halftime with a commanding 23–12 lead.

Kuwait maintained its dominance in the second half, controlling the pace and outcome of the match to comfortably secure the win. Haidar Dashti of Kuwait was named Man of the Match for his standout display.

The Blues opened their campaign with an emphatic 46–12 victory over India on Thursday and will conclude their preliminary-round matches against the UAE on Monday.

Earlier on Saturday, Iran defeated Australia 39–13, while the UAE beat India 43–21. The day’s fixtures conclude with Saudi Arabia taking on Japan.

UAE recorded an emphatic 43–21 victory over India in Group C of the 22nd Asian Handball Championship, which is being hosted by Kuwait and continues until January 29.

The match, played on Saturday at the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Indoor Sports Complex, saw the UAE assert control from the opening minutes, going into halftime with a commanding 21–10 lead. The team maintained its dominance in the second half to seal its second successive win in the group.

Iran recorded a convincing 39–13 victory over Australia.

In earlier group matches, Iran had suffered a defeat to Saudi Arabia, while Australia had been beaten by Japan.

Three matches will be played today at the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Sports Complex as part of the third round of the preliminary group stage of the 22nd Asian Men’s Handball Championship.

Jordan will face Iraq in Group B at 2:00 pm, followed by Korea against Oman in Group A at 4:00 pm. The final match of the day will see China take on Bahrain in Group B at 6:00 pm.

The second round of the preliminary stage, played, saw Qatar defeat Oman 27–15, Bahrain overcome Jordan 32–21, and Iraq beat China 27–22.

Following these results, Qatar leads Group A with two points, while Oman remains without points. In Group B, Bahrain tops the standings on goal difference ahead of Iraq, with both teams on two points, as Jordan and China are yet to register a point.

Meanwhile, Bashar Abdullah, Acting Director General of the Public Authority for Sport, expressed his pleasure at Kuwait hosting the Asian Men’s Handball Championship, describing it as a significant sporting event and a continuation of the country’s recent success in staging major international competitions.

Abdullah wished the national team success in the tournament, expressing confidence in their ability to deliver strong performances. “We hope the team competes at the highest level, as they have always accustomed us to achieving accomplishments,” he said.

He explained that the national team has set two main objectives for the championship. “The first goal is to reach the semifinals and secure qualification for the World Cup, while the second is to compete for the title,” Abdullah noted. He also called on handball fans to attend matches in large numbers and provide their customary support for the team.

Asian Handball Federation President Badr Al-Diyab expressed his full confidence in the success of the championship, stressing that Kuwait has proven its ability to organize major sporting events, not only at the Asian level.

Al-Diyab added that he expects the tournament to showcase a high standard of Asian handball, pointing out that the championship also serves as a qualifier for the upcoming World Cup in Germany.