Al-Marri poses with the Kuwaiti youth handball delegation ahead of departure to Manama.

MANAMA, Oct 18: The Kuwaiti sports delegation has arrived in Manama, Bahrain, to participate in the 3rd Asian Youth Games, taking place from October 22 to 31. Kuwait will compete with a 75-member team—comprising both male and female athletes—across 14 individual and team sports, including swimming, triathlon, athletics, badminton, table tennis, golf, equestrian (show jumping and endurance), handball, judo, teqball, taekwondo, muay thai, and jiu-jitsu.

Bahrain is hosting the Asian Youth Games for the first time, welcoming 45 nations that will contest 253 events across 24 sports, including 124 for boys and 114 for girls. Some competitions will begin before the official opening ceremony on October 22, featuring men’s futsal, handball, and volleyball, followed by the rest of the events.

The Kuwaiti delegation is led by Ali Jaber Al-Marri, Assistant Secretary-General of the Kuwait Olympic Committee and Head of the Mission, alongside Mohammed Al-Saadi, the committee’s Technical Director. The administrative and medical staff includes Reem Al-Rashidi, Hani Al-Mil, and Noura Al-Saad. Accompanying the delegation is Kuwait’s national handball team, featuring players Omar Madouh, Salim Al-Salim, Nayef Al-Ajmi, Faisal Ismail, Ali Al-Hindal, Hussein Sami, Mohammed Faisal, Hussein Al-Istad, Ahmed Al-Mithen, Abdulhadi Mohammed, Yaqoub Mohammed, Abdulmohsen Al-Hashel, Mohammed Al-Farhan, Abdulatif Waleed, Abdulaziz Adel, and Abdulwahab Al-Mutawa, supported by the coaching and administrative staff: Shabeeb Al-Hajri, Khaled Al-Mulla, Hani Al-Dawas, Youssef Al-Shahin, Marwan Abdelqader, and Ivan Dragic.

Other Kuwaiti national teams will depart for Bahrain in stages, according to the start dates of their respective events.

Kuwait’s national handball team launches its campaign today against Kazakhstan at Umm Al-Hassam Sports Hall, in the preliminary round of Group B, which also includes Iran, China, the UAE, and Thailand. A total of 19 Asian teams are competing in handball, divided into four groups. The top two teams from each group will advance to the main round, followed by the semifinals under a knockout format.

Vice President of the Kuwait Handball Federation Shabeeb Al-Hajri affirmed that the players are motivated and ready to deliver strong performances in Bahrain, aiming to raise Kuwait’s flag high in the continental event. He noted that Kuwaiti handball is built on a proud legacy of achievements and emphasized that this youth squad features promising talents who represent the future of the senior national team. Al-Hajri reaffirmed the federation’s commitment to nurturing young players and developing their skills to help them reach the podium at international competitions.

He added that the handball tournament is expected to be highly competitive due to the close level of play among Asian teams, as well as the increasing popularity of the sport across the continent.

Head of the Kuwaiti delegation Ali Al-Marri expressed his appreciation for the warm welcome received upon arrival in Bahrain, noting that it reflects the deep-rooted fraternal ties between the two nations.

He commended the organizers’ professionalism and hospitality, extending gratitude to the Bahraini authorities for their efforts in hosting this major continental event. Al-Marri wished the organizing committee success in delivering a successful Games, and voiced confidence that Kuwaiti athletes will achieve notable results, climbing the podium and raising Kuwait’s flag proudly in Asia.