Kuwait earns applause as Al-Jalahma lauds national referees at Asian Handball Championship

Al-Jalahma and Al-Theyab with referees Al-Enezi and Al-Naseem.

KUWAIT CITY, June 9: Kuwait's Minister of State for Youth and Sports Affairs, Dr. Tareq Al-Jalahma, reaffirmed his support for national sports talents during a meeting with international handball referees Maali Al-Enezi and Dalal Al-Naseem on the sidelines of the 28th Asian Men’s Club League Handball Championship currently being hosted by Kuwait Club.

The meeting was attended by Asian Handball Federation President Bader Al-Theyab, with Al-Jalahma praising the referees for their distinguished performances and achievements at both local and international levels.

He said the growing role of Kuwaiti women in officiating major international handball events reflects the remarkable development of sports in Kuwait and highlights the ability of national talents to excel on the global stage.

Al-Jalahma stressed the ministry’s commitment to supporting national referees and providing the necessary opportunities to help them continue their successful careers and achieve further accomplishments.

Meanwhile, Al-Theyab commended Kuwait Club for its outstanding organization of the Asian championship, which serves as a qualifier for the 2026 IHF Men’s Super Globe in Egypt.

He noted that Kuwait has once again demonstrated its capability to host major sporting events, crediting the efforts of young Kuwaiti organizers and volunteers for delivering a tournament that has earned widespread praise from participating delegations.

Al-Theyab also highlighted the tournament’s high technical standard, pointing to the presence of several world-class professional players. He added that the level of competition among clubs can often surpass that of national teams due to the quality of international talent on display.

For his part, tournament media committee member Khaled Al-Anzi praised the strong media turnout from participating clubs and Kuwaiti, Gulf and Asian news organizations.

He said the extensive coverage has played a key role in showcasing the championship and bringing its events to fans across the region. Al-Anzi also commended the organizing committee for providing journalists with fully equipped media facilities, timely access to information, photographs, and match statistics.

He thanked all journalists, photographers, and broadcasters covering the event and expressed confidence that the strong media momentum would continue until the conclusion of the championship.

Today's Matches

The fourth round of the championship features three matches today at Sabah Al-Salem Handball Hall:

Burgan (Kuwait) vs Al-Khaleej (Saudi Arabia) – 4:00 p.m.

Kuwait Club vs Al-Duhail (Qatar) – 6:00 p.m.

Al-Najma (Bahrain) vs Sharjah (UAE) – 8:00 p.m.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff