Kuwait faces Bahrain in the Asian Games handball derby

A Kuwaiti player makes a goal attempt against Kazakhstan.

NAGOYA, Japan, Sept. 24: Kuwait’s handball team faces Bahrain in a Gulf derby at 7:30 a.m. today as they wrap up their Group B campaign at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.

Kuwait is second on four points, behind leader Bahrain on six, while South Korea and Iran have three points each. Kazakhstan is bottom without a point.

All four leading teams have already booked their places in the quarterfinals, leaving today’s game to determine the final group positions and quarterfinal pairings.

Kuwait started with a 26-24 win over Iran, followed by a 26-23 loss to South Korea. It responded emphatically against Kazakhstan, cruising to a 43-19 victory to secure their quarterfinal berth.

The Blues will seek another strong display against Bahrain and a positive finish to the group stage before entering the knockout rounds, where they will need greater concentration and effort to pursue their tournament goals.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff