Kuwait faces Japan challenge at the Asian Youth Handball Championship

Hassan Rajab is congratulated by his teammates after being named best player in the India match.

BEIJING, July 18: Kuwait faces a crucial test against Japan today as it continues its campaign at the 19th Asian Youth Handball Championship in China.

A victory would provide the team with a valuable boost in its bid to advance, especially after regaining confidence with a commanding win over India. The coaching staff has also focused on addressing the weaknesses that appeared in the opening defeat against Iran, particularly finishing chances and limiting mistakes in both attack and defense.

Kuwait will look to build on the positive performance from its previous match, relying on the players’ high morale, tactical discipline, and quick transitions between defensive and attacking phases to counter Japan’s fast style and organized team play.

The match is expected to be closely contested, with both sides aiming to collect two important points that would improve their qualification hopes before the decisive group-stage fixtures.

Kuwait opened its campaign with a tough loss to Iran but responded strongly by defeating India 47-15 in the previous round, a result that boosted the team’s confidence ahead of today’s encounter.

Japan, meanwhile, comes into the match after defeats against the UAE and Qatar before securing its first victory of the tournament against India. The result makes the clash with Kuwait a key fixture for both teams as they compete for a place in the next stage.

In the third round of the preliminary phase, Iran and the UAE played out a 25-25 draw, Qatar defeated Japan 29-25, while Kuwait recorded a big win over India.

After a rest day yesterday, the teams return to action today for the fourth round, with Kuwait taking on Japan, China facing Oman, Iran meeting Qatar, Bahrain playing Hong Kong, Korea battling India, and Saudi Arabia going up against Chinese Taipei.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff