Kuwait faces Qatar in Gulf derby at Asian Youth Handball Championship

Kuwaiti player is tackled by the Japanese as he goes for a shot.

BEIJING, July 20: Kuwait faces a crucial Gulf derby against Qatar today in the sixth round of the preliminary stage at the 19th Asian Men's Youth Handball Championship in China, a tournament that doubles as a qualifier for the World Championship.

Kuwait enters the clash with renewed confidence after securing a dramatic 30-29 victory over Japan in the fourth round, a result that boosted its chances of reaching the next stage of the competition.

Kuwait played South Korea yesterday in the fifth round before wrapping up its preliminary matches against the UAE tomorrow, with the team looking to maintain its positive momentum and secure a strong finish in the group standings.

The technical staff and players are determined to deliver another impressive performance against Qatar, hoping to capitalise on the morale gained from the Japan win and continue their push for continental success.

The Kuwait squad features 18 players: Hassan Mundher, Obaid Al Shammari, Abdulrahman Al Hashal, Hussein Bouland, Salem Al Mahmoud, Yousef Madwah, Hussein Muthni, Mohammed Faisal, Yaqoub Hassan, Abdullatif Salmeen, Hassan Rajab, Abdulwahab Al Mutawa, Hassan Bouland, Saad Al Khamis, Faisal Al Enezi, Hussein Sami, Khairallah Abdullah, and Abdullatif Al Wuhaib.

The team is led by Danish head coach Hani Jensen, with Saud Mufreh as assistant coach, Yassine Idrissi as goalkeeping coach, and Yousef Al Shahin serving as team administrator.

By Khaled Al Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff