Kuwait handball team begins final Asian Games countdown

National teams director, Faisal Siwan.

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 2: Kuwait’s national handball team has wrapped up its training camp in Slovenia as preparations intensify for the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, later this month.

The Blues played a series of friendly matches during a tournament in Slovenia, along with tests against Slovenian league champion Celje and clubs including Istria, Gradis, Trimo Trebnje, and Zagreb.

The team will return to local training until next Wednesday before travelling to Japan for a final nine-day camp. Coach Aron Kristjansson will use the final stage of preparations to fine-tune the squad ahead of the start of the competition.

Kuwait was drawn in Group B with Bahrain, Iran, Kazakhstan, and South Korea. They begin their campaign against Iran on September 19, face South Korea two days later, and meet Kazakhstan on September 22, before completing the preliminary round against Bahrain on September 23.

National teams director Faisal Siwan said the Slovenia camp had delivered the intended benefits, particularly in helping the coaching staff implement their tactical approach and improve coordination among the players.

“The camp achieved its objectives. The coaching staff was able to apply their tactical ideas and playing methods, while the friendly matches helped raise the team’s level of readiness for the Asian Games,” Siwan said.

He acknowledged the strength of Kuwait’s group but expressed confidence in the squad.

“Our group is certainly not easy and features strong teams, but we are confident in our players’ abilities and their capacity to take responsibility and deliver a performance that matches the ambitions of Kuwaiti handball at the Asian Games,” Siwan added.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff