Kuwaiti players celebrate after qualifying for the second round.

AMMAN, Sept 4: The Kuwait junior handball team advanced to the second "main" round of the 10th Asian Championship, currently taking place in Amman, Jordan. This championship also qualifies for the World Junior Cup finals in Slovenia next year. Kuwait defeated China 32-24 for its second consecutive victory in Group Four's "preliminary round" matches. The team has four points. In its opening match of the championship, the Blues triumphed 37-31 over Chinese Taipei.

Other results in the group saw Iran defeat China 28-23; Saudi Arabia beat the Emirates 45-14, Japan overcome India 49-12, and South Korea edge out Iraq 27-20. In the second round of preliminary matches, Qatar defeated the Emirates 31-21.

Five matches are scheduled for today, including a critical clash between Kuwait and Iran at 3:30 pm in the final round of the preliminary stage to determine the leader of Group Four. China will face Chinese Taipei, while other matches include Korea vs. Bahrain, Saudi Arabia vs. Qatar, and Jordan vs. Japan. The teams will have a rest day tomorrow.

According to the rules of the Asian Junior Handball Championship, the top two teams from each group will progress to the main round, where they will be divided into two groups for a single-round league. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals and secure a spot in the 2025 World Cup finals. Meanwhile, the third-placed teams will compete in a playoff for fifth place and a qualification spot for the World Cup in Slovenia next year.

Youssef Al-Shaheen, the manager of the team, expressed his satisfaction with the team's performance, praising the technical skills of the young players. He remains hopeful that the team will continue to perform at a level that honors the reputation of Kuwaiti handball.

By Khaled Al-Anzi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff