Kuwait players hold their final training session before the opener against India.

KUWAIT CITY, Jan 14: The 22nd Asian Men’s Handball Championship, which also serves as the qualifiers for the 2027 World Cup in Germany, kicks off today in Kuwait at the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Sports Complex and will continue until January 29. A total of 15 teams are taking part, divided into four groups.

Group A includes Oman, defending champions Qatar, and South Korea. Group B features Bahrain, Jordan, China, and Iraq, while Group C comprises hosts Kuwait alongside the UAE, Hong Kong, and India. Group D includes Japan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Australia.

Four matches headline the opening day. Hong Kong faces the UAE at 2:00 pm, followed by Australia versus Japan at 4:00 pm. Kuwait will then meet India at 6:00 pm, before Saudi Arabia takes on Iran in the final match of the day at 8:00 pm.

The tournament’s technical meeting was held at the Safir Hotel, during which officials briefed participating delegations on the competition format and reviewed players’ names, squad numbers, and match kits.

Acting President of the Kuwait Handball Federation Shabib Al-Hajri welcomed the participating Asian teams to Kuwait, wishing them a pleasant stay and expressing hope for a strong and competitive championship that reflects the high level of preparation by the continent’s elite sides.

Al-Hajri also praised Minister of Information and Culture and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi, head of the Supreme Organizing Committee, for his continued support and efforts to ensure the tournament is staged successfully. He highlighted Kuwait’s ambition to host major regional and international sporting events.

The Supreme Organizing Committee confirmed that a simple opening ceremony will take place at 5:45 pm today at the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Hall, featuring artistic performances, before concluding with Kuwait’s opening match against India.

Kuwait prepared for the championship through participation in the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh last November, followed by a domestic training camp. The team then traveled to Cairo for a training camp that included two friendly matches against Egypt, before completing their preparations in Slovenia and Croatia. During that phase, Kuwait played friendly matches against Algeria, Slovenia, and Georgia, in addition to joint training sessions with Kosovo.

Head coach Aron Kristjánsson expressed confidence ahead of the tournament, noting that the competition will be challenging due to the strength of the participating teams. He stressed that the squad is well prepared and determined to secure one of the four qualification places for the 2027 World Cup in Germany.

Only four nations have claimed the Asian Men’s Handball Championship title. South Korea leads the standings with nine titles, followed by Qatar with six, Kuwait with four, and Japan with two.