Kuwait seeks first win against India at Asian Youth Handball Championship

Kuwaiti player goes for a goal against Iran.

BEIJING, July 16: Kuwait’s national youth handball team will look to bounce back when it faces India today in a crucial second-round clash at the 19th Asian Men’s Youth Handball Championship in China.

The Blues are aiming to claim their first victory of the tournament and keep their qualification hopes alive after opening their campaign with a narrow 27-29 defeat to Iran. Despite the loss, Kuwait produced a promising display for long periods, but late errors denied it a positive result.

Today’s encounter with India provides Kuwait with a vital opportunity to recover and secure its first two points before taking on stronger opponents Japan, Qatar and the UAE. The remaining group-stage matches are expected to play a key role in deciding the teams that advance to the main round.

Head coach Heine Jansen and assistant coach Musaed Mufreh have used the past two days to correct the mistakes from the opening game, while focusing on improving the team’s attacking output, defensive organisation and overall readiness ahead of the important fixture.

Elsewhere in Group Two, Japan will face Qatar today, while Iran takes on the UAE in matches that could significantly affect the group standings and qualification race.

The second day of the championship saw South Korea edge Iran 29-28, Saudi Arabia defeat Bahrain 30-26, the UAE overcome Qatar 29-24, China beat Chinese Taipei 36-29, and Japan secure a commanding 47-14 win over India.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff