Kuwait steps up World Handball Championship preparations with Doha camp

A file photo of players in action.

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 11: Kuwait’s senior national handball team will travel to Doha for a training camp from December 6 to 19 as part of its preparations for the 2027 World Handball Championship in Germany, which begins on January 13.

The 24-player squad will play two friendly matches against Qatar on December 17 and 19, providing an important test ahead of the global competition.

The camp is part of the Kuwait Handball Association’s preparations, overseen by its training and national teams committee in coordination with the technical staff led by Icelandic coach Aron Kristjansson and his assistant, national coach Ali Murad. The program aims to improve the players’ physical and technical readiness before the tournament.

Kuwait launched its preparations on November 2 with daily training sessions before releasing the players to their clubs to take part in the remaining matches of the 2025-2026 league season and the ongoing Federation Cup.

The Blues are scheduled to resume domestic training after the Federation Cup ends on November 18, beginning the second phase of their preparations ahead of the Doha camp. Players from Kuwait Club and Burgan, however, will be absent due to their participation in the Gulf Handball Clubs Champions Cup in Bahrain.

After completing the Doha camp, the team will return to Kuwait for further local training before heading to Iceland for a second overseas camp around 12 days before the World Championship. The Iceland camp will be the final stage of preparations for the tournament.

Kuwait will make its 10th appearance at the World Championship after being drawn in Group D alongside France, Argentina and Brazil. The Blue Wave will begin its campaign against France on January 14 in a challenging opening encounter against one of the tournament's leading title contenders.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff