Kuwait U-17 Handball team heads to Jordan for Asian Championship

Player vie for the ball during Kuwait friendly match against Bahrain.

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 16: Kuwait’s U-17 team will leave today for Amman to take part in the 11th Asian Men’s Youth Handball Championship, scheduled to run in Jordan from August 20 to 31.

Kuwait was drawn into Group B alongside Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran and Syria after the draw was conducted again following the withdrawal of Japan and Taiwan due to the ongoing security situation in the region. Group A features hosts Jordan, South Korea, Bahrain, India and Uzbekistan.

The delegation is headed by Kuwait Handball Federation Treasurer Khaled Taleb, with board member and Media Committee Chairman Mishal Al-Qabandi, National Teams Director Faisal Saiwan, and team manager Shaker Arti also part of the delegation.

New Icelandic coach Stefan Arnason will lead the technical staff, assisted by national coach Khaled Al-Mulla. Goalkeeping coach Marwan Maqayez and physiotherapist Hani Al-Dawas are also included, along with 18 players.

Kuwait began its preparations at home under Croatian coach Ivan, who later stepped down because of the security situation in the region. The team subsequently held a training camp in Slovenia, playing several friendly matches before returning to Kuwait for a final camp at Arena Mall.

The Blues will begin their Asian campaign against Syria on August 20 at Princess Sumaya Hall in Amman.

Team manager Faisal Saiwan acknowledged the difficulty of Kuwait’s group, pointing to the rapid development of teams across Asia and the region.

Despite the challenges facing handball domestically, Saiwan said the team is working hard to deliver a strong performance and represent Kuwait in the best possible way.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff