Salmiya becomes the second handball team to withdraw from the league

Salmiya Club players celebrate after scoring during a match.

KUWAIT CITY, July: Salmiya Club has become the second team to withdraw from Kuwait Handball Association’s senior competitions after Qadsia’s earlier decision to pull out of the league.

The club did not submit its senior team roster to the federation, meaning its participation in the previous unfinished league season — which was halted due to the Gulf events — will be its final appearance in the competition. Salmiya will now focus on youth categories as part of its plan to restructure and reorganize its handball program.

Following the withdrawal, Salmiya’s players will be eligible to move to other clubs.

The decision represents another setback for the senior league, with Salmiya and Qadsia both considered among Kuwait’s most established handball clubs. The withdrawals create a challenge for the federation in maintaining the number and competitiveness of participating teams.

However, efforts are underway to strengthen the competition, with Al Shabab and Al Jahra expressing their intention to rebuild their senior teams and return to league action next season. Their official participation could help offset the reduction in the number of teams.

The Kuwait Handball Association is expected to finalize the upcoming season’s schedule and confirm the participating clubs after receiving the final decisions from teams.

The federation has informed clubs of the remaining fixtures for the 2025-26 season. The postponed Premier League will resume with matches from Round 14 to Round 21 starting October 8, while the First Division League will continue from Round 10 to Round 20 beginning October 3.

The Federation Cup is scheduled to begin on November 9, while the 2026-27 season will start after Kuwait’s national team completes its participation in the 2027 World Men's Handball Championship, which will be held in Germany next January.

Meanwhile, Al-Qurain Club has moved to reinforce its squad ahead of the 2026-27 season by signing German left-back Valentin Spohn and Estonian right-back Dener Jaanimaa. The club has also extended the contract of Algerian coach Rabah Gharbi.

Al-Qurain’s management aims to build a balanced squad combining experienced players with young talents to compete strongly in the Premier League and Federation Cup, following the team’s promising performances in recent seasons.

Kuwait Club has also witnessed several departures following the expiration of player contracts. Foreign players Frankis and Victor have left the club, along with local players Mohammed Amer, Mishari Siwan, Yaqoub Asiri, Mohammed Al-Balushi, Fahad Abdulhadi, Mishaal Taha, and Ali Safar.

The club has brought back its loaned players from Burgan — Mohammed Bouyabis, Hussein Al-Mutawa, and Mohammed Ghadanfar — after their loan spells ended, while also securing the signing of Salmiya and Kuwait national team standout Haider Dashti.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff