Kuwaiti makes a goal attempt during Kuwait-Austria match.

CAIRO, Aug 9:  The Kuwait U-19 handball team suffered its third straight defeat, losing 26-32 against Austria in Group A of the 11th U-19 World Handball Championship, held in Cairo at Dr. Hassan Mostafa Hall from August 16. Earlier losses against Sweden (39-22) and Portugal (38-23) left Kuwait at the bottom of the group without any points, while Austria claimed second place with four points.

As a result, Kuwait is eliminated from contention for the title and qualification to the main round and will now compete for consolation in the President's Cup.

This marks the second edition of the tournament featuring this many teams, following the 2023 event in Croatia. Kuwait prepared for the World Cup through training camps in Croatia and Slovenia, playing several friendlies to fine-tune their performance ahead of the championship.

Meanwhile, the junior handball team departs today for a 15-day training camp in Cairo, during which they will play five friendly matches. This camp is part of the Federation’s ongoing efforts to develop the youth squad for upcoming competitions.

The delegation is led by Federation Board Member Mohammed Al-Dahilis, alongside Board Member Mubarak Al-Daihani, Administrative Staff Head Dr. Khaled Al-Gharib, National Team Manager, and technical staff led by Coach Tin Bodi, Assistant Coach Hassan Al-Mousawi, and Goalkeeper Coach Khaled Madouh.

Dr. Al-Gharib emphasized that continuous preparation and training over different periods provide valuable experience and development opportunities for the players.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff