Oman fall to Qatar, look Ahead to Korea test

MUSCAT: Oman’s national indoor handball team began their campaign at the 22nd Asian Men’s Handball Championship with a 27–15 defeat against defending champions Qatar, the match was played on Friday evening at the Sheikh Saad Al Abdullah Sports Complex in Kuwait, as part of Group A of the tournament, which runs from January 15 to 29 and serves as a qualifier for the 2027 IHF Men’s Handball World Championship in Germany.
Despite being fully aware of Qatar’s strength and extensive continental and international experience, Oman entered the match with ambitions of achieving a positive result. The starting lineup featured Bashar al Hinai, Hamad al Dughayshi, Hussain al Balushi, Azzan al Maashari, Mohammed al Hassani, Taha al Hadidi and Mahmoud al Wuhaibi.
Oman made a promising start, opening the scoring through Mahmoud al Wuhaibi. However, Qatar quickly responded, capitalising on their experience and tactical discipline to take control of the match. Although Oman created several chances to close the gap, rushed finishing and missed opportunities proved costly, Hamad al Dughayshi scored twice for Oman in the first half, while Taha al Hadidi added another goal, but Qatar’s technical superiority allowed them to head into halftime with a 12–6 advantage.

In the second half, head coach Nabil al Balushi, assisted by Ahmed Ambusaidi, made several tactical adjustments after identifying Qatar’s playing style. While Oman showed periods of improved performance, continued shooting errors and Qatar’s dominance extended the margin, with the defending champions securing a 27–15 victory.
Oman will now turn their focus to their second group match against South Korea today (Sunday), in a crucial encounter that will largely determine their chances of progressing to the main round of the competition.
The championship officially kicked off with an opening ceremony held on Friday at the Sheikh Saad Al Abdullah Hall, attended by senior sports officials, including Acting Director General of the Public Authority for Sport Bashar Abdullah and Asian Handball Federation President Badr al Diyab. The ceremony featured cultural performances highlighting Kuwaiti heritage and set the stage for a highly competitive tournament.
Four matches were played on Saturday as part of the third round, including encounters between Australia and Iran, India and the UAE, Hong Kong and host nation Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia versus Japan, as teams continued their battle for qualification.
As part of organisational measures, the technical committee confirmed the implementation of random anti-doping tests throughout the tournament, along with mandatory post-match press conferences, reinforcing professionalism, transparency, and fair play standards.