MUSCAT: The Oman Handball Association (OHA) has announced the preliminary squad of the national men’s handball team in preparation for the 22nd Asian Men’s Handball Championship, scheduled to take place in Kuwait from January 15 to 29, 20226. The tournament will serve as a qualifier for the 2027 IHF World Men’s Handball Championship in Germany.
The official draw for the championship will be held on October 15 at the headquarters of the Asian
Handball Federation in Kuwait at 8:30 pm (Oman time), where participating nations will learn their group placements and match schedules.
The national team will be led by head coach Nabil al Balushi and assistant coach Ahmed Ambusaidi, both of whom are highly regarded Omani tacticians. The first phase of preparations is set to begin on October 28, with a focus on physical conditioning and tactical development ahead of the continental competition.
The 26 player preliminary roster features a mix of experience and youth, representing various domestic clubs and one professional abroad.
Nabil al Balushi emphasised that the team is undergoing a rebuilding phase aimed at forming a competitive and balanced squad capable of achieving strong results at the continental level,
added that the upcoming training camps will include intensive physical and technical sessions, as well as friendly matches against regional opponents to fine tune performance before the tournament.
This will be the fourth time Kuwait hosts the Asian Championship, following the editions of 1995, 2000 and 2010. The matches will take place at the Sheikh Saad al Abdullah Sports Complex with the participation of 16 national teams, divided into four groups, the top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals, while others will compete for ranking positions from ninth to 16th.
The top four teams of the championship will earn direct qualification to the 2027 World Championship in Germany, adding extra intensity and prestige to this highly anticipated continental tournament.
Oman Squad: Abdulhakim al Siyabi, Bashar al Hinai, Mohammed al Araimi, Sameeh al Azani, Abdulaziz al Majrafi, Mohammed al Daghaishi, Said al Hasani, Qais al Hasani, Qusai al Battashi, al Azhar al Hadeedi, Nawaf al Hasani, Saud al Hasani, Khalid al Jabri, Azzan al Maashari, Muhannad al Zarafi, Al Waleed al Hinai, Omar al Daghaishi and Hassan al Balushi from Shabab Al Ahli Dubai.
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