Oman handball team heads to Kuwait for Asian Championship

MUSCAT, JAN 12

The Oman national handball team will depart on Tuesday evening for Kuwait to take part in the 22nd Asian Men’s Handball Championship, which serves as a qualifier for the 2027 IHF World

Championship in Germany, the continental tournament will be hosted by Kuwait from January 15 to 29.

Oman have been drawn into Group A, widely described as a 'group of death', alongside defending

champions Qatar and South Korea, one of Asia’s most decorated teams. South Korea leads the

competition’s honours list with nine Asian titles, followed by Qatar with six, while Kuwait have won the

championship four times and Japan twice.

The Omani delegation is headed by Mousa bin Khamis al Balushi, Chairman of the Oman Handball

Association.

The technical and administrative staff includes Anwar al Balushi (team manager), Ahmed al Jassasi (administrator), national head coach Nabil al Balushi, assistant coach Ahmed Ambusaidi and

physiotherapist Ibrahim al Fouri.

The squad features 16 players: Bashar al Hinai, Abdulaziz al Majrafi, Mohammed al Dughaishi, Hamad al Dughaishi, Mahmoud al Wahaibi, Saeed al Hasni, Taher al Hadeedi, Abdullah al Balushi, Khalid al Jabri, Muhannad al Zafari, Al Azhar al Hadeedi, Nawaf al Hasni, Mohammed al Hasni, Asaad al Hasni, Azzan al Maashari and Hassan al Balushi.

Oman have been drawn into Group A, described as a 'group of death', alongside defending champions Qatar and South Korea.

OMAN OPEN AGAINST QATAR

Oman will open their campaign against Qatar on January 16, before facing South Korea on January 18, in two high profile encounters that will provide a true test of the team’s ambitions and readiness in one of the tournament’s toughest groups.

Despite the challenging draw, Oman enter the championship with strong determination to deliver

competitive performances that reflect the steady progress of Omani handball in recent years. The

coaching staff is relying on a balanced mix of experienced players and young talents, supported by the fighting spirit shown during the preparation phase.

The national team has undergone an intensive preparation programme since early October, which included regular training sessions, domestic camps and four friendly matches against the UAE and Iraq. These fixtures proved vital in assessing physical and technical readiness, addressing weaknesses and finalising the optimal squad for the championship.

The tournament features 15 national teams, divided into four groups. Group A includes Oman, Qatar,

and South Korea; Group B consists of Bahrain, Iraq, China and Jordan; Group C includes host nation

Kuwait, the UAE, Hong Kong and India; while Group D features Japan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Australia.

According to the competition format, the top two teams from each group will advance to the final stage, forming a pool of eight teams. These will be divided into two groups, with final standings determining the teams that secure qualification spots for the 2027 Handball World Championship.