Oman finish group stage with defeat to Chinese Taipei

Oman’s national youth handball team concluded their Group Stage campaign at the 19th Asian Men’s Youth Handball Championship with a 41-26 defeat to Chinese Taipei on Wednesday evening, ending their hopes of reaching the knockout stage of the continental tournament, which also serves as a qualifier for the IHF Men’s Youth World Championship.

Oman will now compete in the placement matches for positions ninth through thirteenth, starting with a meeting against Qatar on Saturday as they aim to end the tournament on a positive note. As the first half progressed, Chinese Taipei gradually extended their lead by capitalising on Omani turnovers. Oman continued to create scoring opportunities, with Mohammed al Hasani producing an impressive display and helping his team remain competitive. Chinese Taipei eventually ended the first half with an 18-12 advantage.

Oman returned after the break with greater intensity and matched Chinese Taipei for several minutes, showing improved attacking movement and defensive pressure. However, the physical demands of consecutive matches against strong Asian teams affected the team’s performance, allowing Chinese Taipei to increase their advantage and secure a 41-26 victory.

Head of Delegation Amir al Dughaishi said the result was unexpected after the team’s improvement throughout the tournament.

Oman team during the Chinese Taipei match on Wednesday.

“We honestly expected a stronger performance against Chinese Taipei. The players had shown encouraging progress from one match to another, but unfortunately they were not at their usual level,” he said.

“Our preparation period was relatively short. The head coach joined the team only about a month before the championship, which was not enough time to build a fully competitive squad. We have talented young players, and with proper preparation this group can achieve much better results in the future,” he added.

Goalkeeping coach Aref al Balushi described the championship as a valuable learning experience for the players.

“The result is disappointing, but the players have gained valuable international experience against some of Asia’s strongest teams. These matches will contribute significantly to their development,” he said.

Oman will now focus on the placement round, where the coaching staff hopes the players can build on their experience in Zhuzhou and produce stronger performances in the remaining matches.