Doha: The Qatari national handball team will play two friendly matches against their Saudi counterparts on Monday and Wednesday in Doha, as part of their preparations for the 22nd Asian Men’s Handball Championship, scheduled to take place in Kuwait from 15 to 26 January 2026. The tournament also serves as a qualifier for the 2027 IHF World Men’s Handball Championship in Germany.
The two matches will provide an important opportunity for the national team’s technical staff, led by Spanish head coach Valero Rivera, to assess the players’ readiness ahead of announcing the final squad that will represent Qatar at the continental championship.
The tournament draw placed the Qatari team in Group A alongside South Korea and Oman. Qatar will open their campaign against Oman on Friday, 16 January, before facing South Korea in their second group match on 20 January.
Group B includes Bahrain, Iraq, China, and Jordan, while Group C features Kuwait, the UAE, Hong Kong, and India.
Group D comprises Japan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Australia. The top two teams from each group will advance to the main round, which will feature eight teams divided into two groups playing in a round-robin format. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals, in addition to securing direct qualification for the 2027 World Championship.
The Qatari handball team will be aiming to retain the Asian title they have won in the past six editions—2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024—and to qualify for the World Championship for the 11th time in their history.
Their best-ever finish at the World Championship remains second place at the 2015 edition, which was hosted by Qatar.
Qatar claimed the title at the 21st Asian Men’s Handball Championship, held in Bahrain last year, after defeating Japan 30–24 in the final.
