Al Najma dig deep to lift the trophy
TDT | Manama
Al Najma dig deep to lift the trophy Second-half surge sees Al Najma crowned Khalid bin Hamad Handball League champions Hussain Almaskati TDT | Manama Al Najma clinched the K h a l i d b i n H a m a d Handball League title with a 25–19 win over Al Dair in an absorbing final yesterday, pulling away after a tense, evenly-matched first half.
The two sides were locked at 10–10 at the break in front of a passionate crowd, but Al Najma's experience told in the second half as they found another gear. With their defence tightening and the goals flowing at the other end, they outscored AlDair 15–9 to seal the win and reclaim domestic bragging rights.
AlSayyad leads the charge
The difference came down to key moments—and key players. National team captain Husain AlSayyad was instrumental in Al Najma's second-half turnaround, bringing calm and composure when it mattered most. Alongside him, Mohammed Habib AlNasser was ruthless in front of goal, finding gaps in the Al Dair defence as the game opened up.
Both players are part of Bahrain's preliminary squad for the 2025 World Handball Championship, and their performance here only underlines why they're likely to feature heavily when that tournament kicks off in January.
For Al Najma, this win is nothing new. The Manama-based club has a long-standing reputation in Bahraini handball, regularly producing talent for the national side and contending for silverware. Their success this season cements their status at the top of the domestic game.
It came just a day after Al Ahli wrapped up third place with a high-scoring 41–31 win over Barbar—another reminder of how competitive this season has been.
Al Dair came out of the blocks with energy and belief, matching Al Najma blow for blow in the opening 30 minutes. But as the match wore on, the gulf in experience began to show. They struggled to keep pace with Najma's more seasoned players and ultimately ran out of answers in the final stretch.
Their performance in the first half suggests there's more to come from this side in the seasons ahead.
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