Diplomatic presence at Arab Handball Cup
KUWAIT: The competitions of the 10th Arab Handball Cup, which is hosted by Kuwait until May 11 at the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Sports Complex, witnessed distinguished diplomatic presence, as the second day of the tournament, which was held on Tuesday, was attended by the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco, Ali Bin Issa, accompanied by the Consul of Morocco, Mohammed Barada, during the match between Morocco and the UAE, and the Ambassador of Morocco handed the best player award in the match to Zarki Abdullah, player of the Moroccan team.
The match between Egypt and Iraq was also attended by His Excellency the Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Kuwait, Osama Shaltout, who handed the best player of the match award to Egyptian star Mohamed Khalaf.
Strong tournament
For his part, His Excellency the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco, Ali bin Issa, expressed his pleasure to attend part of the matches of the 'Arab Cup' handball tournament, and said: 'The tournament appeared well organized by the Arab and Kuwait Handball Federations, which made the competition between the participating teams reach a high level.' Wishing success to all Arab teams.
KUWAIT: Egypt and Irag match in progress.
Thank you Kuwait
For his part, His Excellency the Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Osama Shaltout, thanked Kuwait, represented by the Handball Federation, for hosting this Arab gathering, which has been absent for many years, especially since the tournament brings together the strongest Arab teams.
'What is more important than the competition for the title is the Arab gathering in the country of friendship and peace, in a friendly and fraternal atmosphere.' Shaltout added, 'The Arab championship is a good preparation for the upcoming competitions, including continental tournaments and World Cup qualifiers.
Strong appearance of Pharaohs
The Egyptian youth handball team achieved a major victory over its Iraqi counterpart with a score of 39-31 in the match between the two teams yesterday at the handball hall at the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Sports Complex within the second round of the first group of the group stage of the Arab championship.
The results of the rest of the matches of the second round of the group stage resulted in the victory of the Qatari team over its Tunisian rival with a score of 31-30 and the Moroccan team over the UAE with a score of 33-25.
With these results, Qatar booked the first qualification cards for the semifinals after finishing at the top of Group B with 4 points, followed by Tunisia, the second with a goal difference from Saudi Arabia and the two teams are pointless, and Egypt topped Group A with a goal difference from Bahrain, both with two points, and Iraq is out of the competition with no points.
As for the third group, the 'Blue' (Kuwait) leads it with goal difference from Morocco, both of whom have two points, and the third Emirates without any point. It is noteworthy that the matches of the third round of the group stage in the tournament took place yesterday, where Kuwait team met with its UAE opponent, Egypt with Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia with Tunisia.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab Times
5 hours ago
- Arab Times
Kuwait U-16 basketball team gears up for Championship with an intensive training camp
KUWAIT CITY, June 11: The Kuwaiti Under-16 basketball team launched its internal training camp as part of its preparations for the upcoming Gulf Championship, set to take place in the Kingdom of Bahrain from July 7 to 12. The tournament will feature six teams: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain (the host), and Kuwait. Mishal Mohammed, Member of the Board of Directors at the Kuwait Basketball Association and Director of National Teams, emphasized the significance of the tournament, noting that it serves as a qualifier for the Asian Championship, scheduled to begin in late August in Mongolia. 'This tournament is crucial as it brings together strong competition and paves the way to Asia,' he stated. The training camp includes 14 players and features two daily sessions—morning and evening. From this group, 12 players will be selected to represent Kuwait in the tournament. Kuwait will compete in Group A alongside Qatar and the UAE, while Group B comprises Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Oman. Mohammed explained that this camp marks the second phase of the team's preparation. The first stage took place in Istanbul, Turkey, last January, where the squad played six friendly matches against Turkish clubs. He praised the players for their strong commitment during that phase. The third and final stage of preparation will begin on June 21 with an external training camp in Cairo, Egypt. There, the team will play six friendly matches against top-level Egyptian teams before traveling to Bahrain for the start of the tournament. Expressing his confidence in the squad, Mohammed described the players as ambitious and hardworking. He voiced hope that the Kuwaiti team would deliver a strong performance in the Gulf Championship and secure a top-two finish, earning qualification for the Asian Championship.
Arab Times
5 hours ago
- Arab Times
Maqsid: Kuwait must rebuild with young talent after World Cup qualification failure
KUWAIT CITY, June 11: Nothing has changed—only renewed disappointment and another early exit for the Blues from the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. Despite having their first real opportunity in 18 years, Kuwait's national team failed once again to advance, falling short in the group stage without a single victory and earning just 5 points out of a possible 30. The team finished last in their group, trailing behind sides like Palestine, whose football has been disrupted by war since October 2023, and Oman, a team Kuwait hasn't beaten in more than 25 years. Former national team coach Jawad Maqsid attributes Kuwait's decline to the lack of local talent and weak domestic performances. 'The league lacks quality, and most local clubs no longer produce talented players. They rely instead on ready-made options,' Maqsid stated. He added, 'There's a clear absence of promising Kuwaiti players. Is it possible that a country like Kuwait has no footballing talent? The last standout was Bader Al-Mutawa. Since then, no player has emerged to captivate the fans.' Maqsid stressed the urgent need for the Kuwait Football Association to invest in youth development, with structured plans and programs that prioritize age-group competitions. Maqsid suggested a complete overhaul of the national team: 'All current players should be released, and a foreign coach with knowledge of Gulf football should be appointed, along with two Kuwaiti assistants.' He emphasized that this new technical staff must have full authority to select players without interference. He also pointed out that local players have not significantly benefited from the presence of foreign professionals, citing their average skill levels. 'Relying on aging players has become part of the problem—youth must now be the focus.' In the wake of the team's failure, the Kuwait Football Association (KFA) issued an apology to fans, expressing deep regret over the national team's early elimination from the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The association acknowledged the previous board's decision to appoint the current coaching staff and explained that the current administration chose not to disrupt the team during the qualifiers, particularly due to the high cost of terminating head coach Juan Pizzi's contract, estimated at over one million dollars. Nevertheless, the KFA stressed that reforms will not be delayed. Plans are in motion to prepare the team more effectively and professionally for upcoming competitions. The KFA has already begun reviewing the résumés of several foreign coaches as it looks to replace Argentine Juan Pizzi. The objective is to rebuild the squad ahead of the crucial playoff match against Mauritania in late November—a qualifier for the Arab Cup, scheduled to be held in Doha in December.
Arab Times
2 days ago
- Arab Times
Kuwait U-16 basketball team begins indoor camp ahead of Gulf Championship
KUWAIT CITY, June 9: Kuwait's under-16 basketball team is set to begin an indoor training camp tomorrow as part of its preparations for the upcoming Gulf Championship, which serves as a qualifier for the Asian Cup Finals scheduled to take place in Bahrain from July 7 to 12. The camp will feature 14 promising players, with the coaching staff, led by national team coach Talal Al-Qallaf, expected to select 12 of them to participate in the external camp in Cairo from June 21 to July 5. Ghazi Al-Otaibi, Treasurer of the Kuwait Basketball Association and Head of the National Team Delegation, explained that the team's preparation program has been in place for some time, beginning with a training camp in Istanbul last January. He emphasized the need for specialized physical conditioning due to the players' recent absence from training while they focused on school exams. Al-Otaibi added that during the Cairo camp, the Blues will play six friendly matches, including one against the Egyptian youth team. He stressed that the national team is determined to compete for top positions in the Gulf Championship, especially given Kuwait's consistent podium finishes in recent years at regional tournaments.
