Latest news with #10thArabCup
Arab Times
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Arab Times
Unbeaten Kuwait Club looks to extend lead as Premier Handball League returns
KUWAIT CITY, May 15: The Premier Handball League returns today after a 25-day break, with three thrilling matches lined up in the second round of the second division. All matches will take place at the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Sports Complex. The action kicks off at 4:30 pm with Kazma facing Sulaibikhat, followed by a showdown between Kuwait Club and Salmiya at 6:00 pm. The day's fixtures will conclude at 7:30 pm as Burgan takes on Al-Arabi. The league was temporarily paused on April 20 to allow the national team to participate in the 10th Arab Cup, which recently concluded in Kuwait. The national team, known as the Blues, secured third place in the tournament. Currently, Kuwait Club leads the Premier League standings with 38 points, followed by Burgan with 31 points. Kazma sits in third place with 26, ahead of Salmiya with 21, while Sulaibikhat and Al-Arabi are tied with 18 points each. Kuwait Club aims to extend its unbeaten streak and move one step closer to clinching the league title for yet another season, having maintained a perfect record since the 2012–2023 campaign. On the other hand, Salmiya hopes to climb the standings with a stronger second-half performance. In today's opener, Kazma enters as the favorite against Sulaibikhat, but the latter won't go down without a fight. Sulaibikhat used the league break to hold a training camp in Cairo and bolstered their squad with French-Algerian player Nouri Benhalima after Estonian professional Tom Karl sustained an injury. The final match between Burgan and Al-Arabi promises intensity, as Burgan looks to build on recent strong performances, while Al-Arabi aims to bounce back and improve its position in the league and with its fans. Meanwhile, in the First Division League, Saturday's fixtures will see Khaitan take on Al-Fahaheel, while Al-Qurain faces Al-Tadamon.
Kuwait Times
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Kuwait Times
Kuwait Handball Blue face Bahrain in 10th Arab Cup
KUWAIT: Kuwait handball national team will face a new and important challenge when it meets Bahrain in the semi-final round of the 10th Arab Cup, which is hosted by Kuwait until May 11 at Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Sports Complex Arena. It will be preceded by an equally important match between Qatar and Egypt. Within the consolation rounds of the 'Arab Cup' from 5-9, two matches will be held on Friday, the first between Tunisia and Morocco, with Saudi Arabia to play Iraq. The 'Handball Blue' seeks, when it meets the 'Bahraini Red' to continue its successful journey and achieve the third consecutive victory and book its place in the final match of the Arab championship, armed with the factors of land and home fans. The 'Blue' advanced to the final of the tournament after topping the third group with two wins over Morocco 39-29 and UAE 32-24, while Bahrain qualified as the first from the first group after beating Iraq 28-26 and Egypt 36-32. Icelandic coach Oren will try to capitalize on the high morale and the outstanding performance of his players in the first round to cross Bahrain, relying on the brilliance of Abdullah Al-Khamis, Saif Al-Adwani, Haider Dashti, Abdulaziz Daif and the distinguished guard Hassan Safar. On the other hand, Bahrain coach Beredraj hopes to counter the ambition of the Blue with collective performance and speed in the transition from defense to attack, based on his group of young players led by veterans Hussein Al-Sayyad and goalkeeper Mohammed Abdulhussain. Qatar and Egypt In the second match, the Qatari 'Al-Anabi' is looking to continue its strong performances, relying on the combination of its young players supported by a number of experienced players to achieve victory and advance to the final match, while the 'Pharaohs', who qualified as the best second place in the tournament, hope to make up for their loss against Bahrain and beat Qatar. The joy of the Blue players The players of Kuwait national handball team expressed their happiness after beating their UAE counterpart in the third round of the preliminary round of the 10th Arab Cup, and topping the third group deservedly. Abdulaziz Al-Shammari, the 'Blue' star, said that achieving victory in two matches, topping the group and qualifying for the semi-finals is the least we can do for our beloved Kuwait and the loyal fans. He continued: 'We are proud to hold the Arab Handball Cup in Kuwait after the tournament was absent for 23 years, and holding it in the country of friendship and peace, and among the Blue fans, is a source of pride for us.' Regarding the match against the UAE, Al-Shammari explained that the team did not provide the hoped-for level, but what is important is to achieve victory. He pointed out that the preparation for meeting Bahrain in the semifinals Friday started since the end of the UAE match.
Arab Times
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Arab Times
Kuwait seeks Arab Handball Cup final spot against Bahrain
KUWAIT CITY, May 8: Kuwait's national handball team faces a pivotal challenge at 7:00 pm today when it meets Bahrain in the semi-finals of the 10th Arab Handball Cup, hosted at the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Sports Complex. The tournament runs through May 11. Earlier in the day, the other semi-final will see a highly anticipated clash between Qatar and Egypt at 5:00 pm. As part of the classification rounds (5th–9th place), two matches are scheduled earlier in the day. Tunisia will take on Morocco at 1:00 pm, followed by Saudi Arabia against Iraq at 3:00 pm. Kuwait enters the semi-final with momentum, aiming for a third consecutive victory to secure a place in Sunday's final. Backed by home support and the advantage of playing on familiar turf, the Kuwaiti team hopes to overcome a tough and determined Bahraini side, also eager to reach the final. Bahrain, on its part, will rely on a quick transition game and solid teamwork under coach Predrag. Veteran players Hussein Al-Sayyad and goalkeeper Mohammed Abdul-Hussein are expected to lead the effort against the host. In the second semi-final, Group B leader Qatar will count on a blend of youth and experience to push past Egypt and reach the final. Egypt, which advanced as the best second-placed team, is looking to bounce back from a group stage loss to Bahrain and challenge Qatar for a place in the championship match. Qaid Al-Adwani, Secretary-General of the Kuwait Handball Federation and Director of the 10th Arab Cup, confirmed that the final will take place as scheduled on Sunday at 7:00 pm. He explained that the tournament dates were selected to align with International Handball Federation Week and the calendar of the Arab Handball Federation. The final will coincide with the Premier League football title decider on the same day. 'There is coordination with the Kuwait Football Association,' Al-Adwani noted. 'However, due to schedule constraints on both sides, Sunday remained the only viable option for the handball final.' Players of Kuwait's national team expressed joy following their win over the UAE in the final group stage match, which secured their top spot in Group C and a semi-final berth. Star player Abdulaziz Al-Shammari remarked, 'Winning two matches, topping the group, and reaching the semi-finals is the least we can offer Kuwait and its loyal fans. We are proud to host the Arab Handball Cup in Kuwait for the first time in 23 years — in the land of friendship and peace.' Goalkeeper Hassan Safar added, 'Our true joy lies in bringing happiness to our loyal fans who have supported us from the start. We call on them to fill the stands tonight and back us against Bahrain.'
Arab Times
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Arab Times
Kuwait handball team begins preparations for 10th Arab Cup
KUWAIT CITY, April 22: The Kuwait national handball team will begin its training at 6:00 pm at the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Sports Complex in the Sabah Al-Salem suburb, as part of preparations for the 10th Arab Cup, which Kuwait will host from May 4 to 12, coinciding with International Handball Federation Week. The team is now under the leadership of newly appointed Icelandic head coach Aron Kristjansson, supported by Danish assistant coach Ansen. Kristjansson has finalized a 24-player squad for the upcoming tournament. Kuwait entered an internal training camp at the Radisson Blu Hotel, which will run through the duration of the tournament. The camp includes daily double training sessions—morning and evening—focusing on improving player fitness and refining both offensive and defensive tactics. Additionally, the program will include theoretical sessions to enhance players' tactical understanding. As part of his preparation, Coach Kristjansson has attended several Premier League and First Division matches to evaluate player performance and finalize his squad selection. The Arab Cup draw will take place on April 26, with nine teams set to participate: Kuwait (host), Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Iraq, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The teams will be split into three groups, with matches played in a single round-robin format. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the quarterfinals.
Arab Times
20-04-2025
- Sport
- Arab Times
Qurain and Al-Nasr lock horns in Round 11
KUWAIT CITY, April 20: The First Division Handball League continues today with two exciting fixtures. At 5:00 PM, Al-Tadamon will take on Khaitan at 5:00 pm, followed by a high-stakes showdown between Al-Nasr and Al-Qurain at 6:30 pm. In the 10th round, Al-Fahaheel secured a 35-27 win over Al-Nasr, while Al-Tadamon claimed a convincing 36-24 victory against Al-Sahel at Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Sports Complex. Current League Standings: Al-Qadisiyah – 24 points , Al-Qurain – 20 points , Al-Nasr – 20 points, Al-Fahaheel – 14 points, Khaitan – 12 points, Al-Yarmouk – 6 points Al-Tadamon – 5 points, Al-Sahel – 0 points The most anticipated match of the evening is undoubtedly between Al-Nasr and Al-Qurain, as both teams are tied on points and are direct competitors for second place. A win would allow either side to close the gap with league leader Al-Qadisiyah to just two points and boost its title hopes as the season progresses. Following tomorrow's matches, the league will pause to allow the national team to prepare for the 10th Arab Cup, which will be hosted in Kuwait from May 4 to 12. The First Division League is set to resume on May 14.
