05-08-2025
Fast break to Cairo: Bahrain's U‑19s ready for Handball worlds
Bahrain's next generation of handball talent will open their U‑19 World Championship campaign in Cai‑ ro tomorrow, August 6, against Japan at 5:15 PM Bahrain time. It's a tough welcome to Group G, often dubbed the 'Group of Death,' with hosts Egypt on Thursday at 7:30 PM and South Korea on Friday at 5:15 PM. Only the top two sides will move on to the main round. The rest drop into the President's Cup.
Friendly Fire
Preparation has been thor‑ ough. Bahrain capped off weeks of intense domestic drills with a closed door friendly against Sau‑ di Arabia, where they focused on defensive compactness and disciplined transition play un‑ der match pressure. The Saudi camp allowed coaches to fine tune tempo and execution ahead of Egypt.
Chasing a Return
Bahrain's route to Cairo was paved by a fifth‑place finish at last year's Asian Youth Champi‑ onship in Amman, where they faced familiar foes like Japan and Korea. Their 2007 debut remains their best U 19 World result, reaching the eight‑team main round. In their four ap‑ pearances since, they have never made it out of the group stage.
Setbacks and Support
Goalkeeper Mohamed Sham‑ louh has been ruled out of the tournament with a shoulder injury, a blow to Bahrain's last line defense. Still, with strong backing from the Bahrain Hand‑ ball Federation and Olympic Committee, including overseas training access, this squad en‑ ters Egypt better prepared than ever.
