Rayyan, Gharafa in GCC handball final
HOLDERS Al Rayyan will take on Al Gharafa in an all-Qatar affair in the 37th GCC Club Handball Championship final on Wednesday.
Rayyan registered an easy 30-19 win over Bahrain’s Al Ahli in the first semifinal while Gharafa laboured to a hard-fought 35-33 win over BarBar (Bahrain) in the other last-four match last Monday.
The final, to be played at the Al Gharafa Indoor Hall, promises to be a close contest as both sides are unbeaten in the competition. But Gharafa, who stunned Asian champions Al Noor of Saudi Arabia in the group stage, look formidable.
“This is the kind of dream final we had in our mind when the draw was made. To have two Qatari clubs competing for the GCC title, we couldn’t have expected more. I wish the teams all the best,” said Qatar Handball Association President Ahmed Mohammed Abdulrab Al Shaabi.
