Qatar drawn in group D for Asian Youth Games handball

BAHRAIN: The draw for the men’s handball competition at the 3rd Asian Youth Games, set for October 22–31 in Bahrain, has placed defending champions Qatar in Group D alongside Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and the Maldives.

Hosts Bahrain are grouped with Jordan and Thailand in Group A, while Group B features Kuwait, China, and India. Group C includes Iran, the UAE, Kazakhstan, and Hong Kong. The top two teams from each group will move into the main round, where eight qualifiers will be divided into two groups of four. From there, the top two in each group will progress to the semifinals.

Handball action will get underway early, beginning on October 19 and running through October 30, just before the Games’ official closing. Qatar will aim to defend the gold medal they won at the 2013 edition in Nanjing, where they defeated South Korea 28–21 in the final.(QNA)