Doha: Qatar’s Lakhwiya team defeated Sydney University Handball Club from Australia by 29-17 in their International Handball Federation (IHF) Super Globe Championship match which was played at Duhail Handball Sports Hall in Doha yesterday.
The Qatari team hinted at how the rest of the game would proceed with their dominant first five minutes, at which stage the score stood at 3:0.
After Lekhwiya added another from Ahmad Madadi off a narrow-angle left wing shot, Sydney University coach Philipp Enders called the first time-out (4:0, seventh minute), but his team could not find the goal past goalkeeper Yousuf Al Abdulla (46.9% save rate) and at the 10-minute mark the score stood at 5:0.
Sydney’s first goal came from right wing Adria Cumplido soon after, and it was he who added a fast break that closed the gap to 2:5 in the 13th. From that point the Australian side continued their roll, with Cumplido tallying his third and Diego Liorente taking them within one at 4:5 just as the clock reached midway through the half.
But five minutes later Lekhwiya had regained firm control at 9:5 as Sydney goalkeeper Martin Jomin made a save, and in the 26th the comfortable score line in favour of the Qatari team remained as Bonnin scored his second (8:11).
In the second period Lekhwiya’s dominance became increasingly more evident. 10 minutes in when Sydney changed goalkeeper to bring in Maikel Takken, the Asian team had increased the distance to six at 19:13, and from there they took a more commanding lead, pulling ahead to 24:15 by the 50th.
By the time the final whistle sounded the Qatar team held at 12-goal advantage, and will therefore prepare to meet ES Tunis in the play-off for fifth place.
QNA
