Qatar's Mohamed Hamam (right) throws the ball.
Doha, Qatar: Qatar booked their place in the Asian Men’s Handball Championship final after edging hosts Kuwait 27-26 in a dramatic semi-final, keeping alive their bid for a seventh successive continental title.
The defending champions are appearing in the final for the ninth time, having lifted the trophy on six previous occasions, including an outstanding run of six straight title wins from 2014 to 2024.
Yesterday’s crucial semi-final clash at the Saad Al-Abdullah Hall in Sabah Al-Salem saw the Al Annabi side being pushed to the limit by a spirited Kuwaiti side.
The match saw the momentum shifting back and fourth several times, with the hosts enjoying a 13-8 advantage going into the halftime break.
Qatar, however, responded strongly after the resumption to make their way back into the contest, completing a strong fightback to draw level at 22-22 at the regulation time.
The intensity remained high in the first overtime, with both teams adding few more goals before Qatar secured a narrow victory at the end of the period.
Ahmad Madadi led the scoring for Qatar with an impressive haul ofnine goals. Eldar Memisevic added four, while Nasreddine Megdich and Hamam Mohamed contributed three each. Veteran Rafael Capote, Franks Marzou and Guehis Amine scored two each, while Murad Abdulrazzaq and Heiba Moustafa added one goal each.
For the hosts, scoring was led by Ali Saleh, who finished with seven goals. Hmood Aladwani added four, while Saif Aladwani scored three. Mohammad Radhaei, Meshari Alshammari, Fawaz Almashari and Haider Dashti also scored twice each.
Qatar, coached by Valero Rivera Lopez, will meet Bahrain in the final tomorrow. Bahrain marched into the final with a dominant 35-25 win over Japan in the other semi-final of the day.
