Qatar Handball Team Lose Friendly Match to Belarus

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December 29, 2025
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29-December-2025

Qatar Handball Team Lose Friendly Match to Belarus

Doha: The Qatar national handball team suffered a narrow 18–17 defeat against their Belarusian counterparts in a friendly match played today, as part of the team’s preparations for the 22nd Asian Men’s Handball Championship, scheduled to take place in Kuwait from 15 to 26 January. The tournament also serves as a qualifier for the 2027 IHF Men’s World Championship in Germany.

The Qatari team are set to play one final friendly match against the UAE national team next week before departing for Kuwait to take part in the Asian Championship.

Earlier, the Qatari side played a friendly match last Saturday against Iraq, winning 33–23. Prior to that, they faced Saudi Arabia twice, losing the first match 26–25 before bouncing back with a 31–25 victory in the second encounter.

Through these friendly matches, the Qatar national team aim to reach peak readiness ahead of the Asian Championship. The draw placed Qatar in Group A alongside South Korea and Oman. Group B includes Bahrain, Iraq, China, and Jordan, while Group C features Kuwait, the UAE, Hong Kong, and India. Group D comprises Japan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Australia.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the main round, which will feature eight teams divided into two groups playing a round-robin format. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semifinals, in addition to securing direct qualification for the 2027 World Championship.

The Qatar national handball team are seeking to defend their Asian title, which they have won in the past six editions, and to qualify for the World Championship for the 11th time in their history. Their best-ever finish at the World Championship came in the 2015 edition hosted in Qatar, where they finished as runners-up.

Qatar were crowned champions of the most recent 21st Asian Men’s Handball Championship, held in Bahrain last year, after defeating Japan 30–24 in the final.