Qatar Handball team set for Friendly match Against Belarus on Monday

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December 28, 2025
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28-December-2025

Qatar Handball team set for Friendly match Against Belarus on Monday

DOHA  – The Qatari men’s handball team is set for a crucial test when it faces Belarus on Monday at Duhail Sports Hall, in a friendly encounter forming part of its final preparations for the 22nd Asian Men’s Handball Championship.

The continental showpiece will be staged in Kuwait from January 15 to 26, 2026, and will serve as a qualification pathway to the 2027 IHF Men’s Handball World Championship in Germany, adding further importance to every preparatory step.

Qatar has already shown encouraging form during its build-up campaign, recording a convincing 33–23 victory over Iraq on Saturday. The team also contested two high-intensity friendlies against Saudi Arabia, narrowly losing the first match 26–25 before responding with an emphatic 31–25 win in the second.

These matches are aimed at sharpening match fitness and tactical cohesion as Qatar seeks peak readiness for the Asian Championship. The draw has placed Qatar in Group A, alongside South Korea and Oman, while Group B features Bahrain, Iraq, China, and Jordan. Group C includes Kuwait, the UAE, Hong Kong, and India, with Group D comprising Japan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Australia.

The top two teams from each group will progress to the main round, where eight teams will compete in a round-robin format. The leading two sides from the main round will advance to the semifinals and secure direct qualification for the 2027 World Championship.

Qatar enters the tournament with its sights firmly set on extending its continental dominance, having captured the Asian title in the last six editions. The team is also aiming to qualify for the World Men’s Handball Championship for the 11th time in its history, with its runner-up finish at the 2015 edition hosted in Qatar remaining its best-ever result on the global stage.

The Qatari side arrives in Kuwait as the reigning Asian champion, having claimed the 21st edition of the tournament in Bahrain in 2024 with a commanding 30–24 victory over Japan in the final.