Team Qatar edge past group stage despite tight defeat to South Korea at Asian Men Handball Championship

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January 20, 2026
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20-January-2026

Team Qatar edge past group stage despite tight defeat to South Korea at Asian Men Handball Championship

KUWAIT – Qatar’s national handball team, defending champions, suffered a narrow 32–31 defeat against South Korea Monday in their final Group A match of the 22nd Asian Men’s Handball Championship, currently underway in Kuwait and running until January 29. The tournament also serves as a qualifier for the 2027 IHF World Championship in Germany.

Despite the loss, both teams secured qualification for the main round. Qatar finished second in Group A with two points after opening their campaign with a convincing 27–15 victory over Oman. South Korea topped the group with four points, having defeated Oman 29–24 before edging past Qatar, while Oman exited the competition.

The top two teams from each group advance to the main round, which features eight teams divided into two groups playing a round-robin format. The top two teams from each main-round group will progress to the semi-finals and also earn direct qualification for the 2027 World Championship.

In the main round, Qatar will compete in Group B alongside Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Group A includes Kuwait, Iraq, Japan, and South Korea.

Qatar will begin their main-round campaign against Saudi Arabia on January 22, face Bahrain the following day, and conclude their matches against UAE on January 25.

Qatar are aiming to defend their Asian title, which they have won in the last six editions, and to qualify for the World Championship for the 11th time in their history. Their best-ever World Championship finish remains second place at Qatar 2015.

The Qatari team were crowned champions of the 21st Asian Men’s Handball Championship, held in Bahrain last year, after defeating Japan 30–24 in the final