Manama: The draw for the men's handball contest at the 3rd Asian Youth Games, scheduled in Bahrain from October 22 to 31, has placed the Qatari national team in Group D. They will compete against Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and the Maldives.
According to Qatar News Agency, Group A includes Bahrain, Jordan, and Thailand, while Group B consists of Kuwait, China, and India. Group C features Iran, the UAE, Kazakhstan, and Hong Kong. The competition format states that the top two teams from each group will advance to the main round. In this round, the eight qualified teams will be organized into two groups of four. The leading two teams from each of these groups will then progress to the semifinals.
Handball matches are set to begin on October 19, three days before the official opening of the Games, and will continue through October 30. In the previous Asian Youth Games held in Nanjing in 2013, Qatar secured the gold medal in the men's handball tournament by defeating South Korea with a score of 28-21 in the final.