Doha: Qatar handball team will face their UAE counterparts on Sunday in their final main-round match of the ongoing 22nd Asian Men's Handball Championship in Kuwait until January 29. The tournament serves as a qualifier for the 2027 World Championship in Germany.

According to Qatar News Agency, the Qatari team aims for a victory to maintain their chances of qualifying for the semifinals. They began their main round campaign with a 32-25 win against Saudi Arabia, followed by a 28-31 loss to Bahrain in the second round. A win against the UAE is crucial to keeping their qualification hopes alive.

Qatar competes in Group B of the main round alongside Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Group A consists of Kuwait, Iraq, Japan, and South Korea.

The top two teams from the main round will advance to the semifinals and also earn direct qualification for the 2027 World Championship.

The Qatari team aims to defend its Asian title, which it has won in the last six editions, and qualify for the World Championship for the eleventh time in its history. Its best result in the World Championship was second place in the 2015 edition (Qatar 2015).

The Qatari national team won the title in the last edition, the 21st Asian Men's Handball Championship, held in Bahrain last year, after defeating Japan 30-24 in the final.