Duhail: Qatar won against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in a second friendly that took place at the Duhail Handball Sports Hall, Wednesday, with a score of 39 - 26.

According to Qatar News Agency, the match was held as part of preparations for the 22nd Asian Men's Handball Championship that will run in Kuwait from January 15 to 26, and serve as a qualifier for the 30th IHF Men's Handball World Championship Germany 2027.

Today's friendly was played by Qatar's first-choice squad to assess their readiness ahead of the Asian Championship, whereas Qatar's reserve team played the first friendly, which ended in a 21-21 draw.

In the Asian Championship draw, Qatar were placed 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, with the semi-finalists also securing qualification for the 30th IHF Men's Handball World Championship.

Qatar are aiming to defend their Asian title, which they have won for the past six editions, and to qualify for the World Championship for an 11th time. They won the most recent Asian Championship in Bahrain last year, defeating Japan 30-24.