Kuwait city: The Qatari national handball team secured a victory against their Saudi counterparts with a score of 31-25 in a friendly match, marking their second preparatory game ahead of the 22nd Asian Men's Handball Championship. This event is scheduled to take place in Kuwait from January 15-26 and is a crucial qualifier for the 2027 World Men's Handball Championship in Germany.

According to Qatar News Agency, the Saudi team had previously claimed victory in the first friendly encounter between the two teams, narrowly edging out a 26-25 win. The Qatari team is focused on achieving peak preparedness before the Asian Championship, where they find themselves in Group A alongside South Korea and Oman.

The structure of the tournament is designed to filter the top teams efficiently. Group B consists of Bahrain, Iraq, China, and Jordan, while Group C includes Kuwait, the UAE, Hong Kong, and India. Group D is composed of Japan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Australia. From the initial stage, the top two teams from each group will advance to the main round, forming a pool of eight teams that will engage in a round-robin format. The top two teams from each of these secondary groups will move on to the semifinals, joining the team that directly qualifies for the 2027 World Championship.

The Qatari team is determined to defend their Asian title, which they have successfully claimed in the last six editions, and aim to qualify for the World Championship for the eleventh time in their history. A notable highlight of their international performance was securing second place in the 2015 World Championship held in Qatar. The team's recent success includes winning the 21st Asian Men's Handball Championship in Bahrain last year, defeating Japan 30-24 in the final.