Doha: The Qatar national handball team is set to compete against their Emirati counterparts in a friendly match at the Duhail Handball Sports Hall on Monday. This encounter is part of the team's preparations for the upcoming 22nd Asian Men's Handball Championship, scheduled to take place in Kuwait from January 15 to 26. The championship also serves as a qualifier for the 30th IHF Men's World Championship in Germany.

According to Qatar News Agency, this friendly match is one of several preparatory fixtures arranged for the Qatari team to ensure their readiness for the Asian Championship. Qatar has been drawn into Group A, where they will face South Korea and Oman. Meanwhile, Group B consists of Bahrain, Iraq, China, and Jordan. Group C features Kuwait, the UAE, Hong Kong, and India, while Group D includes Japan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Australia.

The tournament structure allows the top two teams from each group to advance to the main round, which will feature eight teams divided into two groups playing in a round-robin format. The leading two teams from these groups will then progress to the semifinals and secure direct qualification for the 30th IHF Men's World Championship.

Qatar aims to defend their Asian title, having claimed victory in the last six editions, and to secure their eleventh qualification for the World Championship. The country's best performance at the World Championship was a second-place finish in the 2015 edition held in Doha.