Youth Handball Squad Ready For Home Advantage

Asian Youth Games offer early handball action

Bahrain’s boys’ handball team is ready to kick off their campaign at the 3rd Asian Youth Games, starting on October 19 at the Bahrain Handball Federation Arena in Um Al Hassam Sports Hall (A). Fresh from a strong fourth-place finish at the first Asian Men’s U-17 Handball Championship in Amman, Jordan, the young squad will be looking to turn last month’s near-miss into a medal-winning performance on home ground.

The Games, running from October 22 to 31 under the royal patronage of His Majesty King Hamad, will feature over 4,300 athletes from 45 National Olympic Committees competing across 26 sports. Competition begins even before the opening ceremony, with boys’ futsal, handball, and volleyball starting on October 19, followed by girls’ futsal, kabaddi, teqball, and beach volleyball on October 21. Handball will conclude on October 30, while the final day, October 31, will focus on swimming finals and the official closing ceremony.

The initial handball draw had four groups:

- Group A: Bahrain, Jordan, Thailand

- Group B: Kuwait, P.R. China, India

- Group C: Iran, United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Hong Kong–China

- Group D: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Uzbekistan, Maldives

After India, Qatar, and Uzbekistan withdrew, the number of teams decreased from 14 to 11, requiring a revised format of two groups. A revised draw was then conducted on October 9 at the Asian Handball Federation Headquarters in South Surrah, Kuwait, overseen by Abdullah Jasem Al-Theyab, Technical Delegate of the 3rd Asian Youth Games.

Revised Groups

- Group A: Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Maldives, Hong Kong-China

- Group B: Kuwait, I.R. Iran, P.R. China, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Kazakhstan

Bahrain Match Schedule:

- October 19, 19:00: Bahrain vs Hong Kong-China

- October 20, 19:00: Bahrain vs Maldives

- October 25, 19:00: Bahrain vs Jordan

- October 26, 19:00: Bahrain vs Saudi Arabia

Games’ History

The Asian Youth Games have had a long, winding history. Originally scheduled for 2017 in Hambantota, Sri Lanka, they were re-awarded to Jakarta, Indonesia, but eventually cancelled by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). The 2021 edition, first awarded to Surabaya, Indonesia, and later to Shantou, China, was also cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Uzbekistan was later awarded the Games for September 7–17, 2025, but withdrew in December 2024 due to infrastructure delays caused by the pandemic. This paves the way for Bahrain’s young handball squad to make an impact at home, with strong local support, while aiming for qualification to the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal.