Saudi Arabia top the podium while Bahrain clinch bronze in handball
TDT | Manama
Email : hussainm@newsofbahrain.com
Bahrain’s boys’ handball team held their lead to defeat China 32–28 and secure bronze at the Bahrain Youth Games. Leading 14–13 at half-time, the hosts extended their advantage in the second period, outscoring China 18–15 to claim the podium finish in front of a vocal home crowd.
Captain Qassim Sabt scored seven goals, with Ahmed Alsamahiji spearheading the attack with 10 from 12 attempts. Sayed Almuhafda and Ahmed Abdulla contributed key breakthroughs, while goalkeeper Haidar Salman made crucial saves to keep China at bay.
Despite China’s Liu Zirui netting 10 goals and strong support from Zhang Peng and Qin Kang, Bahrain’s precision and fast-break efficiency proved decisive. The team converted 32 of 51 shots (63%) and scored six of seven fast-break opportunities, showing composure even with four two-minute suspensions.
Speaking exclusively to The Daily Tribune in the dressing room, Bahrain’s Ali Almansoori said:
“First of all, in the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. We gave our best with the skills, tools, and effort that Allah blessed us with. We aimed for gold, but Allah had another plan, and we accept that with open hearts. Win or lose, we’ll keep showing up, we’ll keep trying. Alhamdulillah for everything.”
The handball tournament concluded on the penultimate day of the Games, with Saudi Arabia narrowly defeating Kuwait 29–28 in the final to claim gold. Earlier in girls’ Group A, Uzbekistan beat Thailand 32– 24, Iran overcame Hong Kong 37–21, and China defeated India 39–22.
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