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Bahrain’s Handball Team Eyes Asian Gold to Kickstart 2026

The Kingdom’s national handball team departed yesterday for Portugal as they enter the final stretch of preparations for the 22nd Asian Men’s Handball Championship in Kuwait, running from January 15 to 29. The tournament also doubles as the Asian qualifying event for the 2027 IHF Men’s Handball World Championship in Germany, making every match crucial for the Bahraini squad.

Fresh off their gold medal success at the sixth Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, Bahrain’s men are looking to carry that momentum into the new year. In Portugal, they will test themselves against the formidable Portuguese national team, currently ranked fourth in the world, in two friendly matches on January 5 and 6. Following that, the squad will head to Switzerland to participate in an international friendly tournament featuring Switzerland, North Macedonia, and Ukraine.

The delegation traveling with the team includes Swedish head coach Robert Hedin, his assistants Amin Al Qallaf and Ali Hussain, and team manager Ahmed Al Najem. The 22-player roster is led by captain Hussain Al Sayyad and features key talents including: Mohammed Habib Nasser, Mohammed Hameed, Qassim Qambar, Hussain Mahfoodh, Ali Mahmood, Ali Redha, Jaafar Abdulshaheed, Mahmood Jaleel, Salman Al Showaikh, Ali Al Ashiri, Hisham Ahmed, Hassan Al Samahiji, Hassan Mirza, Mohammed Habib Ahmed, Mohammed Abdulhussain, Sayed Ali Bassem, Ahmed Al Muqabi, Ahmed Redha, Abdulla Abdulkarim, Jassim Khamis, and Mohammed Hussain Shamlooh.

Injury concerns continue to test the squad’s depth. Hassan Mirza will miss the Portugal camp after picking up an injury against Iran, while captain Hussain Al Sayyad is expected to rejoin the team in Switzerland after completing rehabilitation.

Bahrain will kick off the Asian Championship against Jordan on January 16, before facing China on January 18 and Iraq on January 20. The top two teams from each preliminary group will move on to the main round, with semi-finalists earning qualification for the 2027 World Championship. The semi-finals are scheduled for January 27, with medal matches on January 29.

After earning bronze at the 2024 Asian Championship on home soil, the team has trained rigorously since December at the BHF Arena in Um Al Hassam Sports Complex. The upcoming tours in Portugal and Switzerland will push the squad to the limit, as Bahrain’s men aim to start the year by climbing back to the podium and reaching for gold.