Al Najma Eye Third Asian Crown

TDT | Manama

Email : hussainm@newsofbahrain.com

The Bahraini club Al Najma will begin its campaign in the 28th Asian Men’s Club League Handball Championship, which also serves as a qualifier for the IHF Super Globe, when it faces Saudi Arabia’s Al Khaleej on Saturday, June 6 in the preliminary round.

Held in Kuwait from June 6 to June 15, the tournament brings together Asia’s leading clubs and carries added significance as it offers qualification to the 2026 Super Globe in Egypt.

Al Najma has been placed in Group B alongside Al Khaleej, Kuwait SC, and Qatar’s Al Arabi SC, forming one of the most competitive groups in the competition. The team opens against Al Khaleej on June 6, meets Al Arabi SC on June 7, and concludes its preliminary round fixtures against hosts Kuwait SC on June 9.

The preliminary stage follows a single round-robin format under Asian Handball Federation regulations, after which all eight participating teams advance to the main round. Results from the preliminary matches are carried forward, meaning every game directly influences knockout seeding.

In the main round, teams enter a cross-group elimination system. The top team in Group A plays the fourth-placed team in Group B, while the second-placed team in Group A faces the third-placed team in Group B. The same crossover structure applies in reverse, with higher-ranked sides drawn against lower-ranked opponents from the opposite group, progressing through knockout ties toward the final.

Group A also includes strong contenders such as the UAE’s Sharjah, Kuwait’s Burgan SC, China’s representative team, and Qatar’s Al Duhail SC.

Al Najma will aim to make a strong impression on the continental stage, with the tournament representing a key pathway to the IHF Super Globe. The Bahraini side also arrives with a strong pedigree, having won the championship twice — first in 2017 in Hyderabad, India, and again in 2023 in Isfahan, Iran after a dramatic victory over Al Duhail SC.

They defeated Qatar’s Al Duhail 31–30 after four periods of extra time, following a draw at the end of regulation time.