Burgan pull away late to end Al Najma hopes

TDT | Manama

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Bahrain’s Al Najma were knocked out of the 28th Asian Men’s Club League Handball Championship yesterday after falling 28–24 to Kuwait’s Burgan Club at Sabah Al-Salem, Kuwait.

The result ended Najma’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals and also confirmed their elimination from contention for qualification to the 19th IHF Men’s Handball Club World Championship, set to take place in Egypt in October.

Najma came into the match needing a result to stay in contention but could not hold off a strong late surge from Burgan, who pulled away in the closing minutes after a closely contested battle.

The first half was evenly matched, with both sides trading goals throughout a fast-paced opening spell. Al Najma struck first through Mohamed Ahmed, but Burgan quickly responded and gradually edged ahead behind the scoring of Husain Almutawa and Mahmoud Mohsen.

The Kuwait side carried a narrow 14–13 lead into half-time after a back-and-forth opening 30 minutes that saw neither team establish full control.

Najma stayed within reach for much of the second half and briefly levelled the contest at 21–21 midway through the period, with Sayed Ali Shubbar and Jasim Khamis among those keeping the Bahrain side in contention.

However, Burgan began to assert themselves in transition as the match entered its final stages. Mahmoud Mohsen proved decisive, finishing as the game’s top scorer with 11 goals, while Burgan’s fastbreak efficiency and clinical finishing created the separation they needed.

After Najma had once again closed the gap to 23–22, Burgan responded with a decisive run, scoring five of the final seven goals to put the contest beyond reach. Consecutive strikes in the final minutes ensured a four-goal margin at the buzzer.

For Al Najma, Saud Aljunaid and Sayed Ali Shubbar led the scoring with five goals each, while Mohamed Ahmed and Jasim Khamis added four apiece in a valiant but ultimately unsuccessful effort.

Burgan’s supporting cast also made key contributions, with Husain Almutawa adding six goals, while Hussain Ali and Ahmad Alqallaf provided important late strikes to seal the win.

The defeat leaves Al Najma with a record of one win, one draw, and three losses from their campaign.

They will now conclude their tournament schedule against Khaleej Club of Saudi Arabia tomorrow at 8pm Bahrain Time, in what will be a final opportunity to end their Asian campaign on a positive note.