Bahrain eye top-two finish against hosts China

TDT | Manama

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Bahrain's junior men's national handball team will look to carry their momentum into the knockout stage when they take on hosts China in their final Group A preliminary-round match at the 19th Asian Men's Junior Handball Championship today.

The match is scheduled for a 1pm Bahrain time start at the Chuzhou International Handball Arena, with both sides having already secured their places in the quarter-finals.

Bahrain booked their spot in the last eight with an emphatic 33-23 victory over Oman on Monday, improving their record to three wins from four matches. Coach Hussam Madan's side have also defeated Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong, with their only defeat coming against group leaders Saudi Arabia.

China, meanwhile, also advanced despite suffering a 35-30 loss to the unbeaten Saudis in their previous outing.

With qualification already assured, today's encounter offers both teams the opportunity to build momentum ahead of Friday's quarter-finals while also battling for a higher finishing position in Group A.

Ahmed Eid starred in Bahrain's victory over Oman with eight goals to earn Player of the Match honours. Mohammed Aadam, Ahmed Alsamaheeji and Ahmed Abdulla each added four goals, while Abbas Ali and Abuthar Yateem chipped in with three apiece.

Bahrain produced a dominant second-half display against Oman, turning a narrow 15-13 halftime lead into a comfortable 10-goal victory after outscoring their Gulf rivals 18-10 after the break.

The quarter-finals will be played on Friday, followed by the semi-finals on Saturday. The tournament concludes next Monday with the gold and bronze medal matches.

The championship also serves as the Asian qualifier for the 2027 IHF Men's U21 World Championship in North Macedonia, with the four semi-finalists earning qualification.