Uzbekistan next in Bahrain’s perfect run
Bahrain will look to maintain their perfect start to the 11th Asian Men’s Youth Handball Championship when they take on Uzbekistan today at 12pm in Amman, Jordan.
The kingdom’s under-19 side head into their third Group A encounter sitting top of the standings after opening their campaign with two emphatic victories.
Bahrain began with a 51-20 rout of India before producing another commanding display to defeat hosts Jordan 41-19, giving them four points from two matches and a goal difference of plus-53.
South Korea are level with Bahrain on four points but sit second on goal difference, setting up an intriguing battle for top spot as the preliminary round progresses.
Uzbekistan, meanwhile, will be looking to bounce back after suffering a 47-29 defeat to South Korea in their opening match.
Bahrain will enter today’s contest with plenty of confidence after scoring 92 goals across their opening two games while conceding just 39.
Their latest victory saw them take control against Jordan from the outset, building a 22-9 half-time advantage before continuing to pull away after the break.
Right-winger Mahmood Ahmed was the standout performer, scoring 10 goals to earn the Man of the Match award, while Mohammed Marzooq contributed seven and Ahmed Abdulla added five.
Head coach Mohamed Abdelrahman Soliman’s side will now be aiming to extend their winning run before facing fellow early pacesetters South Korea in their final preliminary-round fixture on Wednesday at 4pm.
With the top four teams from the five-nation group advancing to the quarter-finals, another victory today would further strengthen Bahrain’s position heading into the closing stages of the preliminary round.
Elsewhere in Group A today, hosts Jordan face India at 6pm, with both sides searching for their first victory of the tournament.
Bahrain are chasing a third Asian youth crown, having previously lifted the title in consecutive editions in 2016 and 2018. They also claimed bronze in 2010.
The continental championship doubles as a qualifier for next year’s IHF Men’s Youth Handball World Championship, with the four semi-finalists securing their places at the global tournament.
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