Najma sign Bosnia Herzegovina star to boost roster in Asian championship

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain champions Al Najma have strengthened their side for the upcoming 23rd Asian Men’s Club Handball League Championship, with the signing of Bosnia Herzegovina star Neven Stjepanovic as the team’s professional.

The tournament is scheduled to be held in Jeddah from June 12 to 21.

The right-back is a key player of European pro handball club RK Eurofarm Pelister, which competes in the Macedonian Handball Super League.

He will join an already formidable Najma roster that won back-to-back titles in the Bahrain Handball League and won the first-ever Khalid bin Hamad Handball Cup earlier this month. Najma is in a tough Group A for the continental tournament.

They are together with defending champions Al Arabi from Qatar, Shahid Kazeroon Club of Iran, Al Salmiya of Kuwait and Mudhar of Saudi Arabia.

Najma first plays Arabi on opening night on June 12, and then the next face-off with Shahid Kazeroon on June 14.

They then take on Mudhar on June 16 in their last group fixture.

Group B consists of Al Wehda of Saudi, Uzbek Club of Uzbekistan, Al Qaten of Yemen, Mes Kerman of Iran, Al Duhail of Qatar and Al Kuwait Club of Kuwait.

The top two squads in each pool move on to the semi-finals, while the remaining teams play in classification matches on June 19.

The bronze and gold medal games are then scheduled for June 21.