Yesterday, the draw for the 27th Asian Men’s Handball Clubs League Championship was held, qualifying for the 2025 Super Globe World Clubs Continental Championship, which will be hosted by Al Rayyan Club from November 11 to 22.
The draw was attended by Mohammed Jaber Al Mulla, Secretary General of the Qatar Handball Association, Ali Salem Afifa, Vice President of Al Rayyan Club, in addition to Jassim Al Dhiyab, Technical Director of the Asian Handball Federation, Abdullah Al Dhiyab, Assistant Technical Director of the Asian Federation, and representatives of the clubs participating in the tournament.
The draw placed Al Rayyan in Group One alongside Al Karkh of Iraq, Al Shabab of Bahrain, Kuwait of Kuwait and Sharjah of the UAE, while Al Duhail was in Group Two alongside Kazma of Kuwait, Ahli Sidab of Oman, Mes Kerman of Iran and Al Khaleej of Saudi Arabia, the champion of the previous edition.
This will be the fifth time that Doha hosts the tournament after 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016. The last edition of the tournament was held in Kuwait last November, and the Saudi Al-Khaleej team was crowned champion after winning the final match against the Al-Arabi team with a score of 35-33.
Qatari handball has a rich history in the tournament, as Al Sadd Club holds the record for the number of times it has won the title, with five championships. Al Duhail Club has also won the title three times, and Al Jaish Club has won it twice.
Ali Salem Afifa, Vice President of Al Rayyan Club, confirmed that Al Rayyan aspires to the Asian podium and said in statements after the draw ceremony, “Al Rayyan is a well-known team on the Asian level and God willing it will be able to achieve its aspirations with the combined efforts of everyone and we are confident in our team’s ability to compete strongly for the title.”
Regarding the expected public support, Afifa explained, “Al Rayyan fans do not need a special invitation, and we are certain that they will be present in force in the stands of Al Duhail Hall in order to support the team to achieve the best results in the Asian Championship.”
Mansour Al-Sharshani, Director of the Al-Duhail Handball Team, confirmed that the draw was balanced in the first and second groups, noting that the new system will allow 4 teams from each group to advance to the quarter-finals, which will enhance the technical levels of the participating teams.
Regarding Al Duhail team’s ambition in this edition, Al Sharshani said, “Al Duhail team does not enter such tournaments except to compete strongly for the title, and we are confident in our abilities to appear in the best possible way to defend the reputation of Qatari handball alongside the host Al Rayyan team.”
