PERFECT SEASON: Triple crown for El Jaish

Eljaish first handball team won the title of Emir Cup 2015-2016 for the third time respectively after defeating Al-Gharafa team at the final match scoring 21-16. Eljaish finished first half scoring 9-8.

H.E. Salah Bin Ghanem Al-Ali, minister of culture and sports, accompanied by Mr. Ahmad Al-Shaabi, president of handball association, crowned Eljaish with the title and handed gold medals and trophy to Eljaish players and handed silver medals to Al-Gharafa team.

By this achievement, Eljaish team won the title for the third time respectively and finished the season with 3 titles after winning the league and Qatar Cup championships.

AL-KUWARI: HISTORICAL ACHIEVEMENT

Mr. Khalid Saif Al-Kuwari, head of handball staff at Eljaish sports club, dedicated the title of Emir Cup 2016-2016 to club management as appreciation for their unlimited support for the handball team in the club.

“Eljaish team deserved winning the title of Emir Cup title as finished the season and the best possible image by winning the three titles in a historical achievement”, said the chairman and added:

“All players were trustworthy and we succeeded in winning the final match despite the absence of Isam Tej who is currently suspended by the association for 5 matches. I would like to thank members of the administrative and technical staff for their efforts during the season and I wish them more good luck to win more titles in the future”, concluded Khalid Saif Al-Kuwari.

Al Jazira – new UAE champion!

After almost two decades, the UAE handball championship trophy is back to Al Jazira. The Pride of Abu Dhabi won its first Championship title since 1997, leaving title contenders Al Sharjah, Al Nasr and Al Ahli behind.

In a crucial match of the season, Al Jazira won a hard-fought 29:27 (16:14) victory over resilient Al Ain SC side.

Al Jazira, coached by Walid Ben Amor, opened the game nervously. Al Ain, this year surprise package, took the initial lead. However, the favorites, inspired with excellent play of their top scorer Ali Zein, improved efficiency, strengthened the defense and managed to turn the game before the halftime break.

In the second half Al Ain was a constant threat for the new champion, but Jugoslav Ramic’s players did not manage to make another surprise and hamper the Al Jazira title hopes. Final whistle was kick-off for the huge celebration of the long awaited title.

Al Jazira, managed by chairman Mohamed Hassan Al Suwaidi, crowned an excellent season in which the Abu Dhabi club won bronze medal on the Gulf Championship and displayed number of outstanding performances both locally and internationally.

El Jaish Sports Club win Qatari Cup

El Jaish Sports CLub showed domination in Qatar once again! The biggest non-European handball force won Qatari Cup for the second year in a row by beating Lekhwiya 27:23 (15:9) at the final.

The “Army club” had fantastic goalkeeper Darko Stanić (45% saves) and Juan Arco (9) goals in the roster which put their team 10 goals ahead of the rival after 40 minutes of the match.

El Jaish Sports Club win Qatari Championship!

El Jaish Sports Club win Qatari championship 2015/2016! The best team of Asia showed dominance in the 22 matches of the domestic Championship led by Spanish coach Toni Gerona. The “Army team” had impressive score of 21 wins and one draw, which was more than enough to take the first spot ahead of the biggest rival – “Police”, Lekhwiya team.

STANDINGS:

1 El Jaish 65 22 21 1 0 679 – 486 193
2 Lekhwiya 56 22 17 0 5 678 – 589 89
3 Al Rayyan 52 22 14 2 6 611 – 559 52
4 Al-Gharfa 52 22 12 6 4 562 – 537 25
5 Al-Quyiada 51 22 13 3 6 679 – 582 97
6 Al Wakra 44 22 10 2 10 577 – 588 -11
7 Al Ahli 41 22 8 3 11 575 – 587 -12
8 Al-Arabi 40 22 8 2 12 608 – 645 -37
9 Al Sadd Doha 36 22 6 2 14 603 – 620 -17
10 Qatar SC 36 22 6 2 14 635 – 676 -41
11 Al-Sahmal 28 22 2 2 18 538 – 702 -164
12 Al Khour 27 22 2 1 19 494 – 668 -174

Qatar win 10th international tournament in Doha

The 10th international handball tournament of Qatar ended with the victory of the domestic national team. Valero Rivera guys beat Brazil30:28, while in the second match Argentinians outplayed the best Qatari team El Jaish Sports Club 23:21.

Qatar finished tournament with six points, while Brazil ended second with two (+2 goal difference) ahead of El Jaish 2 (+-0) and Argentina 2 (-2).

Qatari powerhouse Eljaish withdraw from the Arab Championship

Eljaish first handball team will not participate in the Arab Club Championship, which is scheduled to take place in Jordan between 20 and 30 March 2016, as decided by the club management in coordination with handball staff.

Club management decided not to participate in the championship after the request from the technical staff of the handball team because of the huge number of injured basic players totaling 8 players including 2 professional ones.

Eljaish team has been suffering from match pressure and exhaustion and the team currently is competing on the league title after achieving 14 victories respectively and holding the top position on league list.

Management and technical staff preferred skipping the participation in the Arab Championship in order to provide players with the opportunity to recover and be ready for future championships and matches.

Eljaish previously decided to withdraw from IHF Super Globe due absence of their TOP players linked with the Qatari national team, who was preparing for the Olympic qualifications.

El Jaish beat Brazil in Doha

The best handball team of Asia, El Jaish Sports Club beat Brazilian national team28:26 in the Round 2 at International tournament in Doha. The team which are giving the most players for the Qatari national team came into tournament as replacement for the Egyptian national team, who had to participate alongside Qatar, Brazil and Argentina.

Brazilians have been without two imprortant players, but El Jaish could count on five Qatari NT members, but also Tunisian Issam Tej, who will try to qualify for the Olympic Games in Rio with his NT on tournament in Poland, where Africans will face domestic team, Macedonia and Chile.

In the second match of the Day 2, Qatar beat Argentina 33:19. Next Thursday tournament will be closed by last two matches between Qatar & Brazil and Argentina & El Jaish.

Round 1:

Qatar – El Jaish 34:24
Brazil – Argentina 24:20

Qatar continue domination in Asia!

The 17th Asian Championship in Bahrain is ended. Qatar defended their title, winning27:22 (12:11) over Bahrain in the final.

The match, which was replay of 2014 final, was very close and challenging. Strong efforts of Bahrain, with disciplined defense and inspired attacking play of Mahmood Abdulbaqer, kept them in the game. During first 50 minutes neither Qatar nor Bahrain managed to make more than two goals difference. Despite outstanding support from the crowded Khalifa Sports City Hall, Fernando Barbeito side did not capitalize crucial advantages and chances and paid the price at the end. In the second half, at 16:16 result, Qatar played with only three players in the field for two minutes, due to mistake of Valero Rivera bench. However, Bahrain was unable to score more than once during that period. In the last quarter, Qatar, boosted by outstanding saves of Goran Stojanovic, strong offensive play of Zarko Markovic and furious finish by Rafael Capote, who scored five goals in last ten minutes, managed to win over highly motivated hosts.

In the third-place match, Japan easily won 25:16 (12:7) against Saudi Arabia, which missed some key players due to injuries.

Iran won 5th place, overcoming Korea, while United Arab Emirates won against Oman in the 7th place play-off.

Final standings:

1. Qatar

2. Bahrain

3. Japan

4. Saudi Arabia

5. Iran

6. Korea

7. United Arab Emirates

8. Oman

9. China

10. Lebanon
11. Syria

ASIA 2016: Bahrain and Qatar for the title!

The semi-finals of the 17th Asian Championship did not produce any surprise: Qatar and Bahrain will play the final match for the title (replay of 2014 final), while Saudi Arabia and Japan will compete for the bronze medal.

Despite strong effort in the first half, Saudi Arabia, without some key players, did not have sufficient power to resist Qatar. After solid first-half display of Saudi Arabia, Qatar locked the defense in the second half. Inspired by several brilliant saves of Goran Stojanovic, Qatar was conceded only 4 times in the second 30 minutes. Final result 22:13 (12:9) clearly indicates Qatar possesses more quality at the moment.

In the second semi-final match, host Bahrain had no problem with Japan, winning 29:23 (15:10). Bahrain got solid advantage over Ortega`s side after first 15 minutes and managed to keep it until the end. Japan had no chance for return. At the final seconds of the game, Bahrain goalkeeper Mohammed Hussain managed to score the last goal for his side, making thousands of fans in Khalifa Sports City absolutely jubilant.

IHF president Mr Hassan Mustafa arrived to Bahrain and watched both semifinal matches in Isa Town. It is clear top four teams from the Asian Championship have qualified for the 2017 World Championship. The final games will be played on January 28th in Khalifa Sports City hall.

Major controversies over Asian Championship

How many teams qualify for the World Championship?

Final round of a group stage on the 17th Asian Championship resolved all dilemmas: Qatar will face Saudi Arabia in the semi-final, while host Bahrain will play against Japan.

In the play-off from 5th to 8th place, Korea will play against United Arab Emirates, and Iran will face Oman. Lebanon and Syria will play for 9th place, while China is on the 11th place of the championship.

In the group A, Japan had an easy job against Syria, winning 24:15 (11:6). Qatar did not let Korea to produce any surprise, celebrating 38:23 (19:13) victory.

In the Group B, Lebanon woke up and won 30:28 (15:18) against China, securing 5th place in the group. In a close encounter which could go either way, Iran won 34:32 (15:15) against United Arab Emirates. In the derby of the round, the match which decided about first position, Bahrain won a hard-fought 25:24 (15:12) game over Saudi Arabia, saving the victory in the last seconds. In the aftermath, Saudi Arabia coach Nenad Kljaić raised concerns about the referee criteria via his Facebook profile, posting photos and counting no less than 18 mistakes in favor of Bahrain. Referees are a hot topic in the group B: couple of days before, after commenting some obvious mistakes of the referees on Bahrain-UAE game, United Arab Emirates received an official warning.

However, referees are not the biggest controversy on the Asian Championship. In the middle of the Championship, the morning before start of the 5th round, the letter from the IHF arrived, creating confusion and bringing dose of anxiety in number of teams. It is stated only four teams from Asia, including Qatar, will qualify for the 2017 World Championship. This interpretation is completely different than the preliminary one. Before the start of the Asian Championship, teams are informed Qatar has already qualified for the World Championship as vice-champion of the world and four more slots are available. Following recent update, it is completely unknown if holder of the 5th place will qualify for the World Cup. If the IHF decision described in the letter delivered on the half of the Championship is final, the play-off for 5th place becomes completely pointless. This change of regulations is widely considered as “shame” and “joke” by many representatives of Asian national federations.

ASIA 2016: Japan, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia to WCh 2017!

After the 4th round of 17th Asian Championship in Bahrain, all semifinalists are known: after Qatar, Japan secured the place from the group A, winning 29:24 (16:11) over Oman. The host Bahrain qualified from the group B, following impressive 27:16 (13:8) victory over Iran. Another semifinalist from the group B is Saudi Arabia, after dominant 34:20 (16:8) win against China.

Korea from the group A and United Arab Emirates from the group B theoretically could still find a slot in the semifinals. However their goal difference makes this mission impossible. UAE managed a narrow 27:23 (12:16) win against Lebanon, while Korea had an easy game against Syria – 38:20 (19:5).

All semifinalists secured ticket for the 2017 World Championship in France. Also, 5th selection will qualify to participate on the World Championship.

Matches of the final round will decide about the rankings in both groups.

ASIA 2016: Qatar secure semi-final spot

After 3rd round of Asian Championship in Bahrain, the situation in the group A is quite clear: Qatar holds first place in the group firmly, following 29:24 (15:12) win over well prepared Japanese team. Ortega’s players managed to surprise Qatar with quick and organized play. However, their effort was not strong enough to upset the top favorites.

In the another group A match, Oman celebrated important 31:24 (15:11) victory over Syria, securing place in top 4 teams in the group. Although Korea still has theoretical chances to qualify, most likely the match between Japan and Oman will decide which selection will go through the semi-final of the Championship.

Things are much more complicated in the group B: following the draw with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates were on the verge of a new major upset against the host Bahrain. Despite resilient and motivated play of the UAE, Bahrain team was concentrated at the end of the game, using constant power play and converting several controversial penalties into goals for final 28:26 (16:13) victory. Another matches in the group B did not bring any challenge for the favorites – Saudi Arabia demolished Lebanon 32:13 (16:4), while Iran showed quality against China, celebrating 36:18 (17:10) victory.

The picture about the semi-finalists from the group B will be drawn in the last two rounds: at the moment, Bahrain is close to the achievement if this objective, while Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Iran still hold the chance to secure the second slot in the fight for medals.

Syria in the group A, as well as Lebanon and China in the group B, are without any chances to qualify for the semi-finals.

Bahrain and Qatar Dominant, UAE Upset the Favorites

Second round of the 17th Asian Championship brought a new surprise: at the opening game of the group B, United Arab Emirates hampered chances of Saudi Arabia to reach the semi-finals, playing 17:17 (6:7). In the strong match with an outstanding goalkeeping and defensive display on both sides, UAE had chance to win, but Abdulla Albaloushi shot in the final seconds went over the bar.

Iran recovered from the starting defeat, easily overcoming Lebanon 31:26 (16:13). Bahrain showed superiority against Chinese side, creating easy win 41:18 (18:7). Bahraini 3-3 defence and quick offensive play completely blocked Chinese play, so the winner was known even in the early stage of the game.

Bahrain is leader of the group B with 4 points. UAE and Saudi Arabia follow with 3 points, Iran has 2, while China and Lebanon are still looking for the first points.

In the group A, Oman was close to surprise favorites South Korea. In a heart-breaking match, both sides had chances to count the victory. At the end, lady luck smiled to Korea, who managed to save the advantage in the final minutes and won 23:22 (11:12).

Qatar was dominant again, easily passing over Syria with 32:10 (18:6) win. Excellent defensive display was just enough to overcome weak Syrian team.

In the group A, Qatar is topping the table with 4 points, Јаpan and Korea are behind with 2, while Oman and Syria are on level 0 after first two rounds.

Asian Championship 2015: Japan beat Korea – Saudis surprise for Iran

The Asian Championship 2015 in Bahrain began on Friday with three matches in Manama. Highlight of the Day 1 was a Saudi Arabia victory over Iran 26:21 (12:10). Host nation, Bahrain beat Lebanon 41:18, while United Arab Emirates outplayed China 21:17.

Japan beat Korea 31:25 (14:10) in the derby match of Day 2. Japanese guys with the support of Ex-Veszprem coach Antonio Carlos Ortega, obviously, made quick improvement.

Qatar smashed Oman 37:19.

Qatar beat Netherlands in two friendly tests

Qatari national team, who already qualified for the Olympic Games in Rio and World Championship in France,  beat Netherlands twice in friendly matches in Doha only 10 days before Asian Championship in Bahrain.

Valero Rivera boys won 38:26 in the first clash, while in second Dutch resistance was more serious – 34:30.

QATAR: El Jaish beat Lekhwiya in derby!

The most powerful team of Asia, Qatari El Jaish Sports Club, going strongly towards first title in the season in the national Championship. Team coached by SpaniardToni Gerona won seven matches at the start of the Qatari league including derby encounter with Lekhwiya 29:23 (16:14).

STANDINGS:

1 El-JAISH El-JAISH 21 – 7
2 LEKHWIYA LEKHWIYA 19 – 7
3 Al-GHARAFA Al-GHARAFA 18 – 7
4 Al-QIYADA Al-QIYADA 16 – 7
5 Al-RAYYAN Al-RAYYAN 13 – 6
6 Al-ARABI Al-ARABI 13 – 7
7 QATARSC QATARSC 13 – 7
8 Al-SADD (QAT) Al-SADD (QAT) 12 – 7
9 Al-WAKRH Al-WAKRH 11-6
10 Al-SHAMAL Al-SHAMAL 11 -7
11 Al-AHLI Al-AHLI 10-7
12 Al-KHOR Al-KHOR 7-7

OLYMPIC DREAM COMES TRUE: Qatar will play in Rio!

Qatar wil play in Rio! The first ever team from Persian Gulf country who will ever compete at Olympic Games will be Valero Rivera team who achieved the second big goal afte silver medal at World Championship 2015. Qatar beat Iran 28:19 at the Final match of Asiah qualification tournament in Doha.

Iran will play at the Olympic qualification tournament, Bahrain as well as the third team after win over Korea 34:21.

France, Brazil, Argentina and Qatar are four teams qualified for Rio 2016.

2016 Olympic Qualification Tournament #1	2016 Olympic Qualification Tournament #2	2016 Olympic Qualification Tournament #3
2nd from World : 7th from World : 2nd from America : Chile 2nd from Africa :	3rd from World : 6th from World : 2nd from Asia : Iran 3rd from Europe :	4th from World : 5th from World : 2nd from Europe : 3rd from Asia : Bahrain

OLYMPIC DREAM: Qatar or Iran in Rio!

Qatar and Iran will fight for the Asian place at the Olympic Games in Rio! Two teams, who already meet in group where Qatari guys won by 17 goals, will play at the Final of the Asian Qualification tournament on Friday in Doha.

Valero Rivera team had no problem to outplay Korea 30:26. The final result doesn’t show the real difference between two teams because Qatar had 25:15 ten minutes before the end.

Iran beat Bahrain 35:30 in the first semi-final battle.

The bronze medal team will also win chance to qualify for Olympic Games through qualifications.

ASIA BATTLE FOR RIO 2016: Four teams, one dream

Four teams still hope to find their place at Olympic Games in Rio at Asian qualification tournament in Doha! Bahrain beat South Korea 31:30 in the decisive battle for the first place which means that Koreans will meet domestic team – Qatar at the semi-final!

Iran secured second TOP spot in the second group by beating Saudi Arabia 30:24. Iranians will play against Bahrain for the place in the final, which means securing place at Olympic qualification tournament next April.

Semi-final matches will be played on Wednesday.

ASIAN BATTLE FOR RIO 2016: Qatar smash Iran to reach semi-final

The first team at Asian Qualification tournament for Olympic Games in Rio is Qatar! Valero Rivera boys showed power by beating the strongest rival in the group – Iran 32:17 which put them on the TOP of the group after four rounds. Qatar secured semi-final spot, while for the second will fight Iran and Saudi Arabia, which match will look carefully Japan, who also has some theoretical chances to finish second.

STANDINGS:
Qatar 8
Iran 6
Saudi Arabia 4
Japan 4
Oman 2
Uzbekistan 0

In the second group, Bahrain and South Korea won first two clashes, but still two rounds are ahead.

STANDINGS:
Bahrain 4
Korea 4
Iraq 2
China 2
Australia 0  – 3

Asian battle for RIO 2016: Qatar and Iran celebrate second wins

Qatar and Iran showed that they are comfortable in a role of favorite for the semi-finals at Asian Qualification tournament in Doha. Qatar beat Japan 36:19, while Iran had no troubles against Uzbekistan 33:18.

In third match of Group B, Saudi Arabia beat Oman 29:23.

STANDINGS:
Qatar 4
Iran 4
Saudi Arabia 2
Japan 2
Oman 0
Uzbekistan 0

Asian battle for RIO 2016: Qatar begin with +40!

Olympic qualification tournament in Doha began on Saturday with 11 teams in two groups. Only the winner will qualify for the Olympic Games in Rio. Two biggest favorites are Qatar and Korea, but also Iran and Bahrain could dream about VISA for Brazil.

Group A:

Korea – Iraq 26:20
China – Australia 29:24

Group B:
Qatar – Uzbekistan 49:9
Iran – Oman 39:31
Japan – Saudi Arabia 27:19

NEW CHAPTER OF UAE SPORTS: Dubai IHC starts competition in Premier League

A new chapter in the history of sports in the United Arab Emirates is going to be written on Friday – the UAE Premier Handball League starts with one new participant. Dubai International Handball Club (DIHC), a club established by non-UAE nationals, becomes the first predominantly expatriate club to participate in top division of team sport competition in the Emirates.

“We are honored to become the first top-division team established by non-UAE nationals. This is a great moment for us, but this is a great moment for handball and sports in the UAE as well. Place for DIHC in history of sports in the UAE is reserved. Quality of our work and efforts we made on promoting handball and building cross-cultural understanding and exchange in the Emirates are recognized. On behalf of DIHC I want to thank the UAE Handball Federation, and especially its president, Dr Majid Sultan Bin Suleiman, on their supportiveness and readiness to move the borders and make handball accessible to all UAE residents”, stated Dario Menichetti, founder and team captain of DIHC.

“We are ready for the league debut. Al Ahli, our opponent on the league debut, is strong team and we respect their great tradition and reputation. However, we believe in ourselves. Nothing is impossible in sports. We will try to surprise them on Friday and will do our best on the pitch. This is just a great moment – let the handball win”, stated Jalil Machou, DIHC player.

The game against Al Ahli, being the first competitive game of DIHC in the Emirates Premier League, is going to be played on Friday, 5PM, at Al Ahli SC in Dubai.

WARM UP FOR RIO BATTLE: Qatar and Bahrain dominant in the latest tests

Only a week before the Asian qualification tournament for Olympic Games 2016, Qatar organized tournament at home court in Doha with the participation of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and China. Valero Rivera team showed great domination in the first two clashes against Saudi Arabia 32:22 and China 39:13.

Almost on the same level was performance of the Asian vice-champions from 2014, Bahrain. Bahreini boys lead by Slovenian coach Borut Macek outplayed easily China 42:20 and Saudis 30:22.

For the first place on the last preparation tournament before start of the Asian qualifications for Rio (November 14), will play the finalists of Asian Championship 2014 – Qatar and Bahrain.

Nenad Kljajic leads Saudi Arabia at WCh 2013 in Spain

Croatian coach, Nenad Kljajic will lead Saudi Arabia NT at the World Championship in Spain next January. Former C.O Zagreb’s coach was sacked after open critics of Slavko Goluza’s work on the position of NT coach. Kljajic is member of golden Croatian generation from Atlanta 1996, when his father Velimir was NT coach.

Saudi Arabia wil play in Group C with Serbia, Poland, South Korea, Belarus and Slovenia.

IHF Super Globe: Kiel and Atletico Madrid with the first victories! IHF Super Globe: Kiel and Atletico Madrid with the first victories

There were no surprises in the first matches of the IHF Super Globe in Doha.

Mudhar – University of Sydney 32:27 (15:12)Amine Bannour 7, Majed Aboalraha 4; University – Diego Liorente 8, Rafael Leis 5, Oliver Junker 4, Tomasz Szklarski 3.

Al Zamalek – Metodista Sao Bernardo 33:24 (12:14)
Al Zamalek – Hussein Zaki 7, Ahmed Mostafa 6, Mohamed Hesham 5; Sao Bernardo – Carlos Castillo 6, Fabio Chiuffa 5, Gustavo Cardoso, Diogo Hubner – 4.

BM Atletico Madryt – Al Jaish 28:23 (11:13) 
Atletico – Kiril Lazarov 7, Jonas Kallman, Alvaro Ferrer –  4, Mariusz Jurkiewicz 3; Al Jaish – Jure Dolenec 6, Hassan Mabrouk 4.

THW Kiel – Al Sadd 29:26 (9:16) 
Kiel – Marko Vujin 7, Gudjon Valur Sigurdsson 5, Dominik Klein 4; dla Al Sadd – Dragan Gajić 8, William Accambray, Nikola Karabatić, Christian Malmagro oraz Issam Tej – 3.

Kristian Kjelling plays Play Off in Qatar

Norwegian star and one of the most attractive handball players on the Earth, Kristian Kjelling (32) goes to Qatar for 10 days to play in the Play-Off. He got “green light” from his team, Danish Aalborg, so he will be able to help his Al Ahli Sports Club to make best possible performance in the finish of their Championship.

Before Denmark, left back of Norwegian NT played in Spain for Ademar Leon and Portland San Antonio.

The result of the draw for the V Beach Handball WC in Oman

The draw for the V Beach Handball World Championships, which will be organized from 8 to 13 July in Al Musannah Sports City in Oman was executed today, 14 May, in the Shangri La Hotel in Muscat.

The draw was conducted in presence of the 1st Vice President of the International Handball Federation Mr. Miguel Roca Mas and the IHF Beach Handball Working Group, and H.E. Abdullah al Saeedi, Minister of Legal Affairs of Oman on behalf of the Local Organizing Committee. Mirza Dzomba, a 2003 World Champion and 2004 Olympic Winner with Croatia was also participated in the draw in his role as Ambassador of the 2012 Beach Handball World Championships.

After a rather charming program, which included traditional Omani music dances as well as modern artistic performance, the draw was conducted according to regulations previously announced by the International Handball Federation.

The draw results as follows:

Women’s Tournament

Group A  Group B

CRO    NOR

DEN    BRA

ITA      HUN

CHN      THA

URU     POL

AUS     SIN

Men’s Tournament

Group A    Group B

BRA      CRO

RUS     EGY

UKR     ESP

OMA   QAT

MAR   URU

AUS     KUW

Home / News / Asia / Dragan Zovko new Qatar Youths coach! Dragan Zovko new Qatar Youths coach!

The coach of many French clubs in the past,Dragan Zovko, is going to Doha as he is to coach the country’s national youth team. He will lead the youth Qatari at the Asian games, which are qualifying ones for the upcoming World Championship, which is to be held 2013 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Iranian youngstar Iman Jamali is on trial in MKB Veszprem!

Iranian youngstar,Iman Jamali (20, 202 cm /102 kg) is on trial in Hungarian champion, MKB Veszprém. Jamali was the second best scorer at the last Junior World Championship in Greece last year.

Saudi Arabia qualifies for the WCh 2013 in Spain!

The third National Team qualified for the World Championship in Spain from the Asian Championship is Saudi Arabia. In the crucial match for bronze medal and WCh 2013 VISA, Arabians were clearly better from Japan 25:20. The Asian Gold takes South Korea after win in the Final against Qatar 23:22.

South Korea and Qatar qualify for the WCh 2013 in Spain!

In the crucial battles for the World Championship 2013 Visa at the Asian Games,  South Korea beats Saudia Arabia27:26 (14:13), while Qatar had fantastic 60 minutes against Japan 33:28 (19:13). 

For the Gold Medal at the Asian Games will play the most recognized team from Asia, Korea and Qatar, host nation of the World Championship 2015. Game for the Bronze will be also very interesting, because Japan and Saudia Arabia will decided, who will be the third team from Asia for WC 2013 in Spain next January.

South Korea at the Olympic Games 2012!

The fourth team that will for sure be at the Olympic Games 2012 is South Korea. Besides France, Great Britain and Argentina, the Asian side has reached the olympics through a victory against Japan with 26:21. They’re being led by Yoon, a former Gummersbach player. In the game for the third place, Iran beat Saudi Arabia with 21:20.

photo courtesy of: Lee Sang-sub / The Korea Herald

Successful Global Coaching Clinic staged in Oman

The second part of the first ever IHF Global Coaching Clinic in Oman proved a great success. After the first part being held by IHF coaching experts and lec-turers on the fringes of the Super Globe in Qatar, the second part took place in Oman. The same group of 44 coaches from 20 Asian and Arabic-speaking countries learned about coaching methods, psychology and sports medicine. After Sylvain Nouet and Alain Quintallet, two coaches working for France’s successful men’s national team, lending some insight into their work during the Qatar session, former Yugoslav goalkeeping legend Abaz Arslanagic attended the GCC in Oman, which was divided into theoretical and practical parts again and focused on goalkeeper training. Frantisek Taborsky, Dietrich Späte, Zoltan Marczinka and Nabeel Taha Al-Shehab attended the course on behalf of the IHF Commission of Coaching and Methods (CCM).

The participants underwent 130 teaching units in total during the two course parts, and they were the first to receive the new IHF Coaching License Level A. The closing ceremony in Oman was attended by IHF President Dr Hassan Moustafa and Oman’s royalty.

Dr Moustafa had conceived the idea of launching the Global Coaching Clinic programme all over the world. It aims at promoting handball federations, coaches and players in all continents and reaching a higher level of education for coaches. The programme aims high so that only national federations may nominate candidates to participate in the courses. Those coaches must have worked for their federations, if possible as a national team coach. In the end of the first ever Global Coaching Clinic in Qatar and Oman all 44 coaches – includ-ing two female coaches – had attained the same level – and the IHF-CCM’s activities with these coaches have not been finished yet, as the GCC graduates will be monitored and will meet again in two or three years to exchange and widen their coaching experience.

The coaches were taught in small groups with only ten participants per lecturer to obtain in-depth knowledge. “Those coaches tremendously increased their knowledge,” CCM member Dietrich Späte said after the second part of the course. Now it’s up to the coaches themselves to spread their knowledge in their countries, as one of their missions is to multiply their knowledge by teach-ing other coaches.

The GCC in Qatar and Oman was the beginning of a series of so-called clinics all around the world. The next GCC will take place in Africa. These training courses are an integral part of those measures taken by the IHF to improve and develop handball outside Europe and to establish a consistent coaching level worldwide. The IHF is the first International Federation to issue those worldwide valid coaching licences level A.

Pakistan, Tajikistan and Afganistan play handball

RAHIM YAR KHAN: A handball match between Pakistan and Tajikistan will be played in Rahim Yar Khan on April 19, making it the first international event in the district according to District Sports Officer Syed Waqar Hussain Gilani.

Gilani while talking to APP on Friday said the teams would arrive in South Punjab’s historic city on April 18.

“This would be the first international competition in the district”, Gilani said of the match being organised under the aegis of Pakistan Football Federation.

Afghanistan and Tajikistan’s handball team’s are currently in Pakistan, one of the top handball teams in Asia, on an eight-day tour which features matches between the three teams across the country.

China with handball league!

Good news for handball are coming from Asia. The most populous nation on Earth, the Chinese, have already started their new league, with matches played last week-end, and teams seeded into North and South division. This means growth in handball popularity, and hopefully perhaps also bigger competitivity of the non-European teams at World Championships.

Eight teams are competition from May to September, and then the final rounds will take place in September. The league will be supervised by the national coach Wang Xindong. On the other hand, the Women’s league had it’s successful premiere in March, and results are to come yet for Chinese handball.

Vietnam to watch EHF Champions League

The VELUX EHF Champions League, Europe’s premier men’s club handball competition, is to be shown in Vietnam thanks to a new television deal brokered by MP & Silva, the international sports media rights agency, and EHF Marketing GmbH, the marketing arm of the European Handball Federation.

Vietnamese television station, SCTV (Saigon Tourist Cable TV Company), is to take two live matches per round for the remainder of the season as well as the final weekend event, the VELUX EHF FINAL4, which will take place on 28 and 29 May 2011 in Cologne, Germany.

SCTV was founded in 1992 as a joint venture between Saigon Tourist & Vietnam Television (VTV), evolving into a cable TV service in 2001. It has 72 channels with over 1,000,000 subscribers in 24 districts, including Ho Chi Minh City, Long An, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Vung Tau, and its reach is still expanding.

SCTV has 17 of its own channels including one sports channel. Its current sports programming includes the English Premier League Saturday and Monday packages, AC Milan Channel, Barca TV, Real Madrid TV, ATP 250/500/1000 tournaments, Roland Garros and combat sports.

The successful deal is a result of the collaboration between MP & Silva and EHF Marketing GmbH to extend the distribution of the VELUX EHF Men’s Champions League and the EHF Women’s Champions League in Asia.

Commenting on the addition of SCTV to its list of broadcasters, Managing Director of EHF Marketing GmbH, Peter Vargo, said: “It is very pleasing to see more and more international broadcasters wanting to show top class handball from the VELUX EHF Champions League. As the biggest Pay TV channel in Vietnam, SCTV is an important partner for us and we look forward to a successful future cooperation.”

IHF Super Globe 2011 in Qatar

After the successful IHF Super Globe tournament in 2010, the Al Sadd Club (QAT) will organize the “World Championship for Club Teams” on behalf of the IHF again. The fifth edition of the IHF Super Globe is planned to take place in Doha, Qatar from 14 to 18 May 2011.

Other than 2010, when six teams competed for the title, now eight clubs from all continents will play for the trophy in two Preliminary Round groups with four teams each.

The first stage is directly followed by the matches for Gold, Bronze and the places 5/6 and 7/8.

In addition to hosts Al Sadd (QAT), IHF Super Globe title defenders Renovalia Ciudad Real (ESP) and the reigning VELUX EHF Men’s Champions League winners THW Kiel (GER) have already qualified for this year’s edition.

Furthermore the continental champions from Asia, Africa, Pan-America and Oceania will participate. The eighth club will be another team from hosting nation Qatar (wild card owner).

Previous IHF Super Globe winners

• 1997 in Vienna, Austria: Teka Santander (ESP)
• 2002 in Doha, Qatar: Al Sadd (QAT)
• 2007 in Cairo, Egypt: Ciudad Real (ESP)
• 2010 in Doha, Qatar: Ciudad Real (ESP)

Draw of the 2011 Super Globe (Qatar): THW Kiel and Ciudad Real separated

The draw of the 2011 Super Globe in Qatar took place on 19 March in Doha, Qatar, conducted by Leon Kalin, President of the IHF Commission of Organising and Competition (COC).

The results of the draw are as follows:

Group A

THW Kiel (GER)

2nd team (QAT)

Al-Saad (LEB)

Pan America Representative

Group B

Ciudad Real (ESP)

Al Sadd (QAT)

Africa Representative

Southern Stars (AUS)

The preliminary round matches will be played from 14 to 16 May followed by a rest day. The placement matches and finals will be staged on 18 May.

The IHF will publish the playing schedule and further details in due time.