Doha, Qatar: The six-time Asian title-holders Qatar will set their eyes on the elusive global title when they begin their campaign at the 11th IHF Men’s Beach Handball World Championship at the Pingtan International Beach Sports Base in Pingtan Island, China, today. Qatar, who have twice finished as bronze medallists at the World Championships, in 2016 and 2016, are placed in a challenging Group D, along with Germany, Uruguay, and the United States in the preliminary round which kicks off this afternoon. Qatar will take on the United States in their opening match today at 11:40 am Doha time.
Qatar will meet Uruguay and Germany tomorrow in their remaining Group D matches. The top three teams from each group will advance to the main round, cutting down the number of teams from 16 to 12. The Qatari team, coached by Khaled Hassan, underwent extensive preparation ahead of the Championship, including a training camp in Cadiz, Spain before heading to China.
The reigning Asian champions played a friendly tournament in Spain, where Qatar players fine-tuned their preparations before meeting the world’s best. Team Qatar boasts of seasoned campaigners in the caliber of Mohsen Al Yafei, Mohammed Zaky, Hani Kakhi, and Zarko Markovic who are expected to play key roles during the Championship. The team also includes Osama Al Toumi, Amir Nour Al Din Dingir, Ali Ahmed Mohamed, Abdel Razzaq Murad, and Sayed Ali Qenawi.
Qatar has a rich heritage in beach handball, having won multiple accolad.
