AMMAN: The Kuwaiti Junior Handball Team came in third place in the 10th Asian Championship held in the Jordanian capital Amman and qualified for the Junior World Cup in Slovenia 2026 after competing with the Saudi team on Saturday (30-26). After the match, captain Hussein Mandani told KUNA that the youth team competed strongly and secured qualification for the Junior Handball World Cup, due in Slovenia in 2025. The Japanese team achieved first place, defeating South Korea (26-24) in the final match, which was led by the two Kuwaiti international referees, Dalal Al-Naseem and Maali Al-Enezi. Saudi team was in fourth place, Bahrain came fifth, Iran was sixth, and the Jordanian team was in seventh place. The Kuwaiti player Youssef Madouh was chosen as the best player in the match with the Saudis.

Meanwhile, Minister of Information and Culture and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi congratulated Kuwait’s youth handball team on winning the bronze medal in the 10th Asian Championship, to qualify for the 2025 World Handball Championship in Slovenia. In a press statement, the minister said that this victory is the culmination of their distinguished performance in the tournament after they ensured qualifying for the World Cup in Slovenia next year after reaching the semifinals. He praised the Kuwaiti team for their efforts throughout the tournament, saying that their achievement embodies the cooperation and discipline that characterizes the work of the Kuwaiti federations and clubs. The Kuwaiti team clinched the bronze medal today after winning against their Saudi Arabian counterpart, with a score of (30-26) in the finals match, held in the Jordanian capital Amman. The two teams performed exceptionally well, with the Kuwaiti team succeeding in achieving victory in this high level matchup. Kuwait’s team member Yousef Maduw was chosen as best player in the match with the Saudi Arabian team. The Japanese team achieved first place after winning against South Korea with a score of (26- 24) in the final match led by the two Kuwaiti international referees, Dalal Al-Naseem, and Maali Al-Enezi. Saudi Arabia won fourth place, Bahrain fifth, Iran sixth, and Jordan seventh.—KUNA