KUWAIT: Kuwait handball team won its first match against Cape Verde on Wednesday, while Tunisia won against Bahrain during the start of the first Kuwait International Handball Championship, due on November 6-9, as part of the preparations for the 2025 World Cup.

The matches took place at Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Hall, with Kuwait winning against Cape Verde with a score of (36-26.) Meanwhile, Tunisia won against Bahrain in a close match with a score of (25-22,) the first half ending in a (14-14) tie. The Assistant Secretary of Kuwait’s Handball Association Abdullah Al-Theyab said in a statement to KUNA, that the goal of this tournament is to prepare Kuwait’s team for the 2025 World Cup in January, by playing against similar leveled teams.

For his part, Bahrain’s Handball Association Chief Ali Ishaqi added that this tournament is a step towards improving handball in the Gulf, as well as be an opportunity for players to gain experience from other teams. Moreover, Zeid Nattat, a member of the Board of Directors of the Tunisian Handball Association, said that this tournament is very important due to the value of the participating teams for the 2025 World Cup.

The Handball World Cup is due on January 14-February 2, 2025, and is scheduled to be held in 3 countries, Croatia, Denmark, and Norway, with the participation of 32 countries, six being Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria. The championship will continue with Tunis facing Cape Verde, and Kuwait facing Bahrain at the same venue. — KUNA