Qatar thrash Saudi Arabia 30-20 to top Group D of Asian Handball Championship

Qatar came out firing on all cylinders in a politically charged handball match to defeat Saudi Arabia 30-20 in the final Group D game of the Asian Championships in Suwon, South Korea, yesterday.

The win gave defending champions Qatar three wins from as many games, ensuring top spot in the group during the preliminary stage, reported The Peninsula. This was one of the first times the two nations were coming face to face on the sports field since the start of the Saudi-led illegal blockade of Qatar.

Both nations qualified to the second round.

The Qatar team, coached by Spaniard Valero Rivera who helped them finish as runners-up in the 2015 IHF World Championship, had earlier defeated New Zealand and China in the first two matches.

In the tournament’s main round, Qatar are in group B, along with Japan and arch-rivals Bahrain and the UAE. Iran, Oman, South Korea and Saudi Arabia will face off in Group A, reported Gulf Times.

The tie against Saudi Arabia started on an even note, with the teams not giving an inch and the score was tied 5-5 after eight minutes of the game. However then Qatar surged ahead and stamped their authority.

Very soon, Qatar were up 16-8 and ended the first half with a comprehensive 21-10 advantage. In fact, Rivera was so confident that he fielded reserve players in the second half, giving his main players some much-needed rest.

Anis Zouaoui scored eight goals for Qatar and was adjudged the game’s best player. Rafael Capote with five goals and Mahmoud Hassaballa with four were the other main scorers for Qatar.

“I’m very happy how the boys played and topped the group. It was important to approach this match carefully as we’ve been playing almost on a daily basis and there’s always a risk of injury,” Rivera told Gulf Times.

“That’s why I had to protect some of the senior players by substituting them,” he added.

The winner of the Asian tournament will automatically qualify for the 2019 IHF World Championship in Germany and Denmark.