The Asian Handball Federation (AHF) proudly announces the successful conclusion of the 3rd Asian Youth Games Handball Events, held from 19 to 30 October 2025 at the Bahrain Handball Federation Hall, Umm Al Hassam, Manama. Organized under the auspices of the Bahrain Olympic Committee, in collaboration with the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the Asian Handball Federation, the handball events witnessed intense competition and a display of remarkable youth talent from across the continent. This edition marked a historic moment as it was the first time the Asian Youth Games were hosted in the Arabian Peninsula and the first to be organized since 2013, symbolizing the revival of youth multi-sport events in Asia.
In the men’s event, eleven teams participated in two groups following adjustments to the draw due to the withdrawal of India, Qatar, and Uzbekistan. The group stage witnessed dominant performances, particularly from Saudi Arabia in Group A, who opened their campaign with commanding victories over Maldives (71–7), Jordan (33–11), Hong Kong–China (43–16), and hosts Bahrain (33–27). Bahrain also enjoyed convincing wins over Maldives (74–13) and Hong Kong–China (36–12) to finish second in the group. The final Group A standings placed Saudi Arabia first with eight points, followed by Bahrain, Jordan, Hong Kong–China, and Maldives.
Group B produced equally thrilling encounters with Kuwait, the People’s Republic of China, and the Islamic Republic of Iran displaying excellent form. P. R. China overcame the United Arab Emirates 40–25 in their opener before I. R. Iran defeated Thailand 42–12. Kuwait began strongly with a 42–26 win over Kazakhstan. I. R. Iran later defeated P. R. China 20–17 in a close contest, while Kuwait overcame I. R. Iran 24–19 before P. R. China edged Kuwait 37–35 in one of the most exciting matches of the tournament. At the conclusion of the group stage, Kuwait, P. R. China, and I. R. Iran were level on points, each demonstrating exceptional attacking play and tactical depth.
The semi-finals featured four of Asia’s strongest youth teams, with Saudi Arabia defeating P. R. China 32–24 to reach the final, while Kuwait edged Bahrain 23–21 in a tightly contested match. In the bronze medal match, Bahrain outplayed P. R. China 32–28 to secure third place. The gold medal match proved to be a fitting finale as Saudi Arabia narrowly defeated Kuwait 29–28 after an intense encounter, capturing the championship title and maintaining their unbeaten record throughout the tournament. Kuwait settled for the silver medal, while Bahrain’s consistency earned them the bronze, and P. R. China finished in fourth place after a spirited campaign.
In the women’s event, seven nations competed in a single round-robin format, including the Islamic Republic of Iran, the People’s Republic of China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, India, Thailand, and Hong Kong–China. The competition witnessed exceptional performances across the board, with I. R. Iran emerging as the undisputed champions after winning all six of their matches. They opened their campaign with a 30–25 win against P. R. China, followed by victories over Uzbekistan (27–24), Kazakhstan (27–23), Thailand (32–16), India (43–26), and Hong Kong–China (37–21). The Iranian team displayed remarkable defensive organization and offensive versatility, marking their dominance in the event.
P. R. China, despite losing to I. R. Iran, performed strongly throughout the tournament with key wins including 33–15 against Thailand, 38–14 against Hong Kong–China, 39–22 against India, and 35–30 against Kazakhstan, thereby finishing as runners-up. Kazakhstan took the bronze medal following significant victories against Hong Kong–China (40–24) and other closely fought contests. Uzbekistan, India, Thailand, and Hong Kong–China completed the final standings respectively.
The conclusion of both events marked an important chapter in the development of youth handball across Asia. Saudi Arabia’s historic triumph in the men’s category and I. R. Iran’s unbeaten championship run in the women’s event underscored the increasing competitiveness of Asian handball at the youth level. The 3rd Asian Youth Games Handball Events were widely praised for their high standards of organization and the spirit of fair play exhibited by all participating teams.
The Asian Handball Federation extends its sincere appreciation to the Bahrain Olympic Committee, the Organizing Committee of the Games, and all participating national federations for their outstanding cooperation and commitment to promoting handball among the next generation of athletes.