Qatar won the Asian Men’s Handball Championship for the fifth time in a row, beating Bahrain in the gold-medal match played at Ministry of Sports Hall in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The defending champions won an enthralling match 29-24 to equal South Korea’s record of five straight titles in the continental event.

16 teams were in Saudi Arabia competing for the continental title and a spot at the 28^th IHF Men’s Handball World Championship 2023, to be held in Poland and Sweden, with a total of 58 games played at the Prince Nayef Sports City Hall in Qatif and the Ministry of Sports Hall in Dammam.

Qatar’s fifth triumph makes them the sole occupant of second position in the tournament’s all-time medals table after previously sharing it with Kuwait on four titles each. South Korea are the most successful nation and have won the continental crown nine times, but not since 2012. Hosts Saudi Arabia beat 2014 bronze medallists Iran 26-23 in the third-place playoff.

Final Rankings:

1. Qatar*
2. Bahrain*
3. Saudi Arabia*
4. Islamic Republic of Iran*
5. Republic of Korea*
6. Iraq
7. Kuwait
8. Uzbekistan
9. United Arab Emirates
10. Oman
11. Hong Kong
12. Jordan
13. Vietnam
14. Singapore
15. India
16. Australia