The 3rd Asian Youth Games was held from 22 – 31 October 2025 in Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain. This marked the first time the competition was staged in the Arabian Peninsula, and also the first edition since 2013.
The men’s handball event was held from 19 – 30 October 2025 at the Bahrain Handball Federation Hall, Umm Al Hassam, Manama.
The Games were originally scheduled for 2017 and awarded to Hambantota (Sri Lanka), then re-awarded to Jakarta (Indonesia), but eventually cancelled by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). They were again scheduled for 2021, first awarded to Surabaya (Indonesia) and later to Shantou (P.R. China), but were cancelled by the OCA due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Subsequently, the OCA awarded the hosting rights to Tashkent (Uzbekistan), with the Games scheduled from 7 – 17 September 2025. However, Uzbekistan withdrew in December 2024 due to delays in infrastructure construction caused by the pandemic.
Teams
Bahrain
Hong Kong–China
Islamic Republic of Iran
India
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kuwait
Maldives
P. R. China
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Thailand
United Arab Emirates
Uzbekistan
- India, Qatar, and Uzbekistan withdrew from the championship after the draw.
Venue
Groups
The draw took place on Monday, 8 September 2025 at the Gulf Hotel Convention & Spa, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain. The following were present during the draw ceremony in addition to the representatives of the participating NOCs:
- Ali Mohamed Isa Abdulla Eshaqi – Member of Bahrain Olympic Committee and AHF Vice President
- Yousef Duaij – Chairman of Executive Committee for the Games
- Ahmed Mohammed Abdulghaffar – Vice Chairman of Executive Committee for the Games
- Ganesan Sundaram Moorthy – OCA Sports Director
Initial Draw Result
Group A
- Bahrain
- Jordan
- Thailand
Group B
- Kuwait
- P.R. China
-
India
Group C
- I.R. Iran
- United Arab Emirates
- Kazakhstan
- Hong Kong–China
Group D
- Saudi Arabia
-
Qatar -
Uzbekistan - Maldives
Following the draw, India, Qatar, and Uzbekistan withdrew from the competition. Consequently, the number of participating teams decreased from 14 to 11, requiring a revision of the competition format from four groups to two groups as per the AHF COC Regulations.
A revised draw was conducted on 9 October 2025 at 11:00 hrs at the Asian Handball Federation Headquarters, South Surrah, Kuwait. The process was overseen by Abdullah Jasem Al-Theyab (Kuwait), Technical Delegate of 3rd Asian Youth Games.
Revised Draw Result
Group A
- Bahrain
- Saudi Arabia
- Jordan
- Maldives
- Hong Kong-China
Group B
- Kuwait
- I.R. Iran
- P.R. China
- United Arab Emirates
- Thailand
- Kazakhstan
Schedule & Results
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | DIFF | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saudi Arabia | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 119 | 8 |
| 2 | Bahrain | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 91 | 6 |
| 3 | Jordan | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -5 | 4 |
| 4 | Hong Kong-China | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -27 | 2 |
| 5 | Maldives | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -178 | 0 |
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | DIFF | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kuwait | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 63 | 8 |
| 2 | P. R. China | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 47 | 8 |
| 3 | I. R. Iran | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 72 | 8 |
| 4 | United Arab Emirates | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | -33 | 4 |
| 5 | Thailand | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | -87 | 2 |
| 6 | Kazakhstan | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | -62 | 0 |
Semi-final matches
Bronze medal match
Gold medal match
Final Ranking
Final Ranking
| Pos | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | Saudi Arabia |
| 2 | Kuwait |
| 3 | Bahrain |
| 4 | P. R. China |
AHF Partners
OCA Partners
