In the thrilling finale of the 21st Asian Men’s Handball Championship, Saudi Arabia achieved an impressive victory and won the Martyr Fahd Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Cup. The prestigious cup, named after the founder and first president of the Asian Handball Federation (AHF), Martyr His Highness Sheikh Fahad Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, is awarded to the top team of the placement round matches, which means the 9th-ranked team.
The tournament, held in Isa Town and Manama, witnessed a total of 16 teams, with 8 teams who ranked 3rd and 4th in preliminary groups were divided into two placement groups.
Group 3: Saudi Arabia showcased dominance in Group 3, comfortably defeating all opponents – Chinese Taipei, New Zealand, and Hong Kong-China. Chinese Taipei secured the second position in the group, having only lost to Saudi Arabia. Hong Kong-China and New Zealand claimed the 3rd and 4th positions, respectively.
Group 4: P. R. China exhibited supremacy in Group 4, emerging victorious against Oman, India, and Kazakhstan, securing the top spot. Oman finished second in the group, having lost only to P. R. China. Kazakhstan claimed the third position, while India, unable to secure a victory, finished in fourth place.
In the 15th – 16th place match, New Zealand defeated India with a score of 36–31. This marked India’s 16th position in the event, representing their worst ever performance in the competition, having previously finished 15th in the 2022 edition.
The 13th – 14th place match saw Hong Kong-China defeating Kazakhstan with a score of 35–32, while in the 11th –12th place match, Chinese Taipei emerged victorious against Oman with a scoreline of 33–27.
In the Martyr Fahad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Cup final (9th – 10th place match), Saudi Arabia triumphed over P. R. China with a score of 25–21, leading 14–12 at halftime.
The Martyr Fahad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Cup was presented to the victorious Saudi Arabian team by Council Member of International Handball Federation and AHF Treasurer Bader Mohammed Al-Theyab (Kuwait) and Ali Mohamed Isa Eshaqi, President of the Bahrain Handball Federation and AHF Vice President.
