Doha, December 17 (QNA) - The Qatari national handball team defeated their Saudi counterparts 31-25 on Wednesday in their second friendly match in preparation for the 22nd Asian Men's Handball Championship, which will be held in Kuwait from January 15-26.

The tournament serves as a qualifier for the 2027 World Men's Handball Championship in Germany.

The Saudi team had won the first friendly match between the two teams two days ago, 26-25.

The Qatari team are aiming to reach peak readiness before the Asian Championship, where they have been drawn into Group A alongside South Korea and Oman. Group B consists of Bahrain, Iraq, China, and Jordan; Group C includes Kuwait, the UAE, Hong Kong, and India; and Group D comprises Japan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Australia.

The top two teams from each group qualify for the main round, which will consist of eight teams divided into two groups playing a round-robin format.

The top two teams from each of these groups will advance to the semifinals, along with the team that qualifies directly for the 2027 World Championship.

The Qatari national handball team aim to defend their Asian title, which they won in the last six editions, and qualify for the World Championship for the eleventh time in their history. Their best result in the World Championship was second place in the 2015 edition (Qatar 2015).

The Qatari team won the most recent (21st) Asian Men's Handball Championship, held in Bahrain last year, after defeating Japan 30-24 in the final. (QNA)