Doha, January 13 (QNA) - The Qatar Handball Association (QHA) has unveiled the roster of the national men's handball team ahead of the 22nd Asian Men's Handball Championship, which will be held in Kuwait from January 15 to 26, 2026, serving as a qualifier for the 2027 IHF Men's World Championship in Germany.

The roster, selected by coach Valerio Rivera, comprised Ahmed Madadi, Abdulrazzaq Murad, Amin Zakar, Mustafa Haiba, Amin Quhais, Franck Mazur, Alder Musovic, Wael Al Mazoghi, Rafael Caputa, Nasreddin Mugdish, Nidal Masoud, Nidal Al Hadi, Firas Al Munsif, Jovan Gjesevis, Mohammed Ali Lotfi, Ahmed Magdy, Mohammed Rayan Al Blagi, Anadin Sulakovic, Filip Sarik, Hamdi Ayad, Alaa Al Din Balrashid, and Abdulrahman Tarek.

The tournament draw placed the Qatari squad in Group A alongside South Korea and Oman, while Group B includes Bahrain, Iraq, China, and Jordan, Group C comprises Kuwait, UAE, Hong Kong, and India, and Group D features Japan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Australia.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the main round, which will include eight teams divided into two groups playing in a league format.

From there, the top two teams from each group will qualify for the semifinals, in addition to securing direct qualification for the 2027 World Championship.

The Qatari team seek to defend the Asian title, which it have won in the last six editions, and to qualify for the World Championship for the eleventh time in its history, with their runner-up finish in the Qatar 2015 edition remaining the team's best result on the global stage.

The team had previously clinched the title in the 21st Asian Men's Handball Championship, held last year in Bahrain, after taking on Japan in the final with a score of 30-24. (QNA)