Doha, January 06 (QNA) - Qatar's national handball team will play the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday in a second friendly match at the Duhail Sports Hall as part of their preparations for the 22nd Asian Men's Handball Championship.

The tournament will be held in Kuwait from January 15 to 26 and serves as a qualifier for the 2027 World Championship in Germany.

The first friendly between the two sides ended in a 21-21 draw, with Qatar fielding a reserve team. The hosts are expected to use their first-choice squad in Wednesday's match to assess readiness ahead of the continental competition.

In the Asian Championship draw, Qatar were placed in Group A alongside South Korea and Oman. Group B includes Bahrain, Iraq, China and Jordan, while Group C features Kuwait, the UAE, Hong Kong and India. Group D comprises Japan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Australia.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the main round, with the semi-finalists also securing qualification for the 2027 World Championship.

Qatar are aiming to defend their Asian title, which they have won for the past six editions, and to qualify for the World Championship for an 11th time. They won the most recent Asian Championship in Bahrain last year, defeating Japan 30-24 in the final. (QNA)