Doha, October 26 (QNA) - Al Duhail continued their strong start to the Qatar men's handball league, securing a convincing 31-16 victory over Al Shamal in the fifth round on Monday. Al Arabi also defeated Al Wakrah.

The win kept Al Duhail at the top of the standings with 15 points, maintaining a perfect record of five consecutive victories and underlining their status as contenders for the title this season.

In the second match, Al Arabi beat Al Wakrah 29-27 to claim two valuable points, bringing their tally to 15 and moving them into second place behind Al Duhail on goal difference. Al Wakrah dropped to third with 13 points.

In other matches, Al Rayyan defeated Qatar SC 33-28 to raise their tally to 11 points and move into fourth place. Al Gharafa beat Al Ahli 22-20, while Al Khor defeated Al Sadd 23-21.

Al Ahli, Al Khor and Al Sadd occupy fifth through seventh places, respectively, with nine points each, followed by Al Gharafa and Qatar SC with seven points apiece. Al Shamal are 10th with five points.

The fifth round's results reflected the continued competitiveness of the men's handball league, with several teams separated by narrow points margins and clubs seeking further victories to improve their positions in the coming rounds. (QNA)