Doha, June 05 (QNA) - The 28th edition of the Asian Men's Club League Handball Championship, which serves as a qualifying tournament for the IHF Men's Super Globe, will get underway on Saturday in Kuwait and run through June 17.

Seven clubs will compete in this year's tournament: Kuwait SC and Burgan SC from Kuwait, Al Sharjah of the United Arab Emirates, Al Najma of Bahrain, Al Khaleej of Saudi Arabia, and Qatari representatives Al Duhail and Al Arabi. Both Qatari sides enter the competition with high ambitions of claiming the continental title and securing qualification for the Super Globe, which will be held in Egypt.

The championship will be played in a single round-robin format, ensuring that every match carries significant weight from the opening day of competition.

Qatar's representatives arrive in Kuwait with strong preparations and squads featuring considerable international experience, aiming to reaffirm the country's prominence in Asian handball, bring the continental crown back to Doha, and earn the right to represent Asia at the Club World Championship.

Al Duhail and Al Arabi will begin their campaigns on Saturday. Al Duhail faces a challenging opening encounter against Kuwait's Burgan SC before taking on Bahrain's Al Najma on Monday.

The Qatari side will then meet hosts Kuwait SC on Wednesday, followed by clashes against Al Sharjah on Thursday and Al Khaleej on Friday.

Al Arabi, meanwhile, opens its campaign with a stern test against hosts Kuwait SC on Saturday. The team will then face Saudi Arabia's Al Khaleej on Sunday and Burgan SC on Monday. Al Arabi will continue its preliminary-round schedule against Al Najma on Thursday and Al Sharjah on Friday.

Attention is expected to focus on June 14, when Al Arabi and Al Duhail meet in an all-Qatari showdown in the final matchday of the preliminary stage. The highly anticipated derby could prove decisive in determining the top positions in the standings and the final rankings of the four teams advancing to the semifinals.

The tournament schedule also includes two official rest days for all participating teams, set for June 10 and June 13, providing players with an opportunity to recover before the decisive stages of the competition. (QNA)