Suzhou, China, July 11 (QNA) - Qatar youth handball team will play their final international friendly against China on Sunday as they wrap up preparations for the 19th Asian Men's Junior (U20) Handball Championship, set to take place in Suzhou, China, from July 15 to 27. The tournament also serves as a qualifier for the 2027 IHF Men's Junior World Championship in North Macedonia.
The team arrived in Suzhou yesterday and held their first training session at the championship venue. The session focused on technical and physical preparations, helping the players acclimatize to the conditions ahead of the tournament.
Talking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Director of the Qatari Youth and Junior Handball Teams Salem Mohammed Al Dosari said that the team completed a varied training session upon arrival, with a focus on technical and physical preparation. Sunday's friendly against China will provide the coaching staff with a valuable opportunity to assess the players' technical readiness and evaluate their performance levels ahead of the tournament.
All the players are injury-free and fully prepared for the continental championship, he added, while looking forward to delivering strong performances, competing for the top positions, advancing to the knockout stage, and ultimately challenging for the title.
Qatar will begin their campaign against South Korea on July 15 in the opening round, before taking on the UAE in a Gulf derby on July 16. The team will wrap up its group-stage matches against Japan on July 17.
The team is aiming for a strong start in the Asian Championship and to secure one of the qualifying spots for the 2027 IHF Men's Junior World Championship by competing for top positions in the continent. (QNA)