Doha, July 09 (QNA) - Qatar's youth handball national team departs tomorrow, Friday, for China to participate in the 19th Asian Men's Junior Handball Championship hosted by the Chinese city of Chuzhou from July 15 -27. 
This tournament serves as a qualifier for the IHF Men's Junior World Championship, scheduled to be held in North Macedonia.
The Qatari team has completed its preparations for the continental championship, aiming to reach the knockout stages and contend for the title.
The team will begin the tournament with a match against South Korea on July 15. They will then face the UAE in a Gulf derby on July 16, followed by a match against Japan on July 17.
The team will play its fourth match against Iran on July 19, then Kuwait on July 21, before concluding its preliminary round matches against India on July 22.
The continental participation comes as part of the Qatari national team’s efforts to continue Qatari handball’s presence on the podiums, and to enhance the successes achieved at the regional and international levels.
Director of the Qatari Youth and Junior Handball Teams Salem Mohammed Al Dosari confirmed the team's readiness to participate in the Asian Men's Junior Handball Championship. He noted that the preparation program included several training camps in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, in addition to participation in the international friendly tournament held in the UAE.
In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Al Dosari said they benefited greatly from participating in the friendly tournament in the UAE, reaching the final and securing second place. The results weren't the primary objective, as the focus was on gaining technical experience and assessing the players' readiness as part of their preparation program for the Asian Championship in China.
He added that during the final stage of their preparations in Doha, they played three friendly matches against the Bahraini national team. These matches were an important opportunity for the coaching staff to evaluate the team's performance and address certain aspects before the start of the continental competition. The team is now fully prepared for the tournament. They will play one final international friendly against the Chinese national team in China to ensure their technical preparations are complete before their opening match against South Korea on July 15th.
The Director of the Qatari Youth and Junior Handball Teams stressed that the Qatari team aspires to appear in an honorable manner in the Asian Championship. (QNA)