Kuwaiti Coaches: Participation In World Handball Championship '25 Is Difficult Challenge

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) Report by Hamad Al-Shemmary
KUWAIT, Jan 13 (KUNA) -- The International Handball Federation (IHF) World Men's Handball Championship 2025 kicks off January 14 in Croatia, Denmark and Norway, with the participation of Kuwait National team for the ninth time in its history and the first after a 15-year long absence since 2009.
Over the team's return to the world championship, Burgan SC coach Hussain Habib told KUNA in a phone call on Monday that Kuwait's group is very difficult because it includes international and high-level teams, in addition to the absence of Kuwaiti players for a long period of time from participating in international tournaments, and the experience of playing such a there is completely different from any other participation.
Habib expressed his confidence in the Kuwaiti players, noting that they will show a level suitable of their reputation, adding that the quality of the technical staff led by Algerian coach Saeed Hejazi will be the key. Hejazi who was capable of managing high-level matches and is the one who led them to qualify for the World Cup.
The team also participated in a training camp that included matches with international teams such as Italy and Tunisia.
On his part, Al-Salmiya SC handball coach Yaqoub Al-Mousawi said in a similar statement that Kuwait National team was drawn in an extremely difficult group, but the most important thing is to benefit from the participation and playing against worldclass players and trying to achieve victory as much as possible.
He stressed that Coach Hejazi is the perfect fit for the national team and knows the capabilities of the Kuwaiti players.
He pointed out to the importance of developing the Kuwaiti League in order to make the most of the national team, by arranging matches them against international teams, to shift the mentality of the players from merely participating to competing for advanced positions, at least on the Asian level, and then turning to the international level afterwards.
On the other hand, former technical director of the Kuwaiti Handball Federation and international lecturer Dr. Khaled Al-Sharji, speaking to KUNA, reiterated the difficulty of the national team's group, as they face France, the European Champions in 2024, and the Qatar National Team, the champion of Asia in 2024, in addition to the Austrian team that is known for its strong history in the game.
He mentioned that given the technical and physical capabilities of the national team players compared to the rest of the group's teams, it constitutes a difficult task, but he is confident in the ability and dedication of the Kuwaiti players, in addition to the excellence of the technical staff's good preparation for these confrontations.
He also noted that qualifying for the finals counts as a great achievement for the players and Kuwait handball.
As for Sulaibikhat Club coach Waleed Salmeen, he said that the Kuwaiti national team's chances are difficult but not impossible because the team has confidence in the technical staff and the players' abilities to show an honorable performance in the largest stage that brings together the strongest handball teams around the world, expressing his personal confidence the team's coach Hejazi and his abilities.
"The national team is required at this stage is to play without pressure because they are only required to appear in an honorable manner for Kuwaiti handball, especially after a 15-year absence from participating in such tournament, in addition to the suspension in the past few years, which made the team fall far behind the rest of the other teams," he added.
In the IHF World Men's Handball Championship 2025, Kuwait was drawn in Group C which includes Austria, France and Qatar.
Kuwait is set to face Austria in the opening match on January 14, then France on January 16, and finally Qatar on January 18. The championship kicks off on January 14 and continues until February 2 in Croatia, Denmark and Norway.
The Kuwaiti national handball team recorded its first participation in its history in the IHF World Men's Handball Championship in 1982 in West Germany, then Iceland in 1995, followed by Egypt in 1999, then France in 2001, Portugal in 2003, Tunisia in 2005, Germany in 2007 and finally Croatia in 2009. (end)
hms

MENAFN13012025000071011013ID1109083167