Egyptian Ambassador to Kuwait commends high standards at Arab Handball Championship

KUWAIT, September 24: The Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Kuwait, Osama Shaltut, praised the high technical level displayed by the teams in the 39th Arab Handball Clubs Championship, currently being held at the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Complex Hall, with the final set set to conclude tomorrow.

Shaltout expressed his pleasure in participating in this important sporting event, emphasizing that Arab teams with a rich history in handball competed with a spirit of camaraderie and friendship, in his statement to Al-Seyassah. “I witnessed the excellent organization of the tournament by the Kuwait Club and the management of the matches by the Arab Handball Federation. The strength of the participating teams and the intense competition between them show that the best talents will emerge to honorably represent Arab handball in future international tournaments,” he said.

Shaltout also expressed his gratitude to the Kuwait Handball Federation and the organizing body Kuwait Club for their warm welcome to the Arab teams and their efforts to organize an outstanding tournament. He noted the exceptional sportsmanship displayed by the teams and the spirit of cooperation between the Supreme Organizing Committee and all participants, creating an ideal environment for matches and fair competition. He wished Kuwaiti sports in general and handball in particular success in the upcoming events.

In the last quarterfinals, Kuwait beat Al-Ahli Bank of Egypt 28-22, while Al-Qadsiya beat Al-Ahli of Qatar 26-25 with a last-second goal from Vladan. Al-Salmiya beat Al-Hashd of Iraq 35-31 and Al-Gharafa of Qatar beat Al-Karkh of Iraq 28-22. The tournament concludes tomorrow with the Arab championship final and a match for third and fourth place.

Al-Salmiya Club Chairman Sheikh Turki Al-Yousef expressed his satisfaction with the performance of the “Sky Blue” handball team throughout the championship. He stated that the team, which started preparations a month ago, represented Al-Salmiya well on the Arab stage. “Under the guidance of our national coach Yaqoub Al-Moussawi, we aim to build a strong team with a mix of foreign and local professionals along with young players. His leadership was successful and we reached the semi-finals, which shows his promising future in coaching.”

By Khalid El-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff