Tribune News Network
Doha
Qatar will face the Netherlands on Tuesday (8pm Doha Time) in their first match of the main round at the 29th Men’s Handball World Championship, currently underway in Croatia, Norway, and Denmark.
Despite losing two matches to France and Austria in the preliminary round, Qatar qualified for the main round after defeating Kuwait 25-22 on Saturday as they finished as the third-best team in Group C with three points on board.
Al Annabi are in Group II in the main round, where they will face the Netherlands first Varazdin, Croatia, before taking on North Macedonia on Thursday and Hungary on Saturday. The top two teams from the six-team group will qualify for the quarterfinals of the 32-team competition.
Qatar players expressed their readiness and confidence ahead of the crucial encounter against the Dutch. Ahmed Maddi acknowledged the difficulty but reaffirmed his belief in the team’s ability to perform at a high level.
"Facing the Netherlands will be challenging, but I have full trust in our team’s capabilities. As the Asian champions, we are prepared to give our best and secure a positive result to keep our hopes alive in the tournament,” Maddi said. He also stressed the importance of the main round matches, stating, "These matches are decisive, and they are completely different from the preliminary stage. There is no room for half-solutions—we must win.”
Maddi expressed optimism, stating, "I am confident in our ability to perform well in this group and to give a strong fight in every match.”
Nidal Issa, another key player, emphasized the motivation that reaching the main round brings to the team. "Getting to the main round is a huge incentive for all of us. It’s an opportunity we must seize to continue our journey in the championship,” Issa said.
"Although facing the Dutch team will be difficult due to the level they’ve shown in the preliminary round, we have players with great experience and skill. We will fight for the win, and a victory would provide the perfect momentum to continue the tournament.”
Reflecting on the team’s performance so far, Mustafa Heiba commented on the importance of maintaining momentum. "Qualifying for the main round was an important first step, achieved through our victory over Kuwait. Now, we need to keep the winning momentum going, even against tough teams, in order to secure our place in the next round,” Heiba explained. "We know facing the Netherlands won’t be easy, but we are all motivated to achieve victory.”
This marks the tenth appearance for the Qata team at the World Championship, with previous participations in Portugal (2003), Tunisia (2005), Germany (2007), Spain (2013), Qatar (2015), France (2017), Germany and Denmark (2019), Egypt (2021), and Poland and Sweden (2023). Qatar’s best result came in 2015, when they finished as runners-up.
The French national team holds the most World Championship titles, with six wins, followed by Sweden and Romania with four each. Germany and Denmark have three titles, while Russia and Spain have won the tournament twice. Czechoslovakia, the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, and Croatia each have one title.
The Qatari team is determined to add to their proud legacy and continue their journey in the World Championship, starting with today’s match against the Netherlands.