Qatar beat Iraq in final, win 4th International Camel Handball Championship

Hosts Qatar stunned Iraq 15-12 to win the 4th International Camel Handball Championship in fine style on Sunday.

This was Qatar’s second title win in four editions.

Qatar won the top prize of $10,000 while runners-up Iraq got richer by $9,000. Morocco finished in third place and won $6,000. Earlier in the day, Morocco claimed third place after their win over Somalia (15-8) who finished in fourth spot.

Playing smart tactics, Qatar were tied 6-6 at the end of the first half and then cranked up pressure in the second to seal a historic win in front of a boisterous crowd. Playing under lights, the home team celebrated their win in jubilant fashion after the final whistle.

Earlier in the day, Qatar beat Morocco in the semi-finals 17-6 in a one-sided game. On Saturday, Qatar had shocked Australia 11-7 to reach the semi-finals.

President of Arab Union forCamel Races (AUCR) Abdullah bin Mohammed al-Sheikh al-Kuwari and AUCR Secretary-General Dr Hazam al-Maqarih congratulated the team on their ‘brilliant performance’.

Following the final, the AUCR president and Vice-Chairman of the Organising Committee, crowned the winners.

President of Qatar Handball Association Ahmed Mohammed al-Shaabi was also present during the final day’s proceedings. The ceremony was also attended by Hussein Mustafa Fathi, Chairman of the Ethics Committee of the International Handball Federation. A colourful prize distribution ceremony was marked by a short closing ceremony attended by all participating teams.

Qatar hosted a total of 16 teams over three days in the championship. The participating countries from five continents included: the United States, Australia, Colombia, Bulgaria, Morocco, Algeria, Oman, Djibouti, Palestine, Libya, Jordan, Mauritania, Lebanon, Iraq, Tunisia, Somalia and hosts Qatar.

The final was officiated by a team consisting of Sultan al-Musaifari as first referee and Saad al-Dosari as line referee and Abdul Aziz as second line referee.

AUCR president al-Kuwari said on Sunday: “The fourth edition of the championship was exceptional, and all teams performed brilliantly, from the beginning to the final match. We congratulate the winners and wish all teams the best of luck in future editions, God willing.”

He added: “The fourth edition was different, with distinguished participation from countries around the world. This is the greatest evidence of the tournament’s tremendous success in previous editions, which has given it a global standing. The sport of camel handball has witnessed great interest in recent times, and this tournament has contributed significantly to its spread. The number of participants is expected to increase in the next edition.”

List of Awards
Best Player: John Arthur Elliott (Australia national team)
Best Goalkeeper: Araibi Fadlawi (Iraq national team)
Top Scorer: Issa Takow (Somalia national team)
Fair Play Award: Bulgaria national team