Stage set for an exciting contest in ’15

Dr Thani Abdulrahman al-Kuwari, Director General, Qatar 2015 Organising Committee (left) and IHF President Dr Hassan Moustafa.

By Sports Reporter/Doha

The draw for the preliminary group rounds of the 24th Men’s Handball World Championship was held in Doha on Sunday night, 20 July, with the stage set for an exciting contest in 2015. 

Senior government representatives of the State of Qatar attended the event, as well as executives from the International Handball Federation, the Qatar Handball Association, representatives of all 24 participating teams and international media.

Reflecting the importance of engaging young people in the fast-paced competition, six representatives of the next generation – Saeed, Hamza, Mohamed, Osman, Abdulrahman and Taher – assisted Leon Kalin, the Chairman of the IHF Commission of Organising and Competitions, as he made the draw.

In his opening speech and thanking the State of Qatar, IHF President Dr Hassan Moustafa said: “I am sure that this will be the best Handball World Championship ever.”

Dr Thani Abdulrahman al-Kuwari, Director General, Qatar 2015 Organising Committee, said: “We know what hosting this prestigious event means for both our nation and for the sport of handball. Qatar is eager to showcase our enthusiasm for this sport to the world, and demonstrate our professionalism in organising large-scale sports events. Qatar 2015 will be an important milestone in the development of handball locally, regionally and internationally.”

Host nation Qatar, which had the right to choose their preliminary round group, selected Group A. The decision was announced by national team head coach Valero Rivera when the rest of the “pots” had been drawn.

Qatar will face Brazil, Chile, Slovenia, Belarus, and Spain in the preliminary group stages, hoping to achieve their best-ever result while playing on their home ground.

Coach Valero Rivera said: “This is the most challenging World Championship ever. All groups are very competitive and it was a hard choice for us. Finally, we decided to pick Group A, because it is our dream to proceed to the next round, and we see this as the best route for us.”

Defending World Champions Spain will also compete in Group A.

The results of the draw are:

Group A: Spain, Slovenia, Qatar, Belarus, Brazil, Chile

Group B: Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, FYR Macedonia, Austria, Tunisia, Iran

Group C: France, Sweden, Algeria, Czech Republic, Egypt, United Arab Emirates

Group D: Denmark, Poland, Russia, Argentina, Bahrain, Germany

The four best-ranked teams from the four groups will qualify for the next stage, while the remaining eight teams will fight for positions 17-24 in the President’s Cup.

Qatar 2015 will be the first Men’s World Championship to take place in one city, Doha, reducing travelling time for players and officials, and enabling sports fans to attend multiple games.

Selected venues for the World Championship are the Qatar Handball Association Complex Hall, Al-Sadd Sports Hall, Lusail Multipurpose Arena and a new temporary handball arena in the Aspire Dome.

About  24th Men’s Handball World Championship

The 24th Men’s Handball World Championship will take place in Doha from 15 January to 1 February 2015.

With the participation of 24 countries from all over the world, the biennial Men’s Handball World Championship is the biggest and one of the most important international events in Olympic sport. Handball is one of the most dynamically developing Olympic sports and enjoys a continuously increasing fan base worldwide.

In alignment with the Qatar National Vision 2030, the state of Qatar has geared up to become one of the leading states in the fields of sports legacy development and sports events in the world. Qatar aims to create awareness for the sport of handball and further increase the global profile of the sport, through the successful organisation of this high profile sporting event under the leadership of HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, President of the Organising Committee and in close collaboration with the International Handball Federation (IHF). 

The Committee’s vision, goals and key milestones include ensuring community participation, upholding the traditions of Qatar and promoting a healthy and active lifestyle by engaging the current and next generations in Qatar in the “Game of Fast”, the future of the sport of handball.