Three Matches at the Launch of the Handball Federation Cup

The 58th edition of the Kuwait Handball Federation Cup for the 2025-2026 sporting season kicks off today with three preliminary round matches held at the Federation Hall within the Sheikh Saeed Al-Abdullah Sports Complex.

The tournament serves as a continuation of last season’s competitions, which were postponed due to current political events. Only 11 clubs are participating, following the withdrawal of Al-Qadsia, the runners-up of the previous edition, and Al-Salmiya from the delayed matches.

In the first match, Al-Arabi faces Al-Qurain at 4:30 PM in today’s marquee clash. The Green team aims to capitalize on their strong performance in the Premier League, where they finished fourth, to secure a strong start and advance to the next round. Meanwhile, Al-Qurain seeks to confirm their technical development after topping the First Division and earning promotion to the Premier League for the 2026-2027 season.

In the second match, Al-Nassr takes on Khaitan at 6:00 PM. The Yellow team hopes to make up for their modest showing in the league, where they finished last, by ending the delayed season more successfully through qualification for the quarter-finals. Khaitan, on the other hand, aims to maintain their positive results after securing promotion to the Premier League as First Division runners-up.

Today’s fixtures conclude with the encounter between Al-Yarmouk and Al-Sahel at 7:30 PM. Al-Yarmouk appears well-positioned to advance to the next round given the technical gap between the two sides.

For his part, Ahmed Al-Shari, President of the Kuwait Handball Federation, stated that the launch of the Federation Cup represents a significant milestone in the season’s calendar, offering clubs a new opportunity to compete and providing the national team’s technical staff with a chance to monitor players’ performances.

Al-Shari noted that the Federation’s schedule is packed with upcoming commitments, including the Super Cup matches on December 3 and 4, followed by the start of the new 2026-2027 Premier League season on February 4. He emphasized that the calendar was designed to align with the national team’s preparation requirements, with training camps beginning in December.

He stressed that the senior national team’s participation in the 30th edition of the World Cup, scheduled to take place in Germany starting January 13, remains the top priority. This follows the Blue team’s successful qualification and their bronze medal finish at the Asian Championship hosted by Kuwait earlier this year.

Al-Shari added, “Kuwaiti players are about to face a global challenge where they will represent their country and raise its flag among the elite national teams of the world. This is a national responsibility that requires the combined efforts of everyone.” He called on state institutions and the private sector to provide material and moral support to the Blue team during this global event.