'Al-Asiawi' Emphasizes Verifying Players' Ages

The Asian Handball Federation sent an official letter to its member national federations outlining the participation regulations for the 11th Asian Junior Championship, which serves as a qualifier for the 2027 World Championship and is scheduled to take place in Jordan from August 20 to 31, 2026.

The Federation confirmed that participation will be restricted to players born between 2008 and 2011, with all official player documents required to be completed and approved prior to the start of the tournament. It emphasized that all players must have turned 15 years old before playing their first match in the competition.

The Asian Handball Federation clarified that it reserves the right to conduct biological age testing for any player selected during the tournament at a specialized hospital to verify eligibility.

It further noted that if a player is found to have participated without meeting the age requirements, the entire national team will be disqualified from the championship, all of its results will be annulled, and a fine of $10,000 US dollars will be imposed. The case will also be referred to the Federation’s Executive Committee to take appropriate actions and sanctions.

This directive from the Asian Handball Federation aims to strengthen oversight and implement stricter procedures to ensure fairness and equal opportunities among all participating teams.

In a separate development, Al-Qurain Club has retained several local players, including Mohammed Al-Yahyouh, Hassan Al-Mahdi, and goalkeeper Fahd Salboukh, to bolster its senior handball squad ahead of the new season. The club also renewed the contract of Algerian coach Rabah Gharbi and signed German international Valentin Spohn and Estonian player Dainir Janima.