Doha: President of Qatar Handball Association Ahmed Al Shaabi said yesterday that he expected the Qatari national team to qualify for the upcoming Olympics in Rio 2016.
The qualifiers are taking place in Doha from November 14-27. Back in June, Qatar was drawn in a group that included Iran, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Uzbekistan.
Speaking to Qatari media outlets yesterday, Al Shaabi said that opponents will look to give their best performance against Qatar after the latter came second in the handball world cup last January.
On the Qatari national team’s schedule, he said that they will begin their campaign with a game against Uzbekistan. Afterwards, they face Japan and then Saudi Arabia. The President of the Qatari Handball Association said that the team held an unprecedented three-month training camp in preparation for the qualifiers.
He added that the Qatari Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Youth and Sports provided their full backing to the team to ensure they reach the Olympics for the first time in the history of Qatari handball. He also called on the people of Qatar to back their team in their bid for glory.
QNA
