Doha: Qatar handball team have qualified for Olympics for the first time in history, booking their place for next year’s Rio de Janeiro showpiece thanks to a 28-19 dominating win over Iran yesterday in the final game of the Asian qualifiers.
The Maroon topped Group B in the first stage of the qualifiers with 10 points from five consecutive wins over Uzbekistan, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Oman. In the semi-final, they defeated South Korea 30-26.
Only one team reach the finals in Rio from the Asian qualifiers while the second and third placed play in the European play-offs.
Qatar Handball Association (QHA) President Ahmed Mohamed Al Shaabi offered congratulations to team on their qualification.
“The leadership continued to greatly support the sport in Qatar, which was key to Qatari success on the domestic, regional and international fronts.”
Al Shaabi said that the qualification will change the map of the game globally as the Maroon qualify for the Olympics after becoming the first non-European side to reach a world handball championship final in January this year. The QHA president thanked Qatari clubs for their role as partners in the success of the national team and hailed Qatari supporters who backed the team throughout qualifiers.
QNA
