UAE handball outfit begin final training session

Dubai: The UAE senior national handball team began their final training camp at the Al Shabab Club yesterday to prepare for the Asian qualifiers, leading to the World Cup finals.

The qualifiers will be held in Asfahan, Iran, from February 17-25. The UAE team, led by Slovenian coach Nicolavige, held a three-week training camp in Tunisia where they played several warm-up matches against Tunisian clubs and national teams.

They beat the Tunisia under-20 team in their last warm-up game 33-24, showing good form.

Ahmad Khalifa Hammad, the UAE Handball Association secretary general, said the training camp in Tunisia was very successful and its results will show in the World Cup qualifiers in Asfahan.

The team will continue training at Al Shabab until Thursday when they will leave for Asfahan.

Meanwhile, the International Handball Federation (IHF) sent a message to the UAE HA, claiming that the qualifiers, which will be held in Asfahan, will not be considered as qualifiers for the World Cup finals in Croatia and that it will be just an Asian tournament held under the umbrella of the AHF.

The decision follows the tension between the AHF and the IHF after the latter annulled the results of the Asian qualifiers for the Beijing Olympics and decided to replay the matches, following protests from some Asian countries over Kuwait's qualification for the Olympic Games.

In view of the protests, the IHF denied Kuwait entry into the Beijing Olympic Games.

Ahmad Khalifa Hammad, the UAE Handball Association secretary general, said the training camp in Tunisia was very successful.