Oman pick silver at Asian Beach Handball Championships

Muscat: There was no change in the script as Oman, once again, failed to topple Qatar in the final of the Asian Beach Handball Championships on Sunday.

Favourites and five-time champions Qatar defeated Oman 2-0 (18-16, 14-12) in the summit clash of the 9th Asian Beach Handball Championships in Bali, Indonesia.

This was the sixth time that the two teams have played in the final of the continental championships and Qatar have triumphed on all occasions.

Both Oman and Qatar had earlier secured their place in the 11th IHF Men’s Beach Handball World Championships in June/July 2024 after advancing to the Asian finals.

Oman did put up a strong show on Sunday but like in the previous five occasions, could not find a way past the Team in Maroon.

The scoreline in Bali was similar to the 2019 final in Weihai, China, when Qatar beat Oman for their fifth Asian title.

While both the teams have featured in seven of the nine editions, Oman have the honour of being crowned the champions at the inaugural championship in 2004 when they defeated Bahrain in the final played in Muscat.

Coached by experienced Hamood al Hasani, Oman will now plan their preparations for the world championships next year.

It was a satisfactory outing for Oman as they defeated defending champions Iran 2-0 (23-11, 22-20) in the semi-finals and won all their group matches. The only loss they tasted was in the final against their nemesis, Qatar.

Earlier, Iran finished third in the championships, defeating Vietnam 2-0 on Sunday.

Oman will participate in the beach handball worlds for the seventh time next year after making their debut in 2004.