Republic of Korea win 2022 Asian Men’s Youth Handball Championship
01 Sep. 2022
Republic of Korea triumphed at the 2022 AHF Asian Men’s Youth Handball Championship, which took place in Bahrain from 20 to 31 August. The Koreans won all their six matches at the tournament, including the final against Islamic Republic of Iran, 26:22.
It was the ninth edition of the competition, which the Asian Handball Federation has held since 2005. Republic of Korea became the third-time winners of the competition, which is a record, after claiming the title in 2005 and 2014.
This time in Bahrain, 11 teams were divided into two groups, and after the preliminary round, the two best teams from each group progressed to the semi-final. Notably, the future finalists Korea and Iran met in the competition's opening match in Group A, with the Koreans winning 29:24.
Both semi-finals featured a tight fight, as Korea defeated Japan 23:21, while Iran needed an extra time to snatch a win against Saudi Arabia, 33:32. Saudi Arabia ultimately earned bronze after beating Japan in another hard-fought encounter, 26:25.
Home side Bahrain, defending champions after winning two previous editions of the championship, failed to reach the semi-final after losing to Korea and Iran in Group A. They ultimately took the fifth position after defeating Kuwait in the 5-6 Placement game, 27:21.
Five best teams – Republic of Korea, Islamic Republic of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Bahrain – also qualified for the 2023 IHF Men's Youth (U19) World Championship, which will be held in Croatia in 2023.
Final ranking:
1. Republic of Korea
2. Islamic Republic of Iran
3. Saudi Arabia
4. Japan 5. Bahrain 6. Kuwait 7. Qatar 8. Uzbekistan 9. Iraq 10. India 11. United Arab Emirates
Photo: Asian Handball Federation