The 21st AHF Asian Men’s Handball Championship is scheduled to take place from 11 to 25 January in Manama and Isa Town in Bahrain, with 16 teams vying for the coveted crown of Asian champions.

The 16 sides, including powerhouses like Qatar, Bahrain and Japan, have been allocated to four groups of four teams each, with the top two sides in each group progressing to the main round and extending their dream for the coveted title and to qualify for the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship.

Qatar, the winners of the past five editions of the AHF Asian Men’s Handball Championship, will see new coach, Goran Djokic, who replaced Valero Rivera, last autumn, make his official debut, as the powerhouse has been drawn in Group A, alongside Kuwait, Oman and the Chinese Taipei, being overwhelming favourites to seal three wins.

Bahrain, which have finished as runners-up in four of the last five editions behind Qatar, but have eliminated their opponents in the Asian Qualification Tournament for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, were drawn in Group D, where the hosts will face the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong and Kazakhstan.

Japan, which won the Asian Qualification Tournament for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and are one of the in-form teams of the continent, will be favoured in Group C, where they face Iraq, Saudi Arabia and India, while Group B looks to be the most balanced one in the competition with the Islamic Republic of Iran, the People’s Republic of China, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea vying for the two places in the main round.

The top two sides in each group will progress to the main round, with the top two sides in each main round group progressing to the semi-finals. The final and the bronze medal match will take place in Manama.

The top four sides at the 2024 AHF Asian Men’s Handball Championship will seal a ticket to the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship, while New Zealand qualify if they finish fifth or higher in the competition.

2024 AHF Asian Men’s Handball Championship - preliminary round

Group A: Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Chinese Taipei
Group B: Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Korea, People's Republic of China, New Zealand
Group C: Saudi Arabia, Iraq, India, Japan
Group D: Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan