2024 Asian Men’s Handball Championship in Bahrain – Qualification event for 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship

Following the incidents occurred after the semi-final of the 2024 Asian Men’s Handball Championship in Bahrain, the IHF attended to the matter, considering that the tournament serves as qualification event for the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship. After the match between Bahrain and Japan, several players from Bahrain showed an extremely disrespectful behaviour towards the referees who officiated the match.  As the match concerned was part of the continental event which serves as qualification for the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship, the IHF regulations apply in full to the incidents surrounding the match in question in accordance with Articles 3.2.6, 19.1.1 and 19.1.2 of the IHF Statutes as well as Article 2.3 (Chapter 1) of the Regulations for IHF Competitions. 

In accordance with Article 32 of the IHF Regulations concerning Penalties and Fines, IHF PRC Chairman Per Morten Sødal, who attended the match concerned as IHF Representative, presented the case, including the relevant video material, to the IHF Executive Committee in its meeting held by video conference on 9 February 2024. 

Given the seriousness of the case, the Executive Committee unanimously decided to impose the following sanctions on the players involved from the national team of Bahrain for their unacceptable actions as well as on the Bahrain Handball Federation for having failed to implement an adequate security concept in the playing halls during the semi-final of the 2024 Asian Men’s Handball Championship between Bahrain and Japan:

• ALSAYYAD Husain:    12-month suspension from participating in any national and international competition
• MERZA Ali:    9-month suspension from participating in any national and international competition
• HABIB Mohammed:    3-month suspension from participating in any national and international competition
• A. HUSAIN Mohammed:    2-month suspension from participating in any national and international competition
• MERZA Mohammed:    3-month suspension from participating in any national and international competition
• Bahrain Handball Federation:  2-year suspension from hosting any event on continental and international level

The IHF Executive Committee found that the Bahrain Handball Federation implemented an inadequate security concept in the arenas during the hosting of the 2024 Asian Men’s Handball Championship, but it was acknowledged and appreciated that the fast and professional reaction of the police/security helped protect the referees and safely escort them from the playing court.

Furthermore, the Executive Committee highlighted that in case such behaviour is repeated by the players concerned, more serious consequences, such as an infinite ban from handball competitions, might follow.