For the second time in a row and for the sixth time in history, Japan men’s handball national team will take part in the Olympic Games, after winning the Asian Men's Olympic Qualification Tournament, which saw 11 teams battle for the ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Doha, Qatar, between 18 and 28 October.

After not taking part in the 2022 AHF Asian Men’s Handball Championship and finishing third in the continental competition in 2020, as well as fourth at the recent 2022 Asian Games, which were played in September and October in Hangzhou, the People’s Republic of China, Japan were widely regarded as underdogs in the Asian Men's Olympic Qualification Tournament, with Bahrain and Qatar serving as the big favourites.

However, Japan delivered an outstanding performance throughout the 10 days of games in the Duhail Handball Sports Hall, sweeping their opponents, and creating a six-game winning streak to secure the coveted ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Coached by experienced Icelandic ace, Dagur Sigurdsson, Japan started the competition well, by sealing four wins in the five-team Group B, including a crucial one in the second match against Bahrain, 27:26, which set Japan up fantastically to win the group.

That win was doubled down by a win against the Islamic Republic of Iran (25:20), another hard-fought one against Kuwait, 32:30, and an easy one against Kazakhstan, 44:19, as Japan were joined by Bahrain in the semi-finals of the Asian Men's Olympic Qualification Tournament, after centre back Hussain Alsayyad scored nine goals in their wins against Kuwait (34:26) and Iran (28:24).

Meanwhile, in Group A, hosts Qatar had an excellent performance, sweeping their opponents with some clear wins, including a 39:25 one against the Republic of Korea, the second-placed side. Valero Rivera’s team, which aimed for their second appearance at the Olympic Games, after finishing eighth at Rio 2016, dominated the People’s Republic of China (34:25), India (48:14), the United Arab Emirates (31:23) and Saudi Arabia (33:24), to confirm their status as favourites, especially after winning the 2022 Asian Games in emphatic fashion.

But Bahrain’s loss against Japan earlier meant that Qatar were going to face their fierce rivals in the semi-finals and that proved to be a decisive match. It was a nip-and-tuck battle, with Bahrain taking an early lead and never looking back, especially after a 3:0 run to start the second half opened a four-goal gap, 18:14.

With experienced backs Rafael Capote and Frankis Carol Marzo combining for only four goals in the match, Bahrain withstood a Qatar comeback late in the game, as Moham Habib scored the decisive goal with 10 seconds left in the match, for a 30:29 win, which eliminated Qatar from any Olympic aspirations.

In the other semi-final, Japan completed a superb match against the Republic of Korea, clinching a 34:23 win, one of their clearest in the competition, and earned the final berth, with a rematch against Bahrain, whom they had won against, 27:26, only a few days ago, on the cards.

There were several pivotal moments in a match dominated by Japan, which had a star in centre back Kosuke Yasuhira. The former USAM Nimes and Orlen Wisla Plock player, who is now starring for North Macedonian powerhouse Vardar, dictated the tempo of the match, scoring 10 goals for his side, which had a 6:0 run close to the end of the first half and a 3:0 run in the second half.

On the back of those performances, Japan sealed a crucial 32:29 win, sealing their place at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the second consecutive appearance in the competition, after they had qualified as hosts for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

 

In fact, Japan had not qualified for the Olympic Games for 36 years outside of Tokyo 2020, which marks once again how big is the development of the sport in the country, as Japan also had some exciting performances at the 2023 IHF Men’s Junior World Championship.

Via their runners-up status, Bahrain have made it to the Olympic Qualification Tournaments, while Qatar and the Republic of Korea, the other two semi-finalists, missed the cut altogether, as Korea finished third, thanks to a 38:32 win in the bronze-medal game.

Japan are now the third qualified team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in the men’s competition, after hosts France and reigning world champions, Denmark. Three more tickets will be awarded at the 2023 Pan American Games, which are scheduled between 30 October and 4 November, at the EHF EURO 2024 (10-28 January 2024) and the 2024 CAHB African Men’s Handball Championship (18-28 January 2024).

The other six tickets are due to be handed at the Men's Olympic Qualification Tournaments, three tournaments with four teams each, where the first two teams in each group will secure their berths for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The three tournaments are scheduled to be played between 14 and 17 March 2024.

2023 Asian Men's Olympic Qualification Tournament – final standings

1. Japan
2. Bahrain
3. Republic of Korea
4. Qatar, 5. Islamic Republic of Iran, 6. Saudi Arabia, 7. Kuwait, 8. United Arab Emirates, 9. People’s Republic of China, 10. Kazakhstan, 11. India

Photo credits: Asian Handball Federation