Uzbekistan won both the junior (U20) and the youth (U18) title at the Men's IHF Trophy – Asia Zone III, beating hosts Pakistan 42:32 in the final in Faisalabad. The competition was played from 4 to 9 November at the AC Indoor Hall of GC University.

In the junior competition, five teams lined up at the start: Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. They played a single round robin, with the top two going through to the final and the third- and fourth-placed teams meeting in the bronze medal match.

Kazakhstan opened with a 50:14 win against Tajikistan. Tajikistan scored the first two goals, but Kazakhstan led 20:7 at the break and then produced two of the longest runs of the competition: 9:0 either side of half-time, from 15:7 to 24:7, and 10:0 in the second half, from 33:10 to 43:10. Igor Sudarikov scored 12 goals.

The second match of the opening day was much closer. Uzbekistan led Pakistan 24:21 at half-time and 31:23 early in the second half, but the hosts fought back to 40:38 and 41:39 before Kuvonchbek Turgunov sealed a 42:39 win three seconds from the end. Turgunov scored 15 goals and Nursulton Bozorboev 10 for Uzbekistan, while Nasir Ali scored 12 for Pakistan.

On the next day, Kazakhstan beat Kyrgyzstan 57:22. They led 25:11 at the break and opened the second half with an 8:0 run to 33:11. Ali Neftaliyev scored 13 goals. Pakistan then beat Tajikistan 59:21 after leading 27:10 at half-time. Runs of 7:0 and 8:0 came back to back in the second half, taking the score from 31:13 to 46:14. Muhammad Haad Khalid and Muhammad Talal Shafi scored 11 goals each.

The third day brought the highest-scoring match and the best individual performance of the competition. Uzbekistan beat Tajikistan 63:38, a match with 101 goals, and Sardorbek Kosimov scored 20 of them for the winners, while Akmaljon Mansurov added 11, and Uzbekistan had two 7:0 runs, from 29:16 to 36:16 and from 54:36 to 61:36. Lutfullo Habibullozoda scored 13 goals for Tajikistan. Pakistan beat Kyrgyzstan 46:22, setting up the win with an 8:0 run from 1:1 to 9:1 in the first 11 minutes. They led 21:8 at the break and added another 8:0 run late in the match, from 36:20 to 44:20. Eldos Atamkulov scored 10 of Kyrgyzstan's 22 goals.

On the fourth day, Uzbekistan beat Kyrgyzstan 66:32. They started with a 5:0 run, led 32:16 at half-time and had an 8:0 run from 54:28 to 62:28. Mansurov scored 12 goals and Turgunov 10, while Atamkulov scored 12 for Kyrgyzstan. Pakistan and Kazakhstan then played for second place. The score was level at 7:7 and 8:8 midway through the first half, before Pakistan moved 15:10 ahead by the break and 22:16 up in the 45th minute. Kazakhstan closed to within three goals several times but never led, and Pakistan won 30:28. Khalid scored 10 goals.

The final round-robin day decided the standings. Uzbekistan beat Kazakhstan 51:39, leading 23:17 at the break and by as much as 39:27 in the second half. Turgunov scored 11 goals and Khurshid Yakubov 10, while Kirill Torchakov scored nine for Kazakhstan. Kyrgyzstan then beat Tajikistan 39:32. Tajikistan led 16:15 at half-time and 22:17 early in the second half, but Kyrgyzstan turned the match with a 6:0 run from 23:26 to 29:26. Habibullozoda scored 12 goals and Azizjon Karimov 11 for Tajikistan, and Atamkulov scored nine for Kyrgyzstan. Uzbekistan won the group with eight points, ahead of Pakistan with six. Kazakhstan were third with four and Kyrgyzstan fourth with two, with Tajikistan finishing last, with zero points.

In the bronze medal match on 9 November, Kazakhstan beat Kyrgyzstan 58:26. They led 31:14 at half-time and had two 7:0 runs, from 18:11 to 25:11 and from 47:24 to 54:24. Bekarys Bazarbek scored 13 goals for Kazakhstan and Ali Neftaliyev eight. Atamkulov scored 11 for Kyrgyzstan.

The final between Uzbekistan and Pakistan on Monday, 9 November, was level seven times in the first 16 minutes, the last time at 9:9. Uzbekistan then pulled away to 14:10 and led 18:14 at half-time. They extended the lead to 35:23 by the 48th minute and won 42:32. Kuvonchbek Turgunov scored 12 goals for Uzbekistan and Khurshid Yakubov nine. Muhammad Haad Khalid led Pakistan with 11 and Nasir Ali added seven. Uzbekistan finished the competition with five wins from five matches and 264 goals.

Uzbekistan's Kuvonchbek Turgunov and Kyrgyzstan's Eldos Atamkulov were the joint top scorers with 48 goals each. Pakistan's Muhammad Haad Khalid followed with 44, ahead of Uzbekistan's Khurshid Yakubov and Kazakhstan's Ali Neftaliyev with 37 each.

Final ranking: 1. Uzbekistan, 2. Pakistan, 3. Kazakhstan, 4. Kyrgyzstan, 5. Tajikistan.

Uzbekistan also won the youth (U18) title at the Men's IHF Trophy – Asia Zone III, beating Kazakhstan 35:18 in the final in Faisalabad, Pakistan. The competition was played from 4 to 9 November at the AC Indoor Hall of GC University.

Four teams took part in this competition: Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, hosts Pakistan and Tajikistan. They played a single round robin, and all four went through to the semi-finals, where first met fourth and second met third.

Uzbekistan opened their account with a 56:24 win against Pakistan. They led 23:14 at the break and pulled clear with a 9:0 run early in the second half, from 24:15 to 33:15. Ozodbek Safarov scored 10 goals. Kazakhstan beat Tajikistan 59:17 on the same day. A 12:0 run from 18:10 to 30:10 before the break was followed by an 8:0 run after it, so Kazakhstan scored 20 of 21 goals to lead 38:11. Danil Denichshik and Mansur Kuanysh scored 11 goals each and Amirkhan Arapov 10.

On the next day, Pakistan beat Tajikistan 46:17. They led 18:6 at half-time, with a 9:0 run either side of the break taking them from 11:6 to 20:6. Muhammad Ahmad Hassan scored 13 goals. Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan then met in the match that decided first place. The score was level 17 times and Uzbekistan led 19:18 at the break. They moved 32:27 ahead in the 50th minute, but Kazakhstan came back to 37:34. Boburshokh Yorkulov scored his tenth goal 12 seconds from the end, and Uzbekistan won 38:35. Azizbek Olzhabayev scored 10 goals for Kazakhstan and Arapov nine.

The final round-robin day brought the most dramatic match of the competition. Kazakhstan and Pakistan were level 24 times and the lead changed hands eight times. Kazakhstan led 17:16 at the break, but Pakistan were 32:30 up with seven minutes left and 35:34 ahead in the 58th minute. Amirkhan Arapov equalised and then scored the winner 11 seconds from the end for a 36:35 win.

Muhammad Asad scored 10 goals for Pakistan and Muhammad Saim nine, while Arapov led Kazakhstan with eight. Uzbekistan then beat Tajikistan 57:38 after leading 24:12 at half-time. Ayubjon Latifov scored 15 goals for Tajikistan, the highest tally of the competition, and Ulugbek Utanov scored 14 for Uzbekistan, with Diyorbek Nodirov adding 10. Uzbekistan won the group with six points, ahead of Kazakhstan with four. Pakistan were third with two, with Tajikistan finishing last, with zero points.

In the first semi-final on 7 November, Tajikistan scored the first three goals against Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan drew level and, from 4:4, went on a 12:0 run to lead 16:4. They were 29:8 up at the break and added runs of 11:0, 11:0 and 10:0 to win 56:11, outscoring Tajikistan 52:7 after the 4:4 score. Furkat Bakhtiyorov scored 10 goals and Akbarjon Mahmudjonov nine.

In the second semi-final, Kazakhstan and Pakistan met again a day after their one-goal match. Kazakhstan led only 12:11 after 20 minutes, but were 19:14 ahead at half-time and 28:16 up in the 42nd minute, and won 43:26. Arapov scored 10 goals for Kazakhstan and Kuanysh eight. Mirza Fahad Ali led Pakistan with six.

In the bronze medal match on 8 November, Pakistan beat Tajikistan 47:21. They led 25:8 at half-time. Mirza Fahad Ali scored 10 goals for Pakistan and Abdul Razzaq seven. Isroili Ahmadzoda scored nine for Tajikistan.

Uzbekistan started the final on Monday, 9 November, with the first three goals, but Kazakhstan drew level at 4:4 and again at 7:7 after 20 minutes. Uzbekistan then scored seven of the next eight goals to lead 14:8 at half-time. A 9:0 run between the 43rd and 54th minutes took them from 24:14 to 33:14, and they won 35:18. Boburshokh Yorkulov scored 10 goals for Uzbekistan, with Asadillo Khayrullaev and Furkat Bakhtiyorov adding five each. Arapov led Kazakhstan with seven.

Kazakhstan's Amirkhan Arapov was the top scorer with 44 goals. His teammate Mansur Kuanysh followed with 34, ahead of Pakistan's Mirza Fahad Ali with 30, Muhammad Ahmad Hassan with 29 and Muhammad Saim with 28.

Final ranking: 1. Uzbekistan, 2. Kazakhstan, 3. Pakistan, 4. Tajikistan

As the winners of both competitions, Uzbekistan qualified for the Continental Phase of the Men's IHF Trophy – Asia.

Credit photo: Pakistan Handball