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16 teams feature in the Islamic Solidarity Games handball tournaments

08 Aug. 2022

16 teams feature in the Islamic Solidarity Games handball tournaments

16 handball teams – nine in the women’s tournament and seven in the men’s tournaments – are currently taking part in the fifth edition of the Islamic Solidarity Games, which take place in Konya, Türkiye, from 9 to 18 August 2022, with the handball competition running from 7 to 14 August.

The Islamic Solidarity Games is a multi-disciplinary sports organisation under the supervision of the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation, whose members are the countries that have joined of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. 

The purpose of the Islamic Solidarity Games is to support the development of the athletes of the Islamic geography and strengthen comradery and solidarity among the athletes. In member states, the non-Muslim citizens are also allowed to participate in the games.

The previous editions were staged in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 2005, Palembang, Indonesia, in 2013, and Baku, Azerbaijan in 2017. The second edition, which was due to be hosted in the Islamic Republic of Iran’s capital Tehran was cancelled.

In this year’s edition, Azerbaijan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and hosts Türkiye are competing in the men’s tournament, as three continents are represented.

Nine teams from three different continents are  featuring in the women’s tournament, with Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Islamic Republic of Iran, Qatar, Senegal, Türkiye and Uzbekistan featuring in the preliminary round.

The preliminary round is played in two groups, with the top two sides progressing to the semi-finals and the winners of those two games progressing to the final.

Groups

Women’s competition
Group A: Türkiye, Senegal, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, Qatar
Group B: Islamic Republic of Iran, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Cameroon

Men’s competition
Group A: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Morocco, Iraq
Group B: Türkiye, Islamic Republic of Iran, Azerbaijan

For the full schedule and results, visit the official website konya2021.com

In the previous editions of the Islamic Solidarity Games, Algeria won the men’s title in 2005 ahead of Saudi Arabia, who in turn claimed gold in 2017 by beating Türkiye in the final. In 2013, handball was featured in the programme.
 
The women’s handball tournament was introduced in 2017, when Azerbaijan won the gold medal, by taking a 28:26 win against Türkiye in the final. Cameroon secured the bronze medal.

Photo: Turkish Handball Federation / Ekrem Öszoy