4 days ago
Bahrain aim for historic main round berth at junior world championship
The 25th edition of the IHF Men's Junior (U21) World Championship gets underway tomorrow (June 18) in Poland, featuring 32 teams from five continents competing across five cities: Katowice, Sosnowiec, Kielce, Płock, and Gdansk. Bahrain's U21 squad begins their campaign in Kielce, where all Group H matches will be played at the Hala Legionów.
Group H Challenge
Bahrain faces a challenging preliminary round in Group H, drawn alongside European giants Spain, African champions Egypt, and regional rivals Saudi Arabia. The team will play three matches in four days.
Only the top two teams from each preliminary group will advance to the main round (June 23–26), where they will be regrouped into four new pools. Results from matches against fellow qualifiers carry over, adding weight to every group stage encounter. Teams that do not advance will enter the President's Cup bracket to determine rankings from 17th to 32nd.
Squad Built on Promise
The Bahrain Handball Federation has named a 16-man squad led by head coach Ali Al Falahi. The full squad includes:
Ali Redha, Abbas Hussain, Mohammed Ayyad, Ahmed Al Fardan, Ali Al Madani, Elyas Mohammed, Maitham Ahmed, Abdulla Sameer, Hussain Shawqi, Sayed Mohammed Ali, Sayed Mahmood Ali, Mahmood Jaleel, Salman Al Showaikh, Mohammed Maitham, Sayed Hussain Fadhel, and Mohammed Shamloh.
Backed by federation president Ali Issa, who addressed the team during a local training session prior to departure, the squad has undergone domestic preparations aimed at sharpening match readiness. They departed Bahrain on June 16 and are now finalizing preparations in Poland ahead of tomorrow's opener.
Nation on the Rise
Bahrain's junior handball team has shown consistent advancement on the world stage, debuting with a joint 17th-place finish in Argentina in 1995. After returning in 2019 following a third-place finish at the 2018 Asian Championship, the squad achieved its best-ever result of 13th place in the 2023 championship held in Germany and Greece.
This upward trend reflects Bahrain's growing maturity in mentally composed players ready to compete beyond the Asian circuit. The 2025 squad aims for a top-12 finish or better. The continuity from youth to senior levels is crucial, especially following the narrow 25–26 loss Bahrain's senior team suffered against Argentina in the 2025 Men's World Championship.
Coaching Vision and Federation Support
Head coach Ali Al Falahi has emphasized a playing philosophy centered on structure, patience in attack, and physical resilience. The Bahrain Handball Federation's direct support, especially from president Ali Issa, highlights a long-term commitment to developing handball in the kingdom.
With strong domestic preparation, federation backing, and a squad of rising talent, Bahrain approaches this year's Junior World Championship with cautious optimism and the belief that a breakthrough to the main round is within reach.
