Beach handball

Việt Nam's handball teams seek world championship slots from the Asian event in Indonesia. Photo sggp.org.vn

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam will compete at the Asian Beach Handball Championship to find their world tournament slot next year.

Both men's and women's squads have left for the Indonesian event which is scheduled on March 10-19 in Bali.

It is their first international tournament of the year.

On the men's side, Việt Nam will play in Group B with Oman, Hong Kong (China), Kuwait, China and the hosts. Group A gather Iran, Qatar, the Philippines, South Korea and Saudi Arabia.

The women team will face Indonesia, the Philippines and Hong Kong (China). China withdrew days before the draw. They will compete for the gold in a round-robin format, playing each other twice.

Việt Nam women's team are currently the defending champions after a 2-0 win over Thailand in the 2022 tournament's final in Bangkok.

The competition will also serve as a qualification tournament for the Beach Handball World Championship, with the top two teams from the competition qualifying for the 11th IHF Men’s & Women’s Beach Handball World Championship in June or July 2024.

The winner of the competition will also qualify for the beach handball competition of the second World Beach Games, which will be held in Bali, Indonesia, from August 5-12. VNS