Doha: IHF Super Globe title holders FC Barcelona will face hosts Al Sadd, in Round 1 of the 2014 edition of the prestigious handball club event which will be held in Doha between September 7 to 12, it was announced here yesterday.
African champions Espérance Sportive de Tunis along with Oceania’s representative which will be known today, are other Group B participants, while Group A consists of recently crowned European Champions SG Flensburg-Handewitt from Germany, Asian Champions El Jaish from Qatar, a wild card club that comes from the host country and will be revealed today as well, and Pan-America’s best team, Brazil’s HC Taubaté.
The IHF Super Globe 2014 draw was conducted here yesterday by. Leon Kalin, Chairman of the IHF COC Commission and Mohamad Jabor Al Mulla, Director of the Super Globe.
The event will be held at the brand new Qatar Handball Association Complex and will work as a test event, ahead of the 24th Men’s Handball World Championship.
“This year’s competition will be a special one, since the Men’s Handball World Championship 2015 organisers will have the chance to test the facilities and the functional areas of the Qatar Handball Association Complex, one of the venues of the upcoming IHF’s flagship event. For the international players of the guest clubs it is a great opportunity to relish in the quality and the amenities of Qatar and get a first taste of what they will experience throughout the 24th Men’s Handball World Championship”, said Al Mulla. Leon Kalin, President of the IHF Commission of Organising and Competition, said: “We feel honoured to cooperate with the Organising Committees of both the IHF Super Globe and the 24th Men’s Handball World Championship. Their level of work and the provisions are similar to those of the Olympic Games.
“The IHF Super Globe 2014 will be the next step towards the World Championship, in terms of testing the high standards the Organising Committee has set and I have to admit that it will very difficult for the next Men’s Handball World Championship hosts to match these standards. I am confident the organisers will do an excellent job and I am sure the worldwide handball community will be impressed with the final outcome,” he added.
According to the tournament’s format all preliminary round matches will be played from September 7 to 9.
The top two teams from each group will qualify to the semi-finals stage and those that finish third and fourth will continue in placement matches for places 5-8.
The semi-finals will be played on September 11 and the new IHF Super Globe winner will be crowned the following day.
The Peninsula
