Sharjah SC win maiden Asian club title in Doha; Al Duhail secure third place

Doha: UAE’s Sharjah SC edged Saudi Arabia’s Al Khaleej Club 27-26 in a thriller to clinch their maiden Asian Club Handball title in Doha yesterday.

Sharjah’s brilliant victory, came in the final seconds of the match at Al Duhail Main Hall, also marks the first-ever gold in the history of prestigious championship for the UAE side.  

Qatar Olympic Committee’s First Vice President Mohammed bin Yousef Al Mana, Second Vice President Dr. Thani bin Abdulrahman Al Kuwari, Qatar Handball Federation President Ahmed Al Shaabi and International Handball Federation’s representative for Asia Bader Al Theyab were among the key officials who attended the presentation ceremony.

The final, held in front of a full house , was a gripping contest from start to finish. The defending champions Al Khaleej displayed their class early on taking a 13-11 lead at halftime. However, Sharjah SC showed resilience with brilliant counterattacks in the second half to close the gap in the dying moments.

With two minutes remaining until the final whistle, Sharjah’s Zarko Markovic leveled the scores at 26 before scoring the winner with just 11 seconds to go, securing their maiden title win.

Sharjah had previously secured bronze medals in 2018 and 2019 editions. 

The victory also ensured Sharjah’s qualification for the upcoming IHF Club World Championships, scheduled to take place in October next year in Egypt.

Earlier, Qatar’s Al Duhail managed to claim third place after defeating its Kuwait’s Kazma SC with a comfortable margin of 34-24.

Al Duhail’s Hamdi Ayyad was named the best player of the match following his significant contribution which included scoring 10 goals.

The other team from Qatar, former champions Al Rayyan finished in fifth place after defeating Al Kuwait SC 31-28 in the play-off yesterday.