2025 World Handball Championship: Meet Qatar, the Unexpected Vice-Champion and Key Rival for the Blues

Qatar’s national handball team features a mix of naturalized players from countries like Tunisia, Egypt, and Cuba, reflecting its strategic approach to building a competitive squad. Since hosting the 2015 Handball World Cup, Qatar has made significant strides, including reaching the final in 2015 and becoming Asia’s dominant handball nation. Despite recent challenges in global competitions, the team aims to make a strong showing at the upcoming 2025 World Cup in Norway, Denmark, and Croatia.

Naturalized Players in Qatar’s Handball Team

The Qatari national handball team boasts a diverse roster, featuring athletes from Tunisia, Egypt, Spain, Cuba, and Montenegro, with few Qatari nationals among them. Once a relatively unknown entity in the handball world, Qatar had only 619 licensed players in 2014, hindering its ability to form a competitive squad. To address this, the emirate has capitalized on a lenient naturalization policy, attracting international players with lucrative salaries to enhance its team and establish itself among the elite.

In the realm of handball, players can switch national allegiances after a three-year hiatus from official international matches. Looking ahead to the 2025 World Cup, Qatar’s lineup, although not as formidable as during its peak years, features several naturalized athletes, including Cuban Rafael Capote and Tunisian Zarko Markovic.

Qatar: An Unexpected World Cup Host

Back in 2011, Qatar was not a powerhouse in handball, having achieved only a 16th place finish at the 2003 World Cup in Portugal. However, that year marked a turning point as the emirate began to extend its influence in the sports world. Following its successful bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the International Handball Federation awarded Qatar the hosting rights for the 2015 Handball World Cup, a decision that caught many, including the French delegation, off guard. The former president of the French Handball Federation, Joël Delplanque, expressed his dismay, stating, “I am bitter, knotted, sorry…” as he struggled to articulate his feelings on the unexpected outcome.

Historic Finalists: A Milestone for Qatar

Despite the odds, Qatar has worked diligently to assemble a robust team of naturalized players, with only two of the 17 members hailing from the country. Under the guidance of Spanish coach Valero Rivera and French coach Bertrand Roiné, Qatar made a remarkable run in Doha, defeating teams from Brazil, Slovenia, Chile, and Belarus. Although they faced a setback against Spain in the group stage, the team persevered, eliminating Austria and Germany to reach the semifinals. In a bid to rally support, the Emir arranged for military personnel to fill the stands, creating an electrifying atmosphere as Qatar triumphed over Poland with a score of 31-29, securing a place in the final. Although they fell to the French team, the Qataris made history by becoming the first non-European team to reach a World Cup final.

Asia’s Reigning Champion

Since the elevation of handball in Qatar, the nation has established itself as the dominant force in Asia. After clinching its first championship in 2014 in Manama, Bahrain, Qatar continued its success by winning its sixth consecutive title in the same city in 2024, defeating Japan 30-24. This victory secured their qualification for the 2025 World Cup, set to take place in Norway, Denmark, and Croatia. While Qatar’s prowess in Asia is undisputed, it remains second to South Korea, which holds nine titles in total.

Challenges on the Global Stage

Despite its Asian supremacy, Qatar has struggled on the international front since its home final in 2015. With finishes of 8th in both 2017 and 2021, a 13th place in 2019, and a disappointing 22nd in 2023, the team has found it difficult to compete against European rivals. The Olympic Games have been equally challenging; after a strong showing in the 2015 World Cup, Qatar placed 8th in the 2016 Rio Games but failed to qualify for subsequent Olympics in Tokyo 2021 and Paris 2024. As the team prepares for the 2025 World Cup, their aspirations remain modest, with hopes of making a strong impression and possibly contending for a top-two finish in the preliminary rounds.

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