Nagoya, Japan, September 20, 2026: In a show of dominance, the Bahraini men’s handball team dismantled the Kazakh opposition 43-20 in their opening group B encounter on Sunday.
Under the guidance of head coach Gunnar Robert Hedin, who steered Bahrain to their first gold at the Asian Men's Handball Championship in 2026, the team executed a flawless balance between defense and attack to cement themselves as the clear victors of the match
From the first half, the Bahrainis asserted their dominance, establishing a 6-2 lead from the 10th minute of the match, and by the 21st minute, the lead further extended to 12-7, effectively shutting down the Kazakh attack for the first half.
Heading into the halftime break with a score of 20-8, seven of them scored by Alshowaikh Salman, the Bahraini team enjoyed a comfortable lead.
By the second half, the Kazakh team tried to break the deadlock by adapting a more aggressive tempo style of play, but it was futile against the Bahraini defense, who stood like an iron wall against the Kazakh players.
The match ended with a decisive score of 43-20 - a staggering 23-goal difference and once again proved themselves to be one of the top contenders in Asia.
Speaking after the match, Robert Hedin, the coach of the Bahrain team, said: "For us it was a good start, we were focused on getting our defense well established and have a solid attack as well. I think we need to play more games in order to keep up our momentum.”
When asked about what the team's goals are at this tournament, he said: “We want to continue our winning streak from the Asian Handball Championship. Our primary aim for this tournament is to get a gold medal and cement ourselves as the best in Asia".
With this opening win, Bahrain not only claimed crucial points in Group B but also established themselves as a major contender for the men’s handball title at the Asian Games.