By Adala Anvith Reddy
OCA Youth Reporter from India.
Nagoya, Japan, September 29, 2026: In a thrilling men’s handball final, Bahrain defeated the reigning three-time Asian Games champions Qatar 33-32 at the ENTRIO venue on Tuesday.
Led by head coach Robert Gunner, this marks the fourth straight gold finish for Bahrain following the Islamic Solidarity Games, Asian Men's Handball Championship and GCC Games.
The Bahrainis led by just a single point 16-15 at halftime and the end-to-end contest continued after the break, with the second period even closer at 17-17 to leave Bahrain champions by a single point.
The winning goal was scored at the 60th minute by Fadhul Ahmed. The overall top goalscorers for Bahrain were Kadhem Ahmed with a shot conversion ratio of 7/7, followed by Fadhul Ahmed with a shot conversion ratio of 7/9.
Head coach Gunner said: “We are very happy with the result considering this is our fourth straight victory this season; especially against a team like Qatar, we are happy to win.
“But our defense was lacking today. We hope to improve it for the coming world championships and for further competitions and hopefully cement ourselves as the best in the Gulf region.”
*Japan beat Korea 37-32 earlier in the evening to claim bronze.