The draw for the men's handball tournament at the Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya was completed in Tehran. The national men's team of Iran has been placed in Group B, widely known as the 'Group of Death,' because it includes at least four leading Asian powers.
During the group stage, Iran will compete against Bahrain, South Korea, Kuwait, and Kazakhstan. Bahrain is the reigning Asian champion, having won the continental title just a few months ago. Kuwait demonstrated its potential by finishing third in the 2026 Asian Men's Handball Championship. South Korea maintains its status as one of the historically dominant teams in Asian handball.
Group A includes Qatar, Japan, China, and Hong Kong. Qualification for the medal rounds depends on whether the team can secure one of the top two spots in its group. The Asian Games 2026, also known as the 20th Asian Games and Aichi-Nagoya 2026, will be a multi-sport event held from September 19 to October 4 in the Aichi Prefecture area of Japan.
Both the Iranian men's and women's kabaddi teams have received information about their opponents in the group stage of the upcoming Asian Games 2026, which will be held in Tehran.
The Iranian men's national team has been placed in the relatively favorable Group B. In this group, they will compete against teams from Nepal, Thailand, Pakistan, and Malaysia. Meanwhile, Group A includes India, Bangladesh, Chinese Taipei, and Japan.
Iran aims to strengthen its status as one of Asia's leading kabaddi nations. In Group B, Pakistan remains the main rival for Iran, while India, a traditionally strong team, will await Iran in the playoffs after competing in Group A.
The Iranian women's national team faces a much more difficult draw. They are placed in Group A alongside the host nation Japan, Bangladesh, and reigning champions India, making this group highly competitive.
The women's Group B consists of Sri Lanka, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, and Nepal. For the women's team, every match in Group A exerts immense pressure, as India is the benchmark in women's kabaddi, and the Japanese team, as hosts, will receive strong fan support. To advance, Iran must achieve the best possible result from the first game.
The XX Asian Games will take place in Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4. Over 12,000 athletes from 45 countries will participate in the competitions. Iran will send a delegation of 282 athletes representing 39 sports.
At the 2026 Asian Youth Handball Championship, the Iranian team drew with the UAE with a score of 25:25 on Friday.
Previously, the Iranian national team defeated Kuwait but lost to South Korea in Group B. Iran has a match scheduled against Qatar on Sunday.
The tournament, which is the 19th Asian Youth Handball Championship for men, is taking place in the city of Chuzhou, China, from July 15 to July 26, 2026. This competition serves as a qualifying round for the IHF 2027 Youth Handball World Championship.
Group A includes teams such as China, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Taipei, and Hong Kong. The Republic of Korea holds the distinction of being the most decorated team, having won a total of 13 medals: three gold, seven silver, and three bronze. The host country, China, previously won its only championship title during the second edition in 1990, which was held in Tehran, Iran.
The Asian Youth Handball Championship is an official tournament organized by the Asian Handball Federation for national youth men's teams of Asia and is held every two years.
Iran has determined its opponents for the 11th Asian Handball Federation (AHF) U19 Handball Championship. The draw ceremony took place at the headquarters of the Jordan Handball Federation (JHF) in Princess Sumaya Hall in Amman, according to AHF regulations for conducting and organizing the competition.
The championship, which will now take place from August 20 to 31, 2026, in Amman, Jordan, will be organized by the Jordan Handball Federation after being moved from the originally planned host city. Furthermore, this tournament will serve as the Asian qualifying round for the 12th U19 World Handball Championship of the International Handball Federation (IHF).
The four best teams will secure participation in the world championship in 2027. A total of eleven teams participated in the tournament, which were divided into two preliminary groups.
Group A includes Japan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and Chinese Taipei. Group B features South Korea, Kuwait, Iran, Jordan, Syria, and India.
