JORDAN TO HOST WEST ASIAN WOMEN’S HANDBALL

The best six women’s Handball teams in West Asia are heading to Jordan for a regional Championship that will get underway on Thursday in Princess Sumaya Hall, Al Hussein Youth City. Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Syria and Qatar will join the hosts for a league-format competition that will see the best female players from West Asia compete.

All eyes will be on the rejuvenated Jordan side when they launch the tournament against Lebanon, with Coach, Adnan Belhareth, saying that his team has been training hard so that the hosts can put up a good show for the home fans.

“We started training last November with a camp in Egypt where we focused on how to create harmony between the players and how to follow tactics inside the game,” he said.

He added that the level has improved considerably over the past three months, despite the national league being perceived as weak compared to others in the region.

“We can’t rely on a lot of players pushing forplaces as the league here is still pretty weak,” he explained.

“We rely on the players we have selected to push themselves and I know they will all fight to win the championship.” Jordan finished second in the last edition, held in Qatar in 2016, after losing to the hosts in the final 22-19.

The coach believes they can go one better next week and said that the tournament provides his team with a great opportunity to test themselves ahead of the possible opportunity to compete in the Asian Championships in Japan.

Jordan squad: Falak Obeidat, Sara Halabieh, Ru'a Nasser, Ayah Obeidat, Fatin Al Hamaideh, Lubna Salameh, Nahed Al Rawashdeh, Rozana Alash, Raneem Abdulhadi, Lima Abedh, Amal Obeidat, Sundos Obeidat, Aysha Al Majali, Yasmeen Al Zawahreh, Hanadi Alash, Sham Al Damen, Mira Qammuah and Dina Sanduqah.