Iran men’s national handball team has advanced to the final showdown of the 2015 Asian Qualification Tournament for the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics.
On Wednesday, the Iranian sportsmen took on Bahrain. Iran started the game, played at the al-Duhail Handball Sports Hall in the Qatari capital city of Doha, in an energetic fashion. Bahrainis coped well with Iran’s tactics, which saw both sides in full strength to fight for points.
The Persians eventually bolted out to a 16-12 first period victory thanks to tremendous saves made by their goalkeeper Saeed Heydarirad.
The Iranian handball players kept momentum in the second period, and scored points to pull out a dramatic 35-30 win at last.
Iran men’s handball team will return to action on Friday, when it plays against the winner of the other Wednesday semifinal match between South Korea and Qatar.
The final match would most likely be a clash of the Titans as both sides would explore every avenue to secure a place in the handball games at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, which will be held from August 6 to 21 at the Olympic Training Center.
Iran’s handball team suffered its only loss against the strong Qatari side on November 20. The Iranian squad put on a satisfactory display of skills but went down 32-17.
Iran sealed an emphatic win against the Asian powerhouse Japan by four points in a breathtaking and highly spirited match on November 18, and defeating the Samurais 31-27.
Iran sealed a comfortable victory over Uzbekistan last Monday, defeating the Central Asian squad 33-18.
On November 14, the Iranians exhibited an admirable show of skills and strength during a competitive game against the Omani squad, and sank their opponents 39-31.
The 2015 Asian Qualification Tournament for the 2016 Summer Olympics started in Doha on November 14 and will wrap up on November 27.