Asian Men’s Beach Handball Championship:
Iran rallies past Jordan to advance to knockouts
Iran came from behind to beat Jordan 2-1 on Friday and maintain its perfect start to the Asian Men’s Beach Handball Championship in Muscat, Oman, securing a place in the quarterfinals.
Having claimed back-to-back 2-0 wins against Pakistan and India, Iranian men fell to a 14-12 loss in the first period but bounced back to win the second 20-12, before coming out victorious (7-6) in the shootout.
Alireza Pirzadeh contributed with a game-high 14 points for Iran, with Amin Kazemi and Ali Heidarian chipping in 10 and six points, respectively.
The victory left Iran on top of the five-team Group B table with six points – two clear of Jordan.
Iran will take on the Philippines – fourth on two points – in its final group game, before Jordan and India square off later today at the at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex.
A 2022 Asian champion on home soil, Iran settled for a third-place finish in the previous edition on the Bali Island in Indonesia two years ago, courtesy of a 2-0 victory over Vietnam.
Elsewhere in Muscat, Saudi Arabia defeated Maldives 2-0 on Friday to move level on four points with Oman in Group A, though the host country remained top the table on goal difference.
The top spot of the group will be on the line when Oman – runner-up in 2023 – and Saudi Arabia go head-to-head today.
The two finalists at this year’s competition will qualify for the 2026 IHF Men’s and Women’s Beach Handball World Championships.