Al Annabi went out of the Main Round of the World Championship on Saturday.
Qatar national handball team’s head coach Veselin Vujovic has said the national team will get better with the experience gained from tough encounters at the ongoing World Handball Championship.
Al Annabi bowed out of the tournament following a 29-23 loss against Hungary, finishing 21st — a rank above their finish in the 2023 edition. The Main Round had previously seen them face other strong European sides in the Netherlands and North Macedonia.
Despite the exit, such tough ties have allowed the team to learn and work towards fixing things in the future, according to Vujovic.
“We played six strong matches in the World Championship with large and strong teams,” the 64-year-old head coach said at the press conference after the Hungary defeat. “The players fought to put on the best show. We learned a lot. But now, we will have to work to make the situation better in the next stage.”
The Montenegrin, who took charge of the reigning Asian Champions in August 2024, said certain errors were the reasons behind Qatar’s exit. Despite promising starts in several games, his side ultimately succumbed in the second half in each encounter.
One such instance, where Qatar suffered due to the opposition’s sweeping momentum and suspensions due to repeated fouls, was against the Netherlands. After leading the first half 19-17 and the scores tied with less than 18 seconds left on the clock, Vujovic’s side went down 38-37 to a buzzer-beater.
Similar was the case against Hungary, where they fell short of capitalising on a three-goal lead at the start.
“We suffered from repeated mistakes during our tournament journey, and we tried as much as possible to address this issue, but unfortunately the mistakes continued and prevented us from achieving our goals,” Vujovic said, according to the Qatar Handball Association.
The tight schedule did not work in Qatar’s favour either, as Vujovic had pointed out ahead of the tournament.
“Qatar can play very well against anyone in the world in a single game, but the tournament system doesn’t suit us. It’s tough to recover the team when playing every two days. We’re objectively at a disadvantage in that regard,” he had told Handball Planet on the eve of the tournament.
His comments following the Hungary game were along the same lines, as the former Iran coach pointed at the “decline of our level in the second half” as the primary reason of Qatar’s loss.
An experienced squad was a mixed blessing for Vujovic, however. Qatar’s standout performers in the tournament were Frankis Carol Marzo, Zarko Markovic and Youssef Altaieb Ali, all above 35 years of age, who shared 84 goals between them in six matches.
Vujovic has repeatedly acknowledged that several experienced players — who have been in the squad since Qatar’s dream run in 2015 saw them reach the World Championship final at home — still can perform, aided by strategic rotation in the squad. Yet, he has also admitted to keeping an eye on young talent to bolster and prepare the Asian champions’ next squad.
“The doors to join our national team are open to everyone; it is not limited to a specific player, and we do not look at the ages of the players as much as we look at the levels and fighting spirit of the player on the field,” Vujovic had told International Handball Federation after accepting the Qatar job. “We will work to push new blood to serve the national team and Qatari handball.”
That opportunity to scout and build for the future starts soon for Vujovic, as the second half of the domestic handball league begins on February 9.