# 2008 Asian Men's Handball Championship

The 2008 Asian Men's Handball Championship was the 13th Asian Championship, which was taking place from 17 to 26 February 2008 in Isfahan, Iran. The championship was held in Isfahan's Pirouzi Arena and acted as the Asian qualifying tournament for the 2009 World Men's Handball Championship in Croatia.

## Draw

| Group A | Group B |
| Kuwait  Iran  Bahrain  China  Lebanon | South Korea  Qatar  Japan  United Arab Emirates  Saudi Arabia |

## Preliminary round

All times are local (UTC+3:30).

### Group A

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Kuwait | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 122 | 109 | +13 | 6 |
| Iran (H) | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 137 | 122 | +15 | 6 |
| Bahrain | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 129 | 113 | +16 | 6 |
| China | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 113 | 131 | −18 | 2 |
| Lebanon | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 102 | 128 | −26 | 0 |
| 17 February 2008 16:00 | Iran | 36–28 | China | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Chernega, Poladenko (RUS) |
| 17 February 2008 16:00 | | (19–15) | | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Chernega, Poladenko (RUS) |
| 17 February 2008 20:00 | Kuwait | 26–24 | Bahrain | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Kolahdouzan, Karbaschi (IRI) |
| 17 February 2008 20:00 | | (12–8) | | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Kolahdouzan, Karbaschi (IRI) |
| 18 February 2008 16:00 | Bahrain | 37–26 | Lebanon | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Qasqas, Bani Hani (JOR) |
| 18 February 2008 16:00 | | (18–11) | | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Qasqas, Bani Hani (JOR) |
| 18 February 2008 20:00 | Kuwait | 33–28 | China | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Vakula, Ludovik (UKR) |
| 18 February 2008 20:00 | | (20–8) | | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Vakula, Ludovik (UKR) |
| 19 February 2008 16:00 | Iran | 34–27 | Lebanon | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Lu, Chen (CHN) |
| 19 February 2008 16:00 | | (16–15) | | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Lu, Chen (CHN) |
| 20 February 2008 14:30 | Kuwait | 29–22 | Lebanon | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Jonid, Honish (SYR) |
| 20 February 2008 14:30 | | (14–12) | | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Jonid, Honish (SYR) |
| 20 February 2008 18:30 | Bahrain | 35–29 | China | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Chernega, Poladenko (RUS) |
| 20 February 2008 18:30 | | (17–15) | | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Chernega, Poladenko (RUS) |
| 21 February 2008 16:00 | Iran | 32–33 | Bahrain | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Vakula, Ludovik (UKR) |
| 21 February 2008 16:00 | | (20–12) | | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Vakula, Ludovik (UKR) |
| 22 February 2008 16:30 | China | 28–27 | Lebanon | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Jonid, Honish (SYR) |
| 22 February 2008 16:30 | | (16–14) | | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Jonid, Honish (SYR) |
| 22 February 2008 20:30 | Kuwait | 34–35 | Iran | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Chernega, Poladenko (RUS) |
| 22 February 2008 20:30 | | (18–15) | | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Chernega, Poladenko (RUS) |

### Group B

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| South Korea | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 131 | 105 | +26 | 8 |
| Saudi Arabia | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 120 | 113 | +7 | 5 |
| Qatar | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 113 | 122 | −9 | 4 |
| Japan | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 128 | 120 | +8 | 3 |
| United Arab Emirates | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 109 | 141 | −32 | 0 |
| 17 February 2008 18:00 | South Korea | 36–27 | United Arab Emirates | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Lu, Chen (CHN) |
| 17 February 2008 18:00 | | (20–10) | | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Lu, Chen (CHN) |
| 17 February 2008 22:00 | Japan | 28–28 | Saudi Arabia | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Vakula, Ludovik (UKR) |
| 17 February 2008 22:00 | | (13–14) | | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Vakula, Ludovik (UKR) |
| 18 February 2008 18:00 | Qatar | 30–29 | United Arab Emirates | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Jonid, Honish (SYR) |
| 18 February 2008 18:00 | | (12–14) | | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Jonid, Honish (SYR) |
| 18 February 2008 22:00 | South Korea | 33–25 | Japan | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Chernega, Poladenko (RUS) |
| 18 February 2008 22:00 | | (18–12) | | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Chernega, Poladenko (RUS) |
| 19 February 2008 18:00 | Qatar | 28–31 | Saudi Arabia | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Kolahdouzan, Karbaschi (IRI) |
| 19 February 2008 18:00 | | (12–17) | | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Kolahdouzan, Karbaschi (IRI) |
| 20 February 2008 16:30 | South Korea | 31–30 | Saudi Arabia | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Vakula, Ludovik (UKR) |
| 20 February 2008 16:30 | | (17–15) | | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Vakula, Ludovik (UKR) |
| 20 February 2008 20:30 | Japan | 44–27 | United Arab Emirates | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Dib, Haidar (LIB) |
| 20 February 2008 20:30 | | (21–17) | | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Dib, Haidar (LIB) |
| 21 February 2008 18:00 | Qatar | 32–31 | Japan | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Dib, Haidar (LIB) |
| 21 February 2008 18:00 | | (11–17) | | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Dib, Haidar (LIB) |
| 22 February 2008 14:30 | United Arab Emirates | 26–31 | Saudi Arabia | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Qasqas, Bani Hani (JOR) |
| 22 February 2008 14:30 | | (13–17) | | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Qasqas, Bani Hani (JOR) |
| 22 February 2008 18:30 | South Korea | 31–23 | Qatar | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Kolahdouzan, Karbaschi (IRI) |
| 22 February 2008 18:30 | | (14–9) | | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Kolahdouzan, Karbaschi (IRI) |

## Placement 5th–10th
### 9th/10th

| 24 February 2008 14:00 | Lebanon | 25–38 | United Arab Emirates | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Lu, Chen (CHN) |
| 24 February 2008 14:00 | | (13–18) | | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Lu, Chen (CHN) |

### 7th/8th

| 25 February 2008 14:30 | China | 35–38 | Japan | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Jonid, Honish (SYR) |
| 25 February 2008 14:30 | | (15–22) | | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Jonid, Honish (SYR) |

### 5th/6th

| 25 February 2008 17:00 | Bahrain | 0–10 | Qatar | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Kolahdouzan, Karbaschi (IRI) |
| 25 February 2008 17:00 | | (Walkover) | | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Kolahdouzan, Karbaschi (IRI) |
* Bahrain didn't not show up and was penalized to the last place.

## Final round

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Gold medal match | Gold medal match |
| 24 February – Isfahan | 24 February – Isfahan |
| Kuwait | 32 |
| Kuwait | 32 | 26 February – Isfahan | 26 February – Isfahan |
| Saudi Arabia | 29 | 26 February – Isfahan | 26 February – Isfahan |
| Saudi Arabia | 29 | Kuwait | 21 |
| 24 February – Isfahan | 24 February – Isfahan | | Kuwait | 21 |
| 24 February – Isfahan | 24 February – Isfahan | South Korea | 27 |
| South Korea | 33 | South Korea | 27 |
| Iran | 24 | | |
| Iran | 24 | Bronze medal match | Bronze medal match |
| | | 26 February – Isfahan | 26 February – Isfahan |
| | | Saudi Arabia | 24 |
| | | Iran | 23 |

### Semifinals

| 24 February 2008 16:30 | Kuwait | 32–29 | Saudi Arabia | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Vakula, Ludovik (UKR) |
| 24 February 2008 16:30 | | (16–14) | | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Vakula, Ludovik (UKR) |
| 24 February 2008 19:00 | South Korea | 33–24 | Iran | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Chernega, Poladenko (RUS) |
| 24 February 2008 19:00 | | (13–12) | | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Chernega, Poladenko (RUS) |

### Bronze medal match

| 26 February 2008 14:30 | Saudi Arabia | 24–23 | Iran | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Vakula, Ludovik (UKR) |
| 26 February 2008 14:30 | | (13–12) | | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Vakula, Ludovik (UKR) |

### Gold medal match

| 26 February 2008 17:00 | Kuwait | 21–27 | South Korea | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Chernega, Poladenko (RUS) |
| 26 February 2008 17:00 | | (9–15) | | Pirouzi Arena, Isfahan Referees: Chernega, Poladenko (RUS) |

## Final standing

| Rank | Team |
| | South Korea |
| | Kuwait |
| | Saudi Arabia |
| 4 | Iran |
| 5 | Qatar |
| 6 | Japan |
| 7 | China |
| 8 | United Arab Emirates |
| 9 | Lebanon |
| 10 | Bahrain |
* Team qualified for the 2009 World Championship

## All-star team

* Goalkeeper: Yousef Al-Fadhli (KUW)
* Left wing: Yu Dong-geun (KOR)
* Left back: Rahim Momenizadeh (IRI)
* Pivot: Abdullah Al-Theyab (KUW)
* Centre back: Bandar Al-Harbi (KSA)
* Right back: Park Wong-chul (KOR)
* Right wing: Hussain Al-Ekhwan (KSA)