Brunei Darussalam’s national handball team will leave the country today to compete in the Sarawak Open Handball Championship 2023 at the Stadium Perpaduan Petra Jaya, Kuching, Sarawak, and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UMS) from August 26 to 30.
The Brunei Handball Federation (BHF) is sending two teams, male and female, comprising 24 athletes and four officials. It will mark their first involvement in international competition this year.
The Brunei team’s participation provides an opportunity and platform to test their abilities and gain exposure in a real competitive environment before they move on to regional and international tournaments.
BHF President Haji Kifli Jaafar said, “Through this exposure, the federation will be able to evaluate the extent of the players’ achievements who have undergone training by participating in real competitive matches. We will evaluate all the weaknesses and strengths of the athletes.”
Haji Kifli added, “As a result of that exposure, BHF will try to improve the performance so that it is more solid in addition to giving adjustments to the players in a real game.”
According to Haji Kifli, the exposure also serves as early preparations ahead of an international competition which will be held in Singapore this December.
The federation is also currently in the process of identifying talented and quality athletes. The majority of the athletes will be representing the country for the first time in Sarawak.
The male handball team has been placed in Group D while the female handball team has been drawn in Group Z. – Fadhil Yunus