Coach: Valero Rivera

Team Roster: Qatar 

Key Players: Jovo Damjanovic (Line Player), Ameen Zakkar (Left Back)

Road to Qualification: Winners – 2014 Asian Men’s Junior Championship

History in Tournament: 1977-1993: DNQ, 1995: 13th, 1997: DNQ, 1999: 12th, 2001: 19th, 2003: 12th, 2005-2007: DNQ, 2009: 20th, 2011: 15th, 2013: 19th 

Overview:

When Qatar won the title at the 2014 Asian Men’s Junior Championship in Iran, they celebrated being at the top of the continental tournament for the third time consecutively. But the best was yet to come for the Asian side. 

Only five months later, led by the same coach: Spaniard Valero Rivera, their senior team beat Poland 31:29 in the semi-finals of the 2015 IHF Men’s Senior World Championship, of which Qatar were hosts. They reached the final match where they lost to France (22:25), but it was a momentous achievement as the silver medal represented their best final position ever – until then their record was 16th in Portugal in 2003.

Valero Rivera knew how it was to enjoy success before he became head coach of the Qatar men’s national teams in 2013. By the time he took the job, the former trainer of the Spanish national team and FC Barcelona had already accumulated two medals at senior world championships (gold in Spain 2013 and bronze in Sweden 2011), 12 Liga ASOBAL titles and six Champions League titles. But the Middle East meant a refreshing challenge for him. 

It is fair to say that Rivera created a true revolution in Qatari handball. In 2014 he led the senior team to become Asian champions for the first time, after beating locals Bahrain in an electrifying match (27:26). Now the Arab emirate is at the top of every men’s continental competition – senior, junior and youth. 

“Not taking the offer to train here would have been one of the biggest mistakes in my life,” expressed Rivera gratefully.

The Asian Junior Championship took place in Tabriz, Iran, from the 2nd to the 14th of August 2014. Qatar defeated the hosts in the semi-finals (26:20) and Korea in the final game (29:28), qualifying for the 2015 IHF Men’s Junior World Championship in Brazil in the process. 

Rivera will make his debut in an U21 WCh with Qatar in an emotional match against the 2013 edition runners-up, Spain. In the first round they will also be facing Romania – who ousted Croatia in the European Qualification, Serbia, Angola and Portugal.

Two of Qatar’s most talented junior players are Jovo Damjanovic and Ameen Zakkar. Both were part of the senior squad that achieved the silver medal at this year’s World Championship. On that occasion, Montenegrin-born line player Damjanovic accumulated seven goals and Syrian-born left back Zakkar scored once.

Top scorers for the team in international matches are Damjanovic (70), Abdulaziz Helali (68) and Luka Bendevis (67).

Their most experienced goalkeeper is Grco Mirnes, with 20 international matches. He played for Qatar in the last Junior WCh in his country of birth, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 2013. 

In preparation for Brazil 2015, Qatar are playing the Netherlands in Doha on the 8th and 9th of July.

Will Valero Rivera be able to spring another major surprise with Qatar at Brazil 2015?

Group at Brazil 2015:

Group B: Spain, Romania, Serbia, Qatar, Angola, Portugal

Games at Brazil 2015:

All times local

Monday 20 July: ESP-QAT (16:15)

Wednesday 22 July: QAT-ROU (16:15)

Thursday 23 July: QAT-ANG (16:15)

Saturday 25 July: POR-QAT (20:00)

Sunday 26 July: SRB-QAT (18:30)

Fixture link