Qatar’s Team Are Ready For the Handball World Championship
Following the success of Qatar’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup 2022, all eyes are now on the next major tournament in which Qatar will be involved—the 28th World Men’s Championship, which will be hosted by Poland and Sweden from January 11 to 29, 2023. The country is hoping that the national handball team will once again put Qatar on the map with an outstanding performance at the competition.
The Qatari team qualified for the 2023 World Championship after winning the first group in the main round of the 2022 Asian Men’s Handball Championship in Saudi Arabia last January, where they were crowned Asian Champions for the fifth time in a row after defeating Bahrain 29-24 in the final.
The team is coached by Spaniard Valero Rivera and has won several titles, including back-to-back Asian Games gold medals (2014 and 2018) and an unprecedented five consecutive Asian Championships.
At the heart of the team, which finished as finalists in the 2015 World Championship hosted on home soil, are players who have spent nearly a decade playing together, resulting in the formation of a strong bond and understanding both on and off the court, which has largely contributed to their success.
Rafael Da Costa Capote, a 35-year-old left-back who currently plays for Al Duhail, is one of the team’s senior players.
For nearly a decade, the 6 foot 7 inch tall player has made a significant contribution to the team’s success, appearing in 67 games and scoring 269 goals.
“What else can I say? “It’s been a fantastic journey so far. It’s been a roller-coaster of a journey, and I’ve enjoyed every bit of it,” Capote told The Peninsula. “From the silver medal at the 2015 World Championship in Qatar, to the Olympics Games participation, to being Asian champions for a record five times, and hopefully waiting for more to come.”
Capote expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to wear the maroon colours of Qatar and be a part of the team’s success story over the years.
“Wearing the colours of Qatar is a source of pride for me, and I consider it a privilege to be able to compete at the highest levels for the country. It’s always been a rewarding experience to compete at such high levels as the World Championship, and I try to make the most of it,” he said.
He stated that, despite having a difficult group, the team’s goal is to advance to the second round and then take things from there.
“We believe we have everything it takes to qualify from our group, and we are both mentally and physically prepared to do so. Success will be ours at the end of the day, all else being equal.”
Qatar was assigned to Group E, which included three-time World Champions Germany, two-time bronze medalists Serbia, and seven-time African champions Algeria.
Capote stated that the team is working hard to arrive at the tournament in peak condition, with several friendlies scheduled for them.
“We’ve played a few friendly games in the last few months and plan to play some more. For example, we will play Egypt this month, followed by two friendlies against Montenegro in Doha on January 3 and 5 before travelling to Poland,” he added.
Capote, who greatly admired Serbian handball legend Nenad Peruničić as a child, said he hopes to become a coach after retiring from the game.
“I’m currently finishing up a trainer course that I began last summer in Spain. I don’t see myself doing anything other than handball because it is my passion. I will always be associated with the sport,” he stated.
The Qatari team will compete in the World Championship for the ninth time, following Portugal in 2003, Tunisia in 2005, Germany in 2007, Spain in 2013, Qatar in 2015, France in 2017, Germany in 2019, Denmark in 2019, and Egypt in 2021, with a second-place finish in Qatar in 2015.
