Enab Baladi – Lubaba al-Tawil
Al-Jalaa Sports Hall in Damascus hosted the First Liberation Handball Championship for the under-17 age group (born 2008–2009–2010), between August 8 and 15, with the participation of 12 teams from different Syrian provinces: al-Nawair, al-Taliya, al-Furat, al-Shabab, al-Karama, Mhardeh, al-Jazira, al-Nabk, Deir Atiyah, al-Shouleh, Quneitra, and al-Yaqadha.
Despite its sporting nature, the championship carried humanitarian and organizational dimensions, reflecting a new attempt to rebuild the game after more than a decade of decline and near-total absence from the scene.
Organizational Instructions
The Handball Federation issued special instructions for the championship, which included setting the participation fee for each club at 600,000 Syrian pounds (around 60 USD), in addition to refereeing fees, and capping the size of the delegation at 30 members.
The adopted system allowed for registering 16 players and 5 officials on the match sheet, with adherence to unified uniforms, presentation of IDs and family records, and the application of international handball rules using a size “2” ball.
The match duration was set at 50 minutes (25 minutes per half), with the winner awarded three points, a draw one point, and the authority to rule on objections entrusted to the supervisory committee.
Final Results
In the final match, al-Nawair Club won the title after defeating al-Shouleh 26–18.
Al-Nawair had qualified for the final by beating al-Taliya 26–15, while al-Shouleh advanced after overcoming al-Shabab 28–18.
In the third-place match, al-Taliya edged al-Shabab 27–26, completing the top three rankings.
Federation President: The Championship Is the Seed of the National Team
In a statement to Enab Baladi, the president of the Syrian Handball Federation, Rafeh Bejbouj, said the championship represented the first official activity of the newly elected federation and aimed to assess the 2008–2009 age group to select players for the national team to participate in the Asian Championship scheduled in Jordan.
Bejbouj added, “The championship was an opportunity to discover the players’ potential, as well as the level of clubs, refereeing, and organization. The most remarkable thing was the participation of four clubs from northeastern Syria, which reflects a new beginning for the sport. We will work to avoid mistakes and develop coaches and referees as the pillars of the game.”
He confirmed support for poor clubs and improvements to infrastructure in provinces that lack sports halls, such as Daraa, Deir Ezzor, and Raqqa.
Humanitarian Dimension… A Meeting After a Break
Handball Federation member Nasser Adnan told Enab Baladi that the championship was not merely a sporting event but represented an exceptional effort to gather ten teams from areas cut off from the sport due to war and displacement.
He believes that the participation of four or five clubs without halls or basic equipment, such as those in al-Hasakah, Raqqa, and Deir Ezzor, was among the most significant outcomes of this championship.
He considered the event a humanitarian achievement, as it brought coaches and players back together after a long separation.
Al-Nawair Club coach, Hakam al-Sabbagh, told Enab Baladi that this championship showcased outstanding talents forming the core of the national team, noting that al-Nawair and al-Shouleh outperformed other teams technically.
He added that sports involve both winning and losing, but the championship itself was a victory for everyone.
Al-Nawair Club maintained an undefeated record, and as the coach noted, the club “enjoys administrative stability and continuous support for the sport from the club’s management.”
From Neglect to a Revival Attempt
The championship is part of the new federation’s efforts to revive handball after years of neglect and administrative corruption under the former regime.
The sport has long suffered from neglected talent, poor infrastructure, suspended championships, and the migration of players and coaches, as Enab Baladi discussed in a previous report.
The federation’s development plan focuses on younger age groups, training coaches and referees, and re-establishing technical committees in the provinces, with promises to restore sports halls in Deir Ezzor, Raqqa, and Daraa, which are considered primary feeders for the national teams.
Despite limited resources and insufficient support, those overseeing the championship see it as a first step toward restoring the luster of Syrian handball.
While technical staff are busy selecting the best talents to represent the national team in international competitions, the biggest challenge remains securing infrastructure and financial support to ensure the continuity of these efforts and transform the First Liberation Championship from an inaugural event into an annual tradition that strengthens the game’s place in Syria.
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