Austria starts the Handball World Cup spectacularly with victory over Kuwait!

Austria starts the Handball World Cup spectacularly with victory over Kuwait!

Austria's handball men started the 2025 Handball World Cup with flying colors and a convincing 37:26 victory over Kuwait. Despite the challenges, such as the absences of captain Mykola Bilyk and Janko Bozovic, who withdrew shortly before the game due to a meniscus injury, head coach Ales Pajovic's team showed fighting spirit. The opening victory secured the Austrians an almost tangible ticket for the main round noen.at reported.

In the first section, the Red-White-Red players struggled against the surprisingly lively and nimble Kuwaitis. Goalkeeper Constantin Möstl was instrumental in Austria being two goals ahead at half-time. “It was a bit of a hard road to success,” Möstl admitted on ORF. A saved seven-meter action in the 11th minute was particularly crucial because it prevented a possible deficit. Even though the Austrians temporarily led 13:9 and 17:13, Kuwait still managed to keep the gap small.

Dominate second half secures victory

In the second half the Austrian team showed their superiority. "In the first half the defense was a bit too defensive and in the attack we didn't take advantage of some chances. But in the second half we showed that we were the better team," explained Pajovic. With the 28:21 lead in the 43rd minute it was clear that the Kuwaitis' resistance had been broken. Pajovic was able to give all players playing time, which further strengthened team spirit. Sports director Patrick Fölser was pleased: "We're super happy now. That was the start we were hoping for." With top-rated throwers Frimmel, Damböck, Zivkovic and Wagner each scoring five goals, the focus now turns to the next important game against Qatar, who are looking for redemption after a significant defeat against France sn.at reported.