Handball Competitions Set to Kick Off at 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games

Seven women’s and eight men’s national teams gear up for medal battles in Riyadh as the multi-sport event enters its final week.

By Abdullahi Yusuf

Seven women’s and eight men’s national teams will get their 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games handball competitions underway on Thursday (13 November) as the sixth edition of the global event reaches its conclusion in Saudi Arabia.

The Islamic Solidarity Games is a multi-disciplinary sports organisation under the supervision of the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation, for nations who are members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Qatar’s men and Türkiye’s women are current title-holders having won their respective competitions at the fifth edition, held in Konya, Türkiye back in August 2022.

The 2025 competitions will be taking place at ‘Green Halls’ at the Prince Faisal bin Fahad Olympic Complex, Azerbaijan (AZE), Guinea (GUI), Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI), Kazakhstan (KAZ), Maldives (MDV), Türkiye (TUR) and Uzbekistan (UZB) are competing in the seven-team women’s event, while Bahrain (BRN), Iran, Iraq (IRQ), Saudi Arabia (KSA), Kuwait (KUW), Maldives, Qatar (QAT) and United Arab Emirates (UAE) are doing battle in the men’s competition.

Both handball competitions, featuring a maximum of 256 athletes in total, will see an initial two-group preliminary stage with the top two teams in each meeting each other in the semi-finals, before playing for medals.

The purpose of the Islamic Solidarity Games is to support the development of the athletes of the Islamic geography and strengthen comradery and solidarity among the athletes. In member states, non-Muslim citizens are also allowed to participate in the games.

Previous editions were staged in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 2005, with handball featuring a men’s competition only, won by Algeria. The 2009/10 edition was cancelled and in 2013, they took place in Al Palembang, Indonesia but handball did not feature. Handball returned for Baku, Azerbaijan in 2017 and featured a women’s competition for the first time. Azerbaijan won that title on home soil, with Saudi Arabia winning the men’s title. 

The 2025 edition is taking place in capital city Riyadh and feature 3,000 athletes from 57 nations competing in 23 sports, including two para-sports. The event got underway on 4 November and will conclude on Friday 21 November, the same day as the handball gold medal matches.

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