Handball at Asian Games 2026: Full schedule, results, & live streaming details
Handball has been part of the Asian Games sports list since 1982.
The Asian Games 2026 is set to return to Japan after a 32-year hiatus, with Aichi-Nagoya gearing up to host the 20th edition of Asia’s biggest multi-sport event.
The tournament will have 43 sports and 71 disciplines with 469 medal events. Handball will be one of the events with two medal events – one each for men and women.
South Korea have long dominated the event, claiming 13 of the 20 medals contested. However, their men’s team suffered a historic setback at the 2022 Asian Games, failing to reach the top four for the first time. Qatar has gained momentum in the last decade, winning gold in the last three editions of the Asian Games.
South Korea will be determined to bounce back and reclaim their place on the podium in a nine-team field. All these teams are split into two groups of four and five, respectively. The Group stage will be a round-robin format, followed by knockouts, with eight teams making it to the quarter-finals.
The women’s event will feature seven teams in a single group, with only the league stage being a round-robin format. The top three teams at the end of the league stage will be crowned with gold, silver, and bronze medals.
In the nine editions so far, South Korea have won seven gold medals, with one each for Japan and China. Japan are the defending champions, and they will look to retain their gold medal at home in the Asiad. India have not qualified in either the men’s or women’s event.
Related: Where did India finish in the medal tally at Asian Games 2022?
When & where will the Handball at the Asian Games 2026 be held?
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The Handball competition at the Asian Games 2026 will begin on September 19 with the league stage for both women’s and men’s categories. The men’s event knockouts will begin on September 26, with the medal matches on September 29.
The women’s event will not have any knockout stage; the table toppers after the league stage in round-robin format will decide the winners.
It will be played in two venues — Kasugai City General Gymnasium and Toyoda Gosei Memorial Gymnasium.
Who are the defending Handball champions at the Asian Games?
Men’s handball competition: Qatar
Women’s handball competition: Japan
Where and how to watch the live telecast & streaming of Handball at the Asian Games 2026 in India?
The live telecast of the Asian Games 2026 will be available on the Sony Sports Network. Fans can also watch the live streaming of this continental sporting extravaganza on the Sony Liv app or website.
Related: What is India’s biggest single-day medal haul at the Asian Games?
Asian Games 2026 – Handball Teams & Pools
Men’s
Group A: Japan, Qatar, China, Hong Kong
Group B: Bahrain, Kuwait, South Korea, Iran, and Kazakhstan
Women’s
Japan, South Korea, Kazakhstan, China, Hong Kong, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
Full women’s handball schedule and fixtures for the 2026 Asian Games (Timings in IST)
September 19 (Saturday)
- China vs Kazakhstan – 6:30 AM
- Hong Kong vs South Korea – 6:30 AM
- Japan vs Vietnam – 8:30 AM
September 20 (Sunday)
- South Korea vs Kazakhstan – 10:00 AM
- Hong Kong vs Vietnam – 12:00 PM
- Japan vs Uzbekistan – 2:00 PM
September 22 (Tuesday)
- Vietnam vs Kazakhstan – 10:00 AM
- Hong Kong vs Japan – 12:00 PM
- China vs Uzbekistan – 2:00 PM
September 23 (Wednesday)
- Hong Kong vs Kazakhstan – 10:00 AM
- Uzbekistan vs South Korea – 12:00 PM
- China vs Japan – 2:00 PM
September 25 (Friday)
- Vietnam vs Uzbekistan – 9:00 AM
- Kazakhstan vs Japan – 11:30 AM
- China vs South Korea – 2:00 PM
September 26 (Saturday)
- Kazakhstan vs Uzbekistan – 9:00 AM
- China vs Hong Kong – 11:30 AM
- Vietnam vs South Korea – 2:00 PM
September 27 (Sunday)
- Hong Kong vs Uzbekistan – 8:30 AM
- China vs Vietnam – 11:00 AM
- Japan vs South Korea – 1:30 PM
Related: Asian Games 2026 – Full list of athletes removed and added in India’s contingent
Full men’s handball schedule and fixtures for the 2026 Asian Games (Timings in IST)
September 19 (Saturday)
- Group B – Iran vs Kuwait – 9:00 AM
September 20 (Sunday)
- Group B – Bahrain vs Kazakhstan – 9:00 AM
- Group A – Japan vs China – 11:30 AM
- Group A – Hong Kong vs Qatar – 2:00 PM
September 21 (Monday)
- Group A – Hong Kong vs Japan – 8:30 AM
- Group B – Iran vs Bahrain – 11:00 AM
- Group B – South Korea vs Kuwait – 1:30 PM
- Group A – China vs Qatar – 4:00 PM
September 22 (Tuesday)
- Group B – Kuwait vs Kazakhstan – 11:30 AM
- Group B – Iran vs South Korea – 2:00 PM
September 23 (Wednesday)
- Group B – Kazakhstan vs Iran – 9:00 AM
- Group A – China vs Hong Kong – 11:30 AM
- Group B – Bahrain vs South Korea – 2:00 PM
September 25 (Friday)
- Group B – Bahrain vs Kuwait – 10:00 AM
- Group A – Qatar vs Japan – 12:00 PM
- Group B – Kazakhstan vs South Korea – 2:00 PM
September 26 (Saturday)
- Quarterfinal 1 – 8:30 AM
- Quarterfinal 2 – 10:30 AM
- Quarterfinal 3 – 12:30 PM
- Quarterfinal 4 – 2:30 PM
September 28 (Monday)
- Semifinal 1 – 11:30 AM
- Semifinal 2 – 2:00 PM
September 29 (Tuesday)
- Bronze Medal Match – 11:30 AM
- Gold Medal Match – 2:00 PM
When will handball games be played at the Asian Games 2026?
The handball games are scheduled to run between September 19 to 29 at the Asian Games 2026.
Who are the defending handball champions at the Asian Games?
Qatar and Japan are the defending handball champions at the Asian Games for men’s and women’s, respectively.
Why are India not competing in handball at the Asian Games 2026?
India have not qualified in either the men’s or women’s event.
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