Japan made Bahrain and Korea company on the Asian train to Sweden, and we say: very welcome!

Saudi Arabia were sooo close... For you that missed the dramatic end of the semi-final between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia we attach the video again.

Here's a short report from our friend Bjorn Pazen:

Seven matches, seven clear victories: Korea is the well deserved old and new men’s continental champion of Asia.

By beating the surprise team of Bahrain 32:25 (16:13) in the final of the 14th men’s Asian Championships in Beirut, Lebanon, the trophy and the gold medals were handed over to the Koreans. The final match was quite one sided, even as Bahrain played equal in the first 20 minutes and equalized for the last time at 10:10. Thanks to a 6:3 series Korea started their counter attack match play – and overran their opponents in the second half after the 20:16. Korea decided the match, extending the distance to 28:19 thanks to their strong defense and their counter attacks. In the last stage of the match, Bahrain could reduce the gap, but could never endanger the new and old champion. Both goalkeepers, Abdulhussain (Bahrain) and  Su-Young Jung (Korea), showed brilliant saves. Despite the defeat Bahrain celebrated their first ever medal at Asian Championships and their first ever participation at a World Championship, 2011 in Sweden.

The Bronze Final, which had to decide about the third and last qualifier for Sweden, was much more tensioned and had to be decided in extra time. Thanks to the twelve goals of Daisuke Miyazaki, Japan secured the Bronze medal against Saudi-Arabia. After 60 minutes the score was 27:27, then the favoured team had more power and won 33:30.

Korea, Bahrain and Japan achieved the three tickets to Sweden 2011.