Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], January 13 (ANI): Captain of the India Handball Team Atul Kumar, coach Naveen Punia and assistant coach Binoy DS expressed confidence for the 15th Asian Championship in Kuwait, which will run from January 15 to 29.

Indian Handball Team captain Atul Kumar said the team has had strong preparations, including a one-month training camp at the Gandhinagar camp by the Sports Authority of India (SAI), and is confident of performing well at the 15th Asian Championship in Kuwait, where they will face the UAE, Kuwait, and Hong Kong.

'Good preparations have been done and after a number of years we have been presented with this opportunity by SAI. We had a very good training camp. After a one-month camp, our team has been announced. We are going to Kuwait tomorrow. The goal is to perform good there. We have matches against UAE, against Kuwait and also Hong Kong. We have had good preparations and we are confident we will perform good there,' Atul Kumar told ANI.

Coach Naveen Punia said the Indian team is training hard at SAI's Gandhinagar camp for the 15th Asian Championship in Kuwait and expressed hope of winning medals, while urging players across the country to actively participate in and support sports.

'Currently, our camp is being held in SAI (Sports Authority of India), Gandhinagar, for the 15th Asian Championship in Kuwait. Our team has been working extremely hard and I hope we can bring medals for our country. I would like to request all the players from across the country to participate and support all sports with the same enthusiasm,' Naveen Punia said.

Assistant coach Binoy DS said the Asian Championship is a qualifier for the Asian Games, and the team is aiming for a top-eight finish to secure qualification, expressing confidence in a strong performance in Kuwait.

'The Asian Championship is a qualifying ground for the Asian Games later in the year. If we finish in the top eight, then we will qualify for the Asian Games. That is what we have been preparing for. I am confident that our team will do good in the Kuwait tournament,' Binoy DS said. (ANI)