President of the International Handball Federation Hassan Mustafa said the qualification of three Arab teams to the men's handball semifinals at the ninth All Africa Games "proves this discipline has evolved in these countries," Algerian media reported on Thursday.
"The qualification of Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt to the semifinals proves handball has evolved in these countries," said Mustafa, an Egyptian who has been head of the international handball governing body since 2000.
Mustafa singled out host nation Algeria, saying that the Algerian team, which drew up an ambitious five-year program, was likely to raise its handball to international level in the coming years.
The men's handball semi-finals will be staged on Thursday in the Algerian capital, where the fortnight All Africa Games was being held.
Hosts Algeria will face the runners-up in Group B, Tunisia. While Angola will play Egypt, who has not lost a single game in the three group A matches.
Mustafa, formerly a handball player, was elected head of the handball federation in 2000, which made him the first Egyptian -- and African -- to head an international sports federation. Four years later he was re-elected for a second term.
The performance of the Egyptian handball team has slumped in recent years, but it's still dominant as a regional and continental power. Both Algeria and Tunisia are also strong powers of men's handball in the Arab world and Africa as well.
Source: Xinhua
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