'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Handball is one of the 61 disciplines that will be in action at the 19th Asian Games, scheduled between September 23 and October 8 in Hangzhou, China. The sport has been regularly staged at the continental showpiece since 1982.
The Handball matches are scheduled from September 24 to October 5 with a total of 15 and 10 teams set to participate in men and women categories respectively. India won’t be participating in the men’s competition after the Sports Ministry withdrew the team among four teams because of subpar ranking (16) at the international stage.
However, the Indian women’s team, which is ranked fifth in Asia, will field a 15-member squad under captain Jyoti Shukla. India is placed in Pool B in the preliminary groups along with China, Japan, Nepal, and Hong Kong, China.
Zhejiang Normal University Xiashon Gymnasium (Xiaoshan) and Zhejiang Gongshang University Sports Centre (Qiantang) are the two venues that will host all the Women's Handball matches for the Asian Games.
The Indian team, who won their first Asian President’s Cup title in February this year, will start its campaign against 2018 Asian Games bronze medallist Japan on September 25.
India Women Handball Schedule Asian Games 2023
September 25, 2023
India vs Japan
11:30 AM IST
September 27, 2023
India vs Hong Kong
4:30 AM IST
September 29, 2023
India vs PR China
3:30 PM IST
September 30, 2023
Nepal vs India
11:30 AM IST
India Women's Handball squad for the Asian Games 2023
Bhawana, Diksha Kumari, Menika, Priyanka, Sonika, Sushma, Pooja Kanwar, Asha Rani, Mitali Sharma, Nidhi Sharma, Nina Shil, Jyoti Shukla (captain), Shiva Singh, Tejaswani Singh, Priyanka Thakur, Shalini Thakur
Format
The 10 teams in the Women's Handball event are paired into two groups - Pool A and Pool B. The top two teams on the points table of each group will advance to the semi-final stage (October 3) followed by the final (October 5). There will also be a bronze medal match between the losers of both semi-finals on October 5.
What are the Handball Rules for Asian Games 2023?
If you are well versed with the rules of Basketball and Football then it won’t be difficult for you to understand the Handball game as many of the rules for the latter are similar to the above two popular sports.
Goal Area: No handball player apart from the goalkeeper shall enter the goal area, which is the inside 6m line, and touch the ball on the ground in that area. The only exception to this rule implies when the player jumps into the goal area to shoot the ball before it lands on the turf.
Touching: A player can touch the ball with the help of their fists, hands, head, thigh, or knees. If the player happens to touch the ball below the knee then his/her team shall lose the possession. However, the goalkeeper is allowed to kick the ball.
Possession: A player in control of the ball can only stand for three seconds. If the player doesn’t shoot, pass, or dribble the ball for more than 3 seconds then the possession will be awarded to the opponent side. The player should not touch the ball more than once, except when the ball touches the other player or rebounds from the goal post.
Double Dribble Foul: The players cannot take the ball and bounce it first and hold and again bounce it. If a player happens to commit this act then it shall be considered as a double-dribble. The player cannot take more than three steps without shooting, passing, or dribbling the ball.
Other Fouls: Acts like pushing, tripping, hitting, charging, or holding are deemed to be offensive rules in Handball. The player can knock the ball from his opponent by using the flat part of the hand. One cannot snatch the ball with one or both hands or slap it from the opponent’s hands.
Free throws in Handball: The free throws are awarded to the team when players from the opposition side break the minor rules. The players should stay 3m away from the athlete set to throw the ball.
Penalty throws in Handball: The penalty throws will be awarded to the team when players from the opposition side deny a clear scoring opportunity to the ones in possession/shooting with any level of infringements.
Corners in Handball: A corner will be awarded to the team when players (usually defenders) from the opposition knock the ball over the goal line. The player keeps one of their foot on the corner of the sideline and then passes the ball in.
Handball Sanctions: The sanctions are imposed on players for different levels of offenses. A referee may issue a warning to a player by presenting a red card to him or her. The next level of sanction is where the referee can send off the player from the court for two minutes (suspension). This can be repeated twice and for the third time, the player can be shown a red card.
Where to watch Asian Games India Women's Handball matches?
The Asian Games 2023 Handball matches of the Indian women’s team will be broadcast on the Sony Sports Network on television. The online coverage of the same event can be found on SonyLiv.
