TEHRAN – Iran handball team defeated New Zealand 40-13 in their opening match in the 21st edition of the Asian Men's Handball Championship on Friday.

In the match held at the Sheikh Khalifa Sports City Hall, Isa Town, Bahrain, Milad Ghalandari was Team Melli’s top goalscorer with 13 goals.

Iran will play China and South Korea on Sunday and Tuesday, respectively in Group B.

The 2024 Asian Men's Handball Championship is the 21st edition of the championship scheduled to be held from 11 to 25 Jan. in Bahrain, under the aegis of Asian Handball Federation (AHF).

It’s the third time in history that the championship is organized by the Bahrain Handball Federation.

It also acts as a qualification tournament for the 2025 World Men's Handball Championship, with top four teams from the championship directly qualifying for the event.

If New Zealand finish inside the top five, they are qualified as well as the representative of Oceania.