Eleven countries will be vying for a top-four finish at the biennial competition in order to ensure their passage through to men’s handball’s showpiece event, scheduled to take place in France next January.

Qatar have already secured their place at the World Championships having finished runners-up when the country hosted last year’s event.

But they still have the huge incentive of winning a second consecutive continental crown with Japan, Oman, South Korea and Syria providing their opposition in Group A.

Hosts Bahrain are in Group B along with China, Iran, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, from which the winners will contest the gold medal match and the losers the bronze medal match, both on January 28.

The majority of the games are set to be played at the Shaikh Khalifa Sports City Hall in Isa Town, although the Bahrain Handball Federation Hall in Manama will stage a selection of placement matches. 

China’s encounter with the United Arab Emirates will open proceedings tomorrow, followed by Saudi Arabia against Iran and Lebanon against Bahrain.  

The UAE was originally set to organise the event, but a late withdrawal led to Bahrain stepping in.  

Bahrain also hosted the 2014 edition, losing 27-26 in the final against Qatar. 

Abdulrahman Askar, general secretary of the Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC), has met with Bahrain Handball Association (BHA) President Ali Mohamed Isa Eshaqi ahead of the event.

On a visit to BHA’s premises, Askar received a presentation from Board members on preparations for the two-week Championship. 

Eshaqi thanked the BOC, which is headed by Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, for its support.

Bahrain and the UAE both withdrew from the 2015 World Men's Handball Championship in Qatar following political tensions between the neighbouring Gulf countries.  

Tensions between Qatar and three of its fellow Gulf Cooperation Council members - Bahrain, the UAE and Saudi Arabia - have become increasingly strained in recent years due to Qatar's perceived support of Islamist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East.