Amman — The Handball Federation has decided to raise the value of financial support provided to First Division clubs, in return for their participation in domestic competitions, a step that came in response to demands raised by the clubs over the past period, which centered mainly on the rising cost of participating in domestic tournaments.
اضافة اعلان
The federation's decision to increase the financial support came after repeated demands from a number of First Division clubs for the value of the financial allocations they receive to be raised, given the burdens and costs clubs bear during the season, whether related to matches, travel, or various supplies.
Al-Arabi, Sakib, and Kufranja clubs had, over the past period, hinted at freezing their activity and not taking part in this season's league competitions, should the Handball Federation fail to respond to their demand for increased financial support, a situation that put the federation in a position where it had to explore the possibility of increasing clubs' financial allocations.
According to information Al Ghad obtained from sources within the Handball Federation, the federation has indeed decided to raise the value of financial support allocated to clubs, by an amount the sources described as good, in an attempt to ease the financial burdens on clubs and encourage them to continue participating in domestic competitions.
Despite the federation's decision to increase financial support, Al-Arabi, Sakib, and Kufranja clubs have not yet made a final decision on their participation in the league competitions, as the three clubs are still weighing their decision, while the Handball Federation awaits their official response over the coming hours regarding whether they will take part in the tournament or withdraw from it.
The federation is currently awaiting a final position from the three clubs, especially since their decision will have a direct impact on the shape and format of this season's league competitions, in addition to being tied to the official release of the match schedule.
Should Al-Arabi, Sakib, and Kufranja clubs decide to take part in the league, the tournament will be held with the participation of 10 clubs, under a single-stage classification league format, with the top four teams in the standings qualifying for the elite league, where the four teams compete among themselves to determine the league champion.
However, should the three clubs withdraw from participating, the number of teams taking part in the tournament will drop to 7 clubs, which would prompt the Handball Federation to adopt a different competition format, as was the case previously, holding the league on a home-and-away basis, without the need for an elite league stage involving four teams in a second phase.
The lack of a final decision from the three clubs has caused relative confusion within the Handball Federation, particularly regarding the preparation and release of the league's match schedule, given the difficulty of finalizing a program before knowing the exact number of teams that will officially participate.
According to the information, the Handball Federation has prepared two schedules for the competition: the first in case Al-Arabi, Sakib, and Kufranja clubs decide to participate, and the second in case the three clubs withdraw from the league competitions, in order to prepare for either scenario and ensure the federation is ready to launch the tournament on its scheduled date.
The picture is expected to become clear over the coming hours, as the federation awaits a final response from the three clubs, especially since the league competitions are supposed to kick off the day after tomorrow, making it essential for the federation to resolve the participation issue in order to announce the tournament's official schedule.
Resource: Al-Ghad. Reporting: Mohammad Arabiyat
