Handball

France broke the hearts of host nation Qatar to win the final of the World Handball Championship by a score of 25-22.

The tournament's official Twitter account highlighted the final result:

Qatar were hoping to become the first team from outside Europe to win this coveted award, but from the off, it always looked as though this classy French side was a little too strong. For the Europeans, it was the fifth time in their history that they have won this competition.

Here’s a look back at how the action played out in the showpiece encounter at the Lusail Arena.

Flawless French Seize 5th World Crown

There’s been plenty of chatter about the host nation in the build-up to this final. In qualifying for the final two—the first non-European nation to do so—Qatar had already made history, but the amount of players born outside of the country have led some to criticise Valero Rivera Lopez's side.

Spanish-born Qatar star Borja Vidal told Agence France-Presse (h/t Sky Sports) that it’s not something that really bothers him:

When I play, I feel like a handball player. How do I feel about representing Qatar?

You know it is a very big responsibility to represent one country. I feel very good in this country and this nationality.

Despite being outnumbered by a raucous home crowd, the French supporters in attendance were making quite a din, per the tournament’s official Twitter account:

Buoyed by that support, it was the French—overwhelming favourites coming to this final—that began the better of the two. They were a lot slicker in their passing, and when the opportunities arose, they were clinical in getting past Qatar’s impressive goalkeeper, Danijel Saric.

They established a substantial buffer midway through the first period, but as noted here by handball correspondent Tom O'Brannagain, the Europeans’ dominance should have seen them much further in front:

At this level of superiority #France should be further ahead. Beware. #Qatar can only improve. #QATFRA

— Tom Ó Brannagáin (@obrannt) February 1, 2015

At the end of the half, the hosts began to establish a foothold and fought back into contention. Two late scores at the end of the first period moved the score on to 14-11 in France's favour, and a stunning save from Saric in the final seconds of the half ensured that the momentum was well and true with Qatar ahead of the second period.

Here’s a look at the numbers from the first half, per beIN Sports:

The initiative accrued by Qatar before the break was on showed in earnest at the beginning of the first period when they managed to bag a couple of quick-fire goals within the first 90 seconds of play and reduce the gap to one.

It certainly seemed as though the half-time team talk from Rivera was working despite the problems he has to face with a multinational crop of players at his disposal, per communications professional Bassel Barakat:

The match settled into a pattern after that initial flurry, and once again, the French looked to take control. They kept the scoreboard ticking over throughout the second period, and on the occasions Qatar breached their defensive line, France's famous goalkeeper, Thierry Omeyer, was at hand to thwart plenty of strikes at goal.

As noted by O'Brannagain, the Europeans were just a little bit more clinical throughout:

That's #FRA in a nutshell. Open goal for right wing of #QAT to make it a one goal game. He misses France score and that's why they win.

— Tom Ó Brannagáin (@obrannt) February 1, 2015

While the match occasionally got tight in the latter stages, the French always looked as though they had something in reserve, and the three-point buffer come the final whistle was a suitable indication of the edge they had.

Winning against Qatar on their own patch and with a fervent set of supporters backing them will make this triumph extra sweet for the French. Throughout the tournament, they've played with panache and purpose, meaning that they're thoroughly deserving of a landmark fifth title.

Hosts Qatar will take on four-time winners France in the final of the 2015 World Handball Championship on Sunday after both came through their last-four encounters on Friday. 

The French beat defending champions Spain 26-22 in a closely matched clash while the Qataris overcame Poland 31-29 in a high-scoring match.

Qatar become the first non-European side to reach the final of a world championship and will have the backing of the home crowd at the Lusail Arena in Sunday's showpiece event.

Here are full details ahead of what should be an intriguing match-up in the final.

Date: Sunday, Feb. 1

Time: 4:15 p.m. GMT, 11:15 p.m. ET 

TV Info: Sky Sports 2 (UK), beIN Sports 7 (U.S.)

Live Stream: Sky Go, beIN Sports Connect

Preview

Qatar have strung together a remarkable run of results to reach the final of their home tournament, beating the likes of Poland and Austria as well as former champions Germany.

In the knockout stages, they have scraped through with three two-goal victories after coming second to Spain in Group A—where they beat Brazil, Chile, Slovenia and Belarus.

Qatar's Bosnian goalkeeper Danijel Saric has been one of the stars of the tournament, making 12 saves in the hosts' triumphant semi-final, per Reuters (h/t Yahoo News).

While the Asian champions have been accused of buying in a championship-winning side—eight of their players were granted Qatari citizenship ahead of the tournament—handball broadcaster Tom O'Brannigan has hailed the side's togetherness:

I'm tired of hearing Qatar bought a team Not one of these players was a 'superstar' b4 except Saric. Just good honest pros moulded to a team

— Tom Ó Brannagáin (@obrannt) January 30, 2015

Qatar coach Valero Rivera—victorious with his home country Spain in 2013—lauded his side's achievement following jubilant celebrations after the Poland victory, per the International Handball Federation: 

This is a success. This is the first team that non-European team that made it to the final, and I very very happy for the country, for the players, for the Federation, and people that work in the sport, especially in handball. 

The Lusail Arena will likely be full to its 15,000 capacity on Sunday as the home crowd will push their side on towards what would be an extraordinary tournament win.

However, they come up against a very strong, very experienced French team who have a storied history in the competition.

They last claimed the gold back in 2011 and were impressive as they dispatched a strong Spain side on Friday to secure their place alongside Qatar in the final.

They held the lead early on against the Spanish and never relinquished it with another keeper, Thierry Omeyer, once again starring in the semi-final, per Swedish shot-stopper Mattias Andersson:

France's route through the tournament has been much more serene than their final opponents. They topped their group with four wins and a draw and eased past Argentina and Slovenia in the first two knockout rounds.

Both teams will be hugely buoyed after impressive semifinal wins but, on pure quality alone, France have to be seen as favourites to take the title.

However, home advantage could prove key for Qatar and it is certainly set to be quite an occasion in Lusail on Sunday. 

The 2015 World Handball Championship kicked off on Thursday, January 15, as hosts Qatar beat Brazil 28-23 in the first match of this year's tournament. A total of 24 teams will play five group matches to determine who advances to the knockout stages, as all teams eye the ultimate prize.

Defending champions Spain started their campaign with a tough win over Belarus, while Russia easily handled Saudi Arabia and Egypt trashed Algeria.

The European teams remain the strong favourites for the title, but the sport has made tremendous progression in the past two years, with Egypt and Qatar in particular seen as dangerous outsiders for this year's title. Here's the full schedule for the group stages of the World Championship:

Group A

With Spain, Slovenia, Belarus and Qatar all brought together in the same group, Group A could rightfully be seen as a Group of Death.

Two years ago, not a single non-European team made the quarter-finals, and Qatar face a serious battle to reverse those fortunes in 2015. As shared by The Peninsula, the hosts started the tournament in the right fashion:

Veteran goalkeeper Danijel Saric knows the schedule looks daunting for the hosts, as he told the event's official website:

Brazil and Chile are on our level. Chile could be very dangerous if we don’t take them seriously. Firstly, we have to try and compete with teams from “our league”, and then think about the others. We will keep both feet firmly on the ground and only think about the next match. Honestly, I don’t think about how far we could go at this moment. Our goal is to win each match and fight until the final whistle.

Slovenia and Spain met in the semi-finals in 2013, and both will be favoured to progress from Group A once again. Belarus should comfortably grab the third spot, while hosts Qatar seem like the safe pick to grab the final ticket for the knockout stages.

Group B

A similar story in Group B, where Austria nearly shocked favourites Croatia on Friday. Macedonia and Bosnia-Herzegovina are more experienced and more talented than Iran or Tunisia, and judging by the Austrians' narrow loss to the semi-finalists from 2013, they too should fancy their chances.

This fan knows Bosnia will be in for a fight on Saturday:

Could Europe grab all four spots that lead to a ticket to the knockout stages? It sure looks likely.

Group C

If there's any African team which has a great chance of making a run in the tournament, it's Egypt. Sitting at the top of Group C thanks to a decisive win over Algeria on Friday, Sweden France and the Czech Republic present strong, but not unbeatable competition.

Iceland are relative minnows to the sport, while Algeria are a good, but not great team. The Czech Republic have some defensive issues, and star Filip Jicha remains absent with an illness, as shared by Handball Australia's Courtney Gahan:

The Swedes are the early favourites to win the group, but a top-three finish is definitely possible for Egypt.

Group D

Argentina shocked 2013 finalists Denmark by holding them to a draw on Friday, a sign Group D may not be as clear-cut as expected. On Paper, Russia and Denmark are the clear favourites, with Poland, Germany and Argentina battling for the remaining tickets to the group stages.

The draw against Denmark is great news for Argentina, but Germany shocked Poland as well on Friday, setting up what should be one of the closest races of the entire tournament.  

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Just like the World Cup and soccer, handball gets together every four years for a World Championship, except the handball folks like to cut that four in half and get together every two. 

In 2013, Spain will host the rest of the 23 countries invited to participate for world supremacy, bringing the grand total to 24 teams that will compete over a 17-day span.

Qualifying has been going on since 2011, when events like the European Championship have allowed big names like Russia, Germany and Poland to participate, while the rest of the field has been filled over the course of the 2012 championship season.

This is the first time Spain has hosted the event, marking the 12th different country to hold that designation. We've got you covered with a complete outlook for the biggest event in the sport's history to date, with schedule information, predictions and when and where to catch all the action.

When: Jan. 11-27, 2013

Where: Madrid, Seville, Guadalajara, Zaragoza, Barcelona and Granoliers, Spain (arenas in each of the six cities) 

Watch: All matches streamed live at IHF.info (LiveHandball.TV)

Schedule/Pool Play/Bracket Play

The tournament features four pools that will feed into an elimination bracket. The top four teams from each pool make it to the round of 16, while the remaining eight face each other in two separate brackets (17-20; 21-24 play each other).

Here's a look at each pool based on the tournament draw:

Each group will play five games against the other teams in that specific draw, before feeding into the bracket on Jan. 20. Pool play starts Friday after the opening ceremony and won't conclude until the top four teams in each bracket stand alone.

For a complete look at the schedule and where you can find the individual matchups of each group, check out the official site of this year's tournament website.

Predictions

When you look at past winners of the event, the host nation certainly draws some more gusto than the rest of the field. In the last five World Championships, the host nation has finished at least fourth in four of the five events.

In two of those tournaments, the host nation has won (Germany in 2007 and France in 2011). The defending champion Frenchmen look to be the favorite yet again, with the MVP of the sport still gracing the playing surface.

Daniel Narcisse, the 2012 winner of the IHF World Player of the Year award, will be ready to go for the France squad. His ability to get up in the air and score goals is really a treat to watch, and you can bet France's matches will be of popular interest in any of the six host cities.

Elsewhere, Tunisia is a young team that's looking to build off of a 2012 African Championship win and will have to do so in the same group as the defending champs. Lucky for them, there are four open spots in pool play and not just one.

Belarus and Montenegro both had successful runs during the European playoffs, and could be dark horse teams to make a deep run.

And finally, per the opening sentence of this graph, Spain will likely be a team that has home-court advantage throughout the event and will feed off of a very intrigued and excited crowd. As the IHF site says when you check out the event, Spain is an exciting choice not only for the teams, but for the sport.

Hosting country Spain as well as the numerous fans from abroad supporting their respective teams will make this event a true festival of handball...The Spanish people are known as sports enthusiasts – they will cheer for their team, but also respect all the other teams in a friendly manner. May the best team win and fair play prevail.

In that spirit, we'll conclude this preview with a mind towards Spain and France as the favorites in this event. Check out the event on the live stream, and make sure to check back with Bleacher Report as the tournament progresses to catch the latest news on where your country sits in the current bracket.

Ethan Grant is a featured columnist for B/R's Breaking News Team.

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The first full day of competition at the Games of the XXX Olympiad kicks off Saturday in London, and whether you're away from your television or just not a huge fan of the day's televised events, have no fear oh Olympics aficionado. If you have an Internet connection, then you're all set.

Live coverage of the Olympics will be featured throughout the Games on nbcolympics.com, so grab a seat at Starbucks, order yourself a $14 latte (if only I'd known that people would actually pay that much for coffee. Oh well, hindsight being what it is) and enjoy some of these highlights from Saturday's competition.

Women's Basketball: Group A - United States vs. Croatia (11:45 A.M. EDT)

The latest incarnation of the men's "Dream Team" featuring LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant may have hogged all the headlines leading up to the London Games. However, the U.S. women's team isn't exactly a group of slouches, especially given that the team will be gunning for their fifth straight gold medal in London and have won 33 straight games at the Olympics. 

Team USA head coach Geno Auriemma has loaded the team with familiar faces from the University of Connecticut, including two-time Olympic champions Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird. There are also stars present from Connecticut's arch-nemesis Tennessee, including forwards Tamika Catchings and Candace Parker, who may just throw down a dunk, which would be an Olympic first for a woman.

Brittney Griner of Baylor, the 2011 Naismith Award winner, won't be at the Olympics, but the American women are still the overwhelming favorites to win gold, beginning with what amounts to a tune-up against Croatia.

Still, as Auriemma recently told FOX News, simply winning isn't enough for the United States in his eyes, as he feels that it's just as important that the Americans do so with all the authority they can muster.

"We would love to play basketball the way Spain plays soccer. Always moving the ball. We don't want to be like Italy and win 1-0. If it's going to be ugly I think we're going to harm the game more than help it," said Auriemma. "So just winning is not going to be good enough."

Men's Swimming: 400m Individual Medley Final (2:30 P.M. EDT)

One of the most hyped and publicized showdowns of the 2012 Olympic Games will take place in the pool at the London Aquatics Centre, where Americans Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte will face off twice, beginning Saturday in the 400m individual medley.

The 27-year-old Phelps holds the world record in the event, setting that mark at the Beijing Games four years ago with a ridiculous time of 4:03.84. Phelps is not only competing in what he says will be his final Olympics but is trying to make Olympic history yet again by becoming the first male swimmer to win an event in three straight Olympic Games. The significance of these facts isn't lost on Phelps, according to a report by the Associated Press via ESPN.

"This is the last competitive meet I'm going to have in my career," Phelps said. "It's big. It's something I've never experienced. I'm going to have a lot of firsts and a lot of lasts this week."

The medley isn't going to be a walk (or swim, as the case may be) in the park for Phelps, however. The 27-year-old Lochte is every bit Phelps' equal in the event, having just beaten Phelps at the U.S. Olympic Trials, and this showdown is one of the highlights of not only Saturday's action but all of the Olympics as well.

Women's Handball: Group B - Norway vs. France (4:15 P.M. EDT)

I will freely admit that there's probably no writer here at Bleacher Report who has been imploring fans more to watch the handball competition than me, as outside of maybe water polo (which is basically handball in a pool) there is no other team sport at the Games that combines excitement and a level of uniqueness that just makes it all feel more...Olympic.

Handball is a fast-paced, physical, high-scoring game that features elements of basketball, soccer and rugby all mixed together into a game that has to be watched or played to be truly appreciated.

Saturday afternoon's matchup between France and Norway features two medal contenders, including the 2008 gold medalists in the Norwegians in a rematch of the finals at the 2011 world championships, won by Norway 32-24.

Not only will the French women be looking for a measure of payback for their loss in Brazil a year ago, but they will also be trying to keep to keep pace with their male counterparts, who won the gold in Beijing four years ago and are one of the favorites at the London Games.

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Speed is attractive in sports, especially in the Summer Olympics.

When first thinking of the Summer Games, athletes like Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps come to mind because of their ability to move fast in a event that is, well, fast. There are however, other Olympic events that don't receive as much attention despite moving even faster.

An obvious event is the 4x100-meter relay from the track. In this event, it brings the world's fastest sprinters and forces them to work together as part of a four-person unit. Here, we see the best from each country going at it on a much faster scale than the individual sprinting events.

In addition to that relay though, there are some events just as excitingly fast to watch for.

So, let's check out the best fast-paced events you won't want to miss.

Handball

Handball is an excellent combination of sports like basketball, hockey, and soccer.

It's extremely fast, offers a lot of scoring, and never lets up. Albeit a more physical game than given credit for, Handball also provides impressively athletic competitors who can run, jump and move as quick as any Olympian.

Handball athletes also play both offense and defense, so the ability to transition fast up and down the court is critical. Players can only hold the ball for three seconds as well, so the game forces everyone (whether offense or defense) to be constantly moving.

That movement also forces the athletes to possess excellent court awareness, because passing, scoring, and turnovers will happen quite often. If you like to see points get racked up, then Handball is for you.

Cycling, Sprint

Also one of the funnest events you can watch, the sprint aspect of the cycling portion gives you speed on wheels like no other.

Consisting of a head-to-head race, the cycling sprint has two riders duke it out as fast as they can for three laps. The men cyclists can hit speeds above 40 miles per hour, if not faster. The women are also ridiculously fast and can hit speeds near or above 40 miles per hour as well.

At these speeds, cycling sprinting becomes quite a dangerous event. Therefore, we'll see athletes who possess great balance, poise and the ability to control their center of gravity despite the speed.

If anything, this sprint is arguably the most exhilarating when you combine all elements.

Athletics, 4x100-Meter Relay

The 4x100-meter relay is the one athletic event providing an insane rate of speed. Yes, the individual sprints such as the 100-meter and 200-meter are fast as well, but this relay give way to even faster results.

Here, you have the most explosive track athletes of each country on one team in one lane. A typical 400-meter dash at the Olympics usually lasts around 44 seconds for the men and 50 seconds for the women.

In the 4x100 though, these times will get under 40 seconds for the men and 43 seconds for the women. The men will hit less than 10 seconds for each 100-meter leg of the race, while the women are under 11 seconds per leg.

As fast as these Olympians are individually, putting them together takes blazing speed to an unimaginable level.

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In an exciting Auld Firm game last night Carlos Cuellar's right hand almost brought Rangers the SPL title. 

A shot from Japanese international Shunsuke Nakamura looked destined for the top left hand corner but the Rangers defender dived to his right and tipped the ball over the bar. 

The result, a penalty for Celtic and a deserved red card for Cuellar. Scott McDonald was the chosen player to take the penalty which injured keeper Allan McGregor saved.

The question has to be asked, was justice done. 

Rangers lost a player, Celtic weren't awarded the goal and the resulting penalty missed so both teams were punished, is this fair?

To me this rule needs to be changed. Last nights game showed that sometimes cheaters prosper but what should be done? 

The answer to me is quite simple. If a shot looks goal bound and is handled the referee should reward a penalty goal that way the attacking team get the goal they deserve, and for the defender, a yellow card just so they don't get away with their actions.

If Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink hadn't scored a 93rd minute winner the Scottish title would be all but over and the trophy Ibrox bound, instead the teams play at Parkhead again on the 27th with the league still wide open.

In an action packed derby last night it was a case of nothing but a win for Celtic and in the 20th minute Nakmura (not having the best of seasons) put the Hoops ahead with a 30 yard pile driver that swerved this way and that and gave Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor no chance.

Celtic had all the possession but just couldn't get that second goal and this meant that Rangers were still in touching distance and in the 10th minute of the second half Gers sub Nacho Novo silenced the Parkhead faithful with a goal to bring the teams level.

The amount of games Rangers are having to play looked like it was taking its toll on the players and they looked weary but were still holding on and looked like they got their point after Scott McDonald missed his penalty. 

Celtics players looked doomed to failure that was until in the third minute of injury time , Dutch hitman Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink headed in from close range to steal the points and sent the Celtic fans into delirium.

The gap at the top is now one point although Rangers have two games in hand. 

The next Auld Firm derby is another must win and Celtic will be hoping Rangers slip up if they are to win their third successive title. If that game is anything like last nights, it can't come quick enough.

It's heartbreaking when you've come so far to be denied your chance at the FA cup, and no neutral supporter could have felt any more sympathetic with Kevin Philips yesterday after seeing Milan Baros - already cautioned - handled the ball, controlled and sent the ball onto Kanu to score and knock West Brom out of the FA cup.

It was a devastating loss. West Bromwich Albion were magnificent yesterday, and really took the game to their Premier League counterparts. They dominated the first period, and worked hard in the second.

But I know that things would have been very different if Milan Baros had been sent off for a second yellow as a result of the handball. Pompey wouldn't have scored for one - it would have been 0-0 with 30 minutes to play, and Pompey down to ten men.

Howard Webb bottled out. I know it, you know it, and hopefully this morning, after a lamblasting from the Referee's association, he knows it too. Considering he was perfectly placed to see the foul, to not give it is appalling, and indicative of a referee playing to his main bias - the Premier League teams.

Handball was the heartbreak yesterday for West Brom, but for my team, fellow Championship play off hopefuls Charlton Athletic, handball was the deciding factor in a very much tense and well fought affair.

In the second minute, Nicky Weaver mistimed his clearance, and handled the ball just outside his area - and was sent off. Charlton subbed on reserve goalkeeper Elliot for his debut - and the game began again!

I can't remember a single other match this season that got the Charlton players so wound up as to win a match!!! They were determined, always running, playing the sort of football ten matches ago would have seen them go top from second - t was not be then, but our hopes remain alive now!!!

So there's a flip side to this handball business. Charlton, down to ten men for 91 minutes, won 2-1 through sheer grit and determination - Portsmouth should have been down to ten men, for the last 30 minutes of their match, and in my opinion, West Brom, in the ascendancy, would have nicked it at the end.

It was a close run thing in both matches, but to compare Charlton's win to West Brom's loss is laughable.

My greatest sympathies to the gutted West Brom fans. My only consolation to them is that Portsmouth were by no means the better team on the day.