Doha: Qatar lost 37-19 to France at their 29th IHF Men's World Championship opener, on Tuesday.

According to Qatar News Agency, Qatar will play Thursday against Austria in the second group stage game of the event staged by Croatia, Denmark, and Norway. The last group stage match will be against Kuwait on Saturday.

Marking Qatar's 10th appearance, the event runs through February 2, featuring 32 sides, divided into eight groups of four teams. The top three sides will advance to the main round where four groups of six sides will play a single round-robin league. The two top spots will qualify for the quarter-finals.