The proposal, announced Wednesday, seeks to bring the handball competition to the Middle East for the first time _ the same pitch that won over FIFA delegates last week when they delivered the World Cup to Qatar.

The Qatar bid team plans to make its first presentation to handball's governing body on Friday in Basel, Switzerland.

The final presentation and decision will be made January in Malmo, Sweden.

The tiny Gulf nation has been aggressively marketing itself as a venue for major sports events, including next month's Asia Cup football tournament. Qatar lost out to host the 2016 Olympics.