South Korea defeated Bahrain 31-30 to seal top spot in Group B ©Asian Handball Federation

South Korea edged a thriller against Bahrain to overhaul their rivals into first place in Group B of the Asian Men's Handball Olympic Qualification Tournament for Tokyo 2020 in Doha.

Bahrain were unbeaten going into the match and a tense encounter saw them lead 16-14 at half-time at Duhail Handball Sports Hall.

But South Korea battled back to win 31-30 to leapfrog their rivals.

Their victory sets up a semi-final match against Group A runners-up Saudi Arabia on Friday (October 25).

Bahrain's first defeat means they will face Group A winners and tournament hosts Qatar in the last four.

The day's other match saw Iran and Kuwait play out a 36-36 draw as Iran failed to capitalise on Bahrain's defeat.

Tomorrow, India take on Kuwait and Iran face Hong Kong in the classification matches.

Overall victory in the eight-team tournament will ensure qualification for Tokyo 2020, with the medal matches set to be contested on Saturday (October 26).

The runners-up have another chance to book a berth at the International Handball Federation qualification tournaments in April.