Back in October 2017, Handball Fiji (HF) were not even a member of the IHF and had just started running ‘come and try’ handball events across the archipelago nation, introducing the sport to its population.

A few months later, its application for full membership of the IHF was confirmed at the XXXVI Ordinary Congress and now, a decade later, the federation finds itself on the cusp of history.

Their youth (U18) women’s team have qualified for the 2026 IHF Women’s Youth World Championship and with it, are become the first team from the nation to qualify for any global handball competition and the first Oceania and Pacific island nation to appear in the event.

Debut qualification

Taking place in Romania in July and August, Fiji qualified for the 2026 IHF Women’s Youth World Championship after finishing third in the IHF Trophy Oceania last October.

A win against continental powerhouse Australia led to a third place finish, and with winners New Caledonia unable to accept their spot as they are not a full member of the IHF, and runners-up New Zealand declining theirs, Fiji gladly accepted.

“The 21:15 victory over Australia was more than just a scoreboard win. It proved that even with limited resources and experience, we are no longer just ‘participating’, we are competing and winning at an elite level,” said HF President Sainimili Saukuru to ihf.info about the event in the Cook Islands nine months ago.

“In the 10 years since we founded Handball Fiji in 2016 it has gone from merely a conversation and an idea to becoming a world contender. It’s been a mixed experience of vision, perseverance and valuable lessons. Over the years we have carried a strong vision for developing handball in Fiji, particularly for women and youth, but the global pandemic set us back.

“Our progress since when we reconvened in May 2025 is due to the passion of our coaches and athletes. They were willing to learn.

“With a strong group of women athletes who competed in other sports like athletics, volleyball, hockey, basketball and rugby plus the engagement of strength and conditioning coaches and technical coaches from other sports, who were able to adapt and learn about the sport of handball, this helped everyone quickly adjust to handball skills and the combination has contributed to this success.”

 

Women powering through, disrupting the traditional sporting landscape

Now Fiji handball is at a global level Saukuru and the rest of Handball Fiji are hoping that the sport can find its space in the Fijian sporting landscape and provide a spark for further female engagement in sporting activities across the nation.

“In Fiji, rugby is more than a sport, it is the national pulse that unites our multi-ethnic communities and this, along with netball, has long-dominated the female landscape and for many years, opportunities for women in sport here have often centred around these few traditional sports,” explains Saukuru. 

“But handball is increasingly seen as a dynamic newcomer, as Fiji's future opportunity for young players who are fast, powerful, have great ball skills but perhaps don't find a spot in the highly-saturated national rugby or netball systems.

“We have a population of around 800,000 people with almost half being youths so we are positioning handball as a new, fresh, developing Olympic sport especially for women and the youth. Unlike some established sports, handball offers greater opportunities for rapid international exposure, leadership development and regional representation because the sport is still growing within Oceania.

“Another major strength is that it combines elements of netball, volleyball, basketball, athletics and rugby.  It has all the physicality and speed, movement and teamwork and athletic creativity of all these sports.  Because of this, handball can attract multi-talented athletes and provide alternative sporting pathway for those transitioning from other sports.”

And with handball now on a global stage, the road to international representation is more tangible and expansive – a road which has multiple benefits both on and off the playing court.

“This qualification to a world championship in Europe is a breakthrough entry; it provides a new, tangible incentive for girls,” says Saukuru. “It demonstrates that young Fijian women can now see a new international sporting pathway opening before them through handball which provides another platform for girls to dream, participate, compete and represent Fiji on the world stage.

“It also highlights that Fiji has a massive pool of untapped female talent in schools,” she added. “Many girls who might not make a highly-competitive national netball or rugby squad now realise their skills such as speed, agility and throwing are transferable to handball.  

“This breakthrough is not only about qualifying for an international, global event, but is about inspiring greater female participation in sport, building confidence, leadership, discipline, teamwork and healthy lifestyles among young women.  It also sends a strong message that women’s sport in Fiji continues to grow and deserves investment, visibility and long-term support. 

“Our vision is bigger than competition results. We want to help develop empowered women who can become leaders on and off court while proudly representing Fiji internationally. We have a new seven-year strategy leading up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympics with a newly-elected executive are at the helm of leadership to lay a strong foundation Handball in Fiji – we continue to be a work in progress.”

 

Getting there

For Fiji to get to Craiova in Romania for their preliminary group games will involve a 16,000+ kilometre journey from capital Suva, taking place across multiple flights and around 35 hours-worth of journey time for the 12-day championship.

A journey like this takes not only a lot of effort, sacrifice and commitment, but finance too and with the sport at an amateur level in the Oceanic nation, Handball Fiji have set a target of raising FJD$320,000 (CHF 115,000) to help cover the costs and expenses of their historic performance.

To raise these funds, they have launched a campaign ‘Rising from the Islands to the World Stage’ to rally support from the public, through crowdfunding and corporate sponsors.

“This world championship is self-funding and we have launched an ambitious FJD $320,000 funding drive, exploring one or two key fundraisers and funding sources to get our team across to Europe,” explained Saukuru.

“But this isn't just a request for donations, it is a multi-layered approach designed to unite the entire nation from the Government to the corporate boardroom, to get behind these young athletes. This campaign is not only about sport but also about creating opportunities for young women, promoting healthy lifestyles, good and right choices through personal leadership, discipline and national pride.

“People often ask why the goal of FJD $320,000 is so high – we are being transparent about the costs involved in world-class preparation. With our new seven-year vision leading towards the 2023 Brisbane Olympic Games we now have clearer goals and measurable targets.

“These include increasing the number of qualified coaches, referees, active schools and clubs and strengthening membership participation and engagement with stakeholders, communities and corporate partners. We are confident that as these foundations become stronger, public trust and sponsorship opportunities will also grow.”

 

Facing the challenge

In Romania, Fiji face the tough task of playing Egypt, France and Croatia in the preliminary group stage and their preparation for the historic event is not leaving any stone unturned.

The Fiji team have been following a high-performance pathway, including intensive local training five days a week – including at the University of the South Pacific (USP), participation in domestic competitions, specialised preparation camps and help from the IHF with the Traveller Coach project. 

“To prepare for the world stage we are moving beyond standard practice into a professional, high-performance environment,” explained Saukuru.

“With only two seasons of active handball experience, we reached out to the IHF for technical support and have had a coach as part of the ‘Traveller Coach’ project who had been in camp with the team to help raise the technical awareness of international competitive women’s game.

“We only have around 100 players at club level but have launched our first ever domestic competition with the intention for regular competition for both our women’s and men’s teams. Our preparation camps have also focused on spiritual and mental preparation for a holistic excellent spirit preparation.”

A squad of 22 has already been selected by head coach Emori Bakewa which will be trimmed to 16 later this month. A wide range of players are involved after Handball Fiji put out a call for interest through social media and their school network to recruit with athletes coming from other sports including netball, athletics, volleyball and basketball.

“The makeup of our national squad reflects Fiji’s diverse athletic talent many of whom have transitioned from other sports,” explains Saukuru.

“The athletes are excited, the atmosphere is one of anticipation and it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these island girls, most of whom travelled in an aeroplane for the first time to the qualification event – the IHF Trophy – last year.

“We are still stunned at this opportunity as it has come much earlier than planned but we will soak in the moment and do our best with the resources we have. We hope our Government, family fundraising and potential sponsors can help us lift our preparations with proper international indoor facilities to train in and hold practice matches, team camps for team bonding, leadership and mindset sessions and pre-camps in Europe two weeks before.

“We are excited for the significance of being drawn alongside Egypt, France and Croatia ahead of our first appearance at the world stage,” added Saukuru. “We are aware of the traditional strength of international handball countries like France and the progression of Croatia and Egyptian teams on the world stage.

“This world championship is such a valuable exposure to elite standards for our emerging athletes as well as our coaches and team management. We will play with courage and bring our Fijian flair and unpredictability into our games.”

More than a sport, representing hope

In addition to attracting athletes from other sports and a general push of women taking up sport, the importance of a Fijian team on the global stage could have far-reaching benefits, well beyond those of the sporting arena.

“Fiji currently faces a drug and HIV epidemic where most young people are affected. With Fiji recording over 2,000 new HIV cases in 2025 and facing the fastest-growing epidemic in the world, the stakes have never been higher,” explained the President.

“Handball provides a powerful alternative to the streets. By engaging young people in a high-discipline, high-energy environment, we are offering them a protective shield against substance abuse and the risky behaviour that drive this crisis.

“Our qualification makes handball a top-tier choice for school-aged athletes, puts the Fiji flag on global TV screens alongside world powers like Germany and Norway and creates high-performance standards that will benefit Fiji sports into the future – for our players to run onto court in Romania in our colours will certainly inspire more women to rise. 

“This was like when our women’s rugby team qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. After the event, the sport of rugby experienced a growth spurt in interest and today it has grown in popularity within Fiji. This world championship event is an anticipation of this shift in interest and growth for next year’s Women’s IHF World Championship.”

And it is not just Fiji which is on the mind of Saukuru and her players, but a region and continent too.

“Oceania is often overlooked in global sports conversations compared to Europe or Asia. By qualifying through a win against a powerhouse like Australia, Fiji proves that the Pacific Islands are a sleeping giant of athletic talent,” she says.

“Representing the entire region gives Fiji the platform to advocate for more resources and attention for all Pacific island nations.”

To support the ‘Rising from the Islands to the World Stage’ campaign and for further information on Handball Fiji, visit their Facebook page.

Photo credit: Jun Tanlayco / OCHF