With one day to go before the start of the 25th IHF Women's Junior World Championship in Jinzhong, the 32 participating teams are putting the finishing touches on their preparations as the countdown to the competition begins in earnest.

Ambitions are high and every athlete on the roster has one eye on the podium - but more than that, on what this stage can mean for their future. The IHF Women's Junior World Championship has long served as a launchpad for the game's greatest careers, and the history books offer plenty of inspiration for those stepping onto the court in the People’s Republic of China.

The competition has been a stage for some of the finest players of their generation to announce themselves to the world. Anna Vyakhireva, one of the most gifted players of the modern era, was twice part of an All-Star team at this age group, as was Althea Reinhardt, who would go on to become one of the top goalkeepers in the sport. 

More recently, Henny Reistad and Emma Friis, two players who have since become cornerstones of their national teams and top European clubs, also earned All-Star recognition at the junior level, signalling what was to come in their senior careers. Reistad was named the IHF Female World Player of the Year in the past three years.

As history has repeatedly shown, the players who shine here have a habit of going on to shape the sport at the highest level. So the question is: who will seize their moment in Jinzhong and take the first step towards joining that illustrious company? And who are the players who can shine in this edition of the competition?

Belén Rodríguez Lario (Spain)

2026 is going to be a very busy year for Belén Rodríguez Lario. The 19-year-old centre back is one of the cornerstones of Spain’s rebuild project for the 2029 IHF Women’s World Championship, as she has already impressed in the younger age category. At the 2024 IHF Women’s Youth World Championship, Rodríguez brought a lot to the table for Spain, winning the title and the MVP award.

One year later, Rodríguez Lario was also in the All-Star team of the W19 EHF EURO 2025, where Spain finished second, losing the final against Germany, and in 2026, she made her debut for the national team, playing against Greece and Israel in the Women’s EHF EURO 2026 Qualifiers.

Basically, Rodriguez will try to earn one more medal with this fantastic Spain generation, who were crowned world youth champions two years ago and secured the silver medal at the W19 EHF EURO 2025. And as fate has it, Rodriguez will try to do that again in China, where everything clicked two years ago for “Las Guerreras”.

 

Raquel Ladeia (Brazil)

Two years ago, in China, Brazil finished 11th at the IHF Women’s Youth World Championship, which was their best finish since 2014. They beat Montenegro and the Netherlands on the path towards that result, but will have their work cut out now, as their group looks difficult, with Germany and Romania also vying for a place in the main round.

Enter Raquel Ladeia, who has constantly been the top scorer of this generation for Brazil. At China 2024, she scored 34 goals, helping Brazil in crucial moments, while also shining for her team at the 2026 South and Central American Women's Junior Handball Championship.

Ladeia was also the top scorer in three of the four matches she played for Brazil in the continental championship, including scoring six in the final against Argentina, which brought Brazil their maiden title at the South and Central American Women's Junior Handball Championship.

Farrelle Njinkeu (Germany)

While Germany finished fifth at the 2024 IHF Women’s Youth World Championship and were crowned champions at the W19 EHF EURO 2025, Njinkeu did not make the squad in any of the two competitions. However, after a fantastic season for HSG Blomberg-Lippe, where she was named the “Rookie of the Season” in the German Bundesliga, it was impossible to be overlooked for the 2026 IHF Women's Junior World Championship.

Njinkeu has been absolutely fantastic for her club in the Bundesliga, as her 56 goals helped Blomberg seal the title. The right wing also provided huge help in the EHF European League Women, with 20 goals, as she made her senior national team debut in March 2026, against Slovenia, being earmarked as one for the future on that position.

“It's my first World Championship and that alone makes it very special. I'm really looking forward to it. China is also new to me, of course. I've never been there before and, but I believe we'll manage it well,” said Njinkeu for the official website of the German handball federation.

 

Virág Fazekas (Hungary)

Fazekas is a natural-born scorer. At the W17 EHF EURO 2023, she had 49 goals for Hungary. She added 49 goals at the W19 EHF EURO 2025, where Hungary ended up on the seventh place. And China has some great memories for her, as the right back was the top scorer of the 2024 IHF Women’s Youth World Championship, with 54 goals, also securing a place in the All-Star team, as the best player on her position.

The Hungary right back took an usual path towards greatness in her career, though. After coming up through the Hungarian system, which usually keeps young players in their home country, due to the opportunities, Fazekas chose to move to Denmark, where she started playing for Sønderjyske.

A regular started in the first Danish league, Fazekas scored 66 goals this season, with a 61% scoring efficiency, a great start for a player of her age. Being the only left-handed right back in Hungary’s roster also helps, as the European side look for silverware once again in the younger age categories.

Natalija Lekić (Montenegro)

Lekić is a well-known name in handball, but Montenegro’s centre back has no tie to Serbian great Andrea. Nevertheless, it seems that she is forging a path for herself, after a fantastic performance at the W19 EHF EURO 2025. Lekić was the fulcrum behind Montenegro’s challenge, with the hosts of that competition finishing sixth, after a hard-fought loss in the quarter-finals against eventual winners, Germany, 33:35.

Lekić scored 37 goals in that competition and was bestowed the MVP award for her performances, and she is slowly getting to grips with senior handball, as she made her debut for Buducnost in the EHF Champions League Women this season, where she scored four goals. Montenegro usually rely on their defence, but Lekić is more of a player which excels in attack, due to her height (1,67m), as this generation will aim for another top-10 placement, which they last achieved in 2022, when they ended up 10th.

Wakana Kita (Japan)

Japan will always be a difficult test for any non-Asian team at every major younger age category event, as their brand of handball is difficult to stop and even more difficult to prepare for. Especially when the Asian team has a talented generation on their hands, which provided a fantastic performance at 2025 Asian Women's Junior Handball Championship, where they won the title, after a crunch final against the Republic of Korea, 20:18.

In that final, Mami Nakamura was the top scorer, but another player stole the show, centre back Wakana Kita. The diminutive centre back was the top scorer of the semi-final against the People’s Republic of China, and scored four goals in the final, on her way to becoming the MVP of the competition. Kita is dazzling with her speed, but also has a good handball IQ, which makes her a player to watch for this event.

Dawiya Abdou (France)

Born in Mayotte, Abdou always knew that she was going to shine in handball, therefore when she made the move to play for Chambray Touraine HB in 2024, it was only something which looked normal.

Back at the 2024 IHF Women’s Youth World Championship, Abdou provided some excellent performances for France, a team which usually does not have an individual shining in these events, but rather forge a path through team work and good understanding between the players. While France finished fourth, narrowly missing out on a medal, Abdou was her team’s top scorer, with 37 goals, and earned a place in the All-Star team, as the best right wing in the competition.

Since that performance, Abdou has started to become a regular for her club, Chambray Touraine HB, in the tough French league. In the 2024/25 season, the right wing scored 28 goals, topping it up with 65 goals and a 63.7% shooting efficiency in 24 goals in the 2025/26 season, when Chambray finished third in the French league, behind giants Brest and Metz. That kind of experience will be invaluable for a team which has a good path towards a quarter-final at China 2026, especially as they are the reigning champions.