The third matchday of the Women’s Intercontinental Phase of the IHF Trophy settled the standings, as Uzbekistan took control of the the youth (U17) category, with their second win in a row, while the junior category has been now blew wide open, with three teams bosting four points, but only Guinea and Bulgaria being unbeaten.

Two years ago, Uzbekistan finished third, earning the bronze in the youth category, but now they look primed to deliver a better result, after they jumped on the top of the table, securing their second win in a row in emphatic fashion, with another flawless attacking performance.

After their 38:31 win against Canada, it was Venezuela’s turn to feel how strong Uzbekistan are in attack, with no question about the winner from early in the match. A 5:0 unanswered run, boosted by two goals each from Ilmira Bayjanova and Ziyoda Risulkova, helped the Asian side open a 9:3 lead after 10 minutes.

Bayjanova and Risulkova combined for 14 goals between them throughout the match, but Uzbekistan also had Nozima Rasuljonova (10 goals) and Guzal Em (seven goals) dominate, as they cruised to a 46:27 win, despite their shooting efficiency being only 68%, as they have 68 shots on goal in this match.

After a draw in their first match, Guinea bounced back, but still struggled against Canada, with scoreless runs for both teams which spanned over more than five minutes. But Guinea were in control throughout the first half, before a letdown in the last minutes, opening a 15:8 lead.

Yarie Mansare had 11 goals for her side, as Guinea had a 19:16 lead at the break, started the second half with a 4:0 unanswered run to set the tone, before Canada came back to a gap of only four goals with six minutes to go. But it was too little, too late, as Guinea eventually clinched a 36:32 win.

Uzbekistan have four points, leading the standings, with Bulgaria and Guinea on three points, while Canada and Venezuela have one point each, after their draw. Venezuela’s Wilmary Alejandra Coronado Mendez is the top scorer, with 24 goals, one more than Canada’s Azalée Morisette-Davies, and two more than Bulgaria’s Martina Todorova.

The Asian side face Guinea on Friday, while Bulgaria take on Canada in the fourth matchday of the competition.

The junior (U19) competition of the 2026 Women’s Intercontinental Phase of the IHF Trophy is going to be a three-way affair for the title, between Canada, Guinea and Bulgaria, which all have four points, with Canada playing three matches already, while Guinea and Bulgaria have two.

A win for Canada against Bulgaria would have likely turned them into big favourites for the title, only for Bulgaria to bounce back after a shaky start and take the win. By the 13th minute, Canada had a one-goal lead, 7:6, yet Bulgaria used a 6:0 unanswered run, shutting down their opponents for six minutes, to open a five-goal lead, 12:7.

Marie Delcheva had 10 goals, Melina Spasova added eight and goalkeeper Andjelina Pencheva saved 14 shots for a 33% saving efficiency to keep Bulgaria on the top in the second half, as Canada could not come back, with their top scorers Florence Boisclair (seven goals) and Mahely Lemaire (six goals) each averaging under 50% in their shooting efficiency.

A 9:2 start lifted Guinea to a win against Colombia, as the African side had little issues throughout the match against a team which simply missed too many shots throughout the match. Guinea were superior in all sides of the game, as they eventually secured a 34:25 win, their second in as many matches in the competition.

Friday will see Uzbekistan take on Colombia, with at least one team taking their first points, while Guinea face Bulgaria, in a match whose winner might lift the trophy at the end of the competition.

All the matches of the Women’s Intercontinental Phase of the IHF Trophy can we watched on the IHF Competitions YouTube channel free of charge.

Photo credit: Bulgarian Handball Federation