Despite a powerhouse at the senior level, in the past decade, France have largely focused on preparing players for the next step in the junior and the youth categories. Two years ago, at Slovenia 2022, they finished 13th, with arguably a fantastic team, which included the 2023 IHF Young Female Player of the Year, Léna Grandveau, and one of the best line players in the world, Sarah Bouktit.

Two years later, France have secured a finals berth, after their best performance in history at the IHF Women’s Junior World Championship, with a seven-match winning streak proving that preparing the players for the next step can work hand in hand with delivering good performances and great results.

The system is already well-known: a fantastic approach in defence, a mobile, yet sturdy block, doubled by some excellent goalkeeping and fiery fastbreaks, which convert in easy goals on the other end of the court. And, chief of all, a fantastic depth, with the team being a proper team, not necessarily reliable on a good day for any of the players.

But taking a look in France’s roster for North Macedonia 2024, it is impossible to overlook a fact. Two players with the same surname – Borg – born on the same date, 31 May 2005. Both Lylou and Enola are playing as backs and have scored virtually the same number of goals in the competition – with Lylou having 24 goals under her name and Enola 23.

Yes, they are twins and have largely been crucial to France’s success at the 2024 IHF Women’s Junior World Championship, being key players in the centre of the defence and decisive in attack, where centre back Lylou added 30 assists, while left back Enola dished 19 assists.

“It is amazing to play with my twin sister in the same team, we have been playing for some time in the national team, but this year, at club level, we have been on different sides. But, yes, it feels fantastic and we are just pleased that we got to the final and can battle for the title in this World Championship,” said Lylou Borg after France’s fantastic 32:26 win in the semi-final against Denmark.

Indeed, the two backs, who just turned 19 years old, were also there for France at the 2022 IHF Women’s Youth World Championship, when the European powerhouse finished fifth, when Lylou scored 48 goals and was France’s top scorer, as both backs had 22 assists under their belts.

Now, they are playing for the title and can write history for France, whose best performance at the IHF Women’s Junior World Championship have been the silver medal secured at Czechia 2012, 12 years ago. In fact, France only had a medal until this edition, which makes North Macedonia 2024 a competition to remember.

“We are over the moon to have qualified for the final and delivering such good performances throughout all the competition. We have won against difficult opponents, like Germany, Switzerland and Denmark and I think we deserve to be here. We played like a team, we played with the France ethos, and I hope to win the gold medal too,” adds Lylou Borg.

For that to happen, France must beat Hungary in the last act on Sunday, in the Boris Trajkovski Sports Center, a battle against a team that have naturally been one of the best over the last decade in the younger age categories, securing medal in most of the major international competitions.

But France have their handball nous, their system, which might be imprinted into the DNA of the Borg twins. Their mother, Myriam Borg-Korfanty is a former centre back, who played 165 matches for the France senior national team and scored 261 goals.

Borg-Korfanty is also a world champion, winning the gold medal with France after a fantastic final against Hungary – exactly the opponent of her daughters at North Macedonia 2024 – at the 2003 IHF Women’s World Championship, the maiden title in the world handball flagship competition for “Les Bleuses”.

The former world champion retired in 2019, at the age of 40 years old, but now her daughters are getting ready to take the baton, as they look ready to make the step to the senior team in the near future. And also, they can secure their maiden title at the world championship in the junior category for France, like their mother did for the seniors some 21 years ago.

“Of course, this runs in the family. Our mother was a handball player, we saw her play, we got in love with handball and that is basically the story, there is not much to tell. And I love it, personally, because it is an amazing sport,” concludes Lylou.