Uzbekistan played their first ever IHF Women's U20 World Championship in 2016, when they lost all seven matches and ranked 24th. And eight years later, the Asian team are entering the tournament for the second time, hoping to do a better job.

Last year, Uzbekistan failed to qualify for the World Championship at the 2023 Asia's U-20 Women's Championship, where they finished seventh. However, the Central Asians triumphed at the IHF Trophy Intercontinental Phase in early March 2024, as a 33:23 win over Great Britain in the final match secured their ticket to North Macedonia 2024. 

In the upcoming competition, Uzbekistan are seen as underdogs in Group G where they will play alongside Portugal, Montenegro and Guinea. However, they will try to create some surprises and snatch some points from their opponents – if not at the primary stage, then at the President's Cup.

Sevinch Erkabaeva and Sabina Mullaeva, who became the two best scorers of the IHF Trophy InterContinental Phase, are expected to lead the team again, just as goalkeeper Rukhshona Ruzieva. And the positive results have boosted the team's confidence, so now the players are determined to prove themselves at the World Championship level. 

Key players: Sevinch Erkabaeva (left back), Sabina Mullaeva (centre back), Rukhshona Ruzieva (goalkeeper).  

Qualification: winners of the Women's IHF Trophy InterContinental Phase

History at the competition: 2016: 24th

Group at North Macedonia 2024: Group G (Portugal, Montenegro, Guinea, Uzbekistan)