Five countries from two continents will compete at the third stage of the 2023 IHF Beach Handball Global Tour in Poland later this month.

Host nation Poland, along with European heavyweights Croatia and Denmark will send men's and women's teams with Germany's women and Qatar's men completing the line-up for the event, which will be played on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 July in Płock.

Heavyweight teams do battle in women's competition
The women's competition features two teams who currently hold all the adult titles available to them. Germany – IHF World Championship, The World Games and European Championship title holders – and Denmark, the ANOC World Beach Games and European Games champions.

And Denmark's coach Morten Frandsen Holmen is looking forward to his team making their debut on the Global Tour.

"It's very important for Denmark to be a part of every big tournament in beach handball and we're very excited to be invited to the Global Tour," he told ihf.info. "We want to get out in the world to show Danish beach handball from our best side. I've never been in Płock with any team before so I'm looking forward to come."

One team not only returning to Poland but to the Global Tour is Croatia, who featured in the debut of the event last year and their head coach Iva Kanjugovic is looking forward to seeing her team be tested again.

"Last year in Gdańsk, we were really satisfied, especially with the performance of the players individually and as a team, plus, the organisation was at a high level, so we just had a positive experience overall," she said to ihf.info.

"The great thing about the IHF Beach Handball Global Tour events is that they are extending the beach handball season in the meaning of playing hard games. This opens opportunities for players to put their performance on a higher level and by doing so, contribute to beach handball becoming more attractive."

Continental rivalries resume in men's competition
Two continents feature in the men's competition, with hosts Poland joined by Asian powerhouse Qatar. They will face The World Games and IHF World Championship title-holders Croatia, and European bronze medallists Denmark – who were beaten by Croatia in the 2022 world championship final.

"It's a huge step for us to have some matches at the highest level and a good opportunity to try to put an extra layer on our team, against some of the best teams," said Denmark's men's coach Gorm Andersen to ihf.info when asked about his team making their debut on the Global Tour.

"Płock is a handball city, so I hope that there will be a lot of people watching, a lot of noise and that we can show our beloved sport from the best side."

For Qatar's Mohamed Zaky, the event means an extended season and he hopes to repeat previous success in the European country.

"The Global Tour helps keep the players in shape all the time and to not lose the 'feel' of the sand," he said. "It's important for us to participate in such events, to play constantly throughout the year and not just summer-to-summer, which means we don't get too 'away' from the sport.

"I have good memories from Poland as at The World Games in 2017 we won bronze and I hope this time we can be in the top two."

Captain of Croatia's men's team, Ivan Jurić, is excited to return to Poland again for the Global Tour and revealed that his side could feature some new faces too.

"Some of our younger boys are expected to participate to gain valuable experience," he said. 

"Every time I play in Poland, it's something to remember. I have played in Płock before, on the ebt stage and it was a great experience playing in front of a big crowd in the square of Plock's old town. We had a great time there and were treated very well by the hosts."

Host city ready for action
Earlier this week, IHF.info revealed that the central Polish city of Płock will be hosting the event which is set to take place in front of the town hall in the old city.

It marks the second time the IHF Beach Handball Global Tour has visited Poland, following Gdańsk hosting the first stage of the 2022 tour.

"It's a great honour for us to be the host of this event and after the success of Gdańsk last year we now move to a beautiful location where we host the finals of our Polish championship," said Artur Niesluchowski, member of the Polish Handball Federation Beach Handball Commission and organiser of the event, to ihf.info.

"For many years, Płock has been a special place on the Polish beach handball map and has hosted numerous EHF European Beach Tour (ebt) and Polish Championship tournaments. Players and fans coming to Płock can expect an exciting and vibrant beach handball scene and a memorable experience both on and off the court."

2023 IHF Beach Handball Global Tour – Stage 3
Date: 22 – 23 July
Location: Płock, Poland
Men's teams: Croatia, Denmark, Poland, Qatar
Women's teams: Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Poland

About the IHF Beach Handball Global Tour
Stage 1 of the 2023 IHF Beach Handball Global Tour was played from 26 to 30 April in Maricá, Brazil, with the host nation winning both the men's and women's titles, while Stage 2 took place in Hammamet, Tunisia, with the host nation repeating the success of Brazil on the North African sand. 
 
The IHF Beach Handball Global Tour was launched last year at the 2022 IHF Men's and Women's Beach Handball World Championships in Greece and debuted in Gdansk, Poland, in July with Spain's women and Croatia's men taking the stage win.