We are past the halfway mark both in the number of games played and in the number of days elapsed at Spain 2021 and, therefore, the picture is starting to get clearer and clearer now regarding the true contenders, who are now separated from the bunch.

The card is full for today and features some crucial matches for many powerhouses, but until we take a closer look at them, let’s see what happened yesterday in the main round of the 25th IHF Women’s World Championship.

There were clear wins for Norway and Sweden, who recorded one of their best-ever results in history in the competition, paving their way to a quarter-finals berth in Group II. The Netherlands also improved their chances to once again progress to the best eight teams in the world, but they were really pushed until the end by Romania, who impressed with their might and grit. 

In Group I, France have the coast clear to qualify for the quarter-finals, as they have won their fourth game in a row, while RHF stumbled to a draw against Slovenia. The Balkan derby between Montenegro and Serbia was won by the latter, who won against their rivals for the first time at an IHF Women’s World Championship.

In the President’s Cup, Uzbekistan recorded a historic win against the Islamic Republic of Iran, scoring 37 goals, while Angola had little trouble beating Cameroon in the African derby. 

Now to more pressing matters, today’s games in the main round, which could see four teams qualify for the quarter-finals.

The maths are simple in Group IV in Torrevieja, where Spain and Brazil might become the first pair of teams to progress to the quarter-finals, provided they do not lose their games against Croatia and Argentina. 

The situation is quite as straightforward in Group III, where Denmark and Germany will go hand in hand in the next round if they win against the Czech Republic and the Republic of Korea, respectively. 

With the People’s Republic of China withdrawing from the 25th IHF Women’s World Cup after a positive COVID-19 test to one of the members of the delegation, Group II of the President’s Cup has only one match on its card, as Paraguay face Slovakia, with the Slovak team edging one step closer to winning the group, provided they secure the win against the South American team. 

Despite their 7:43 loss against Norway, Puerto Rico won the hearts of many with their grit and their will to improve, as plenty of players are not professionals, yet they still try to play against the best in the world. Coach Camilo Estevez also has a quote for the ages in this piece. 

We also sat down with one of Slovenia’s key players, Elizabeth Omoregie, who talked us through what is going on inside the team at Spain 2021. PS: They just snatched a hard-fought draw against the strong RHF side. 

After the second 19-goal game at the 25th IHF Women’s World Championship, Nathalie Hagman is a clear front runner for the top scorer award at Spain 2021, boasting an impressive lead ahead of fellow right wing, Jovanka Radicevic. See more stats, which all are available here. 

You can also win prizes at Spain 2021, if you prove that you are a handball expert. Are you confident you can top the charts? Find out for yourself! 

Unfortunately, injuries happen and players do get replaced at Spain 2021, so you can keep track of everything here. 

Curious where you can follow your team on TV? Don’t worry, we also got you covered – simply click here! 

The IHF is working hard to bring you the very best from what is sure to be an exciting competition and wherever you are, there are many ways to follow the action! Make sure to be always up-to-date! 

Photo: RFEBM / J. L. Recio