Hosts Spain and neighbours Portugal impressed on the opening day of the second stage of the 2024 IHF Beach Handball Global Tour (BHGT).

The two-day (15 to 16 August) event in Spain features the men’s and women’s national teams of Germany, Portugal, Denmark and the host nation with numerous players who appeared at the IHF Beach Handball Showcase event held on the sidelines of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games competing.

The historic port city of Cádiz in the south-west of the country is hosting the event which sees eight games in each competition being played, starting with an initial four-team, preliminary group of round-robin games across one-and-a-half matchdays before the 3/4 placement and final matches on Friday (16 August) evening.

Portugal and Spain women the teams to beat

Global Tour debutants Portugal opened their account with a 2-0 (14:10, 19:12) victory over 2024 IHF Women’s Beach Handball Championship fourth-placed side Denmark. The Danes were much changed from the event in China though, with just Frida Ulrichsen remaining from the side which lost the bronze medal match in Pingtan.

Six of the Portuguese side who lost their 5/6 placement match against Spain at China 2024 are present in Cádiz with the Spanish side impressing in their opening match too – taking down Germany 2-0 (28:26, 26:24) in a high-scoring game. Spain have eight of the players from China 2024 in their team at home, including the legendary Maria Asuncion Batista Portero, who scored 18 points. Amelie Mollman is one of four Germans who won the world championship in China, but her 22 points against Spain were not enough.

The afternoon and evening session saw Germany get back to winning ways, handing Denmark their second defeat of the day, taking a 2-0 (19:18, 18:12) victory with China 2024 gold medallist Isabel Kattner scoring 16 points. Germany had beaten Denmark (2-1, 25:22, 20:21, SO 9:8) in the semi-final at China 2024.

The final women’s game of the day saw Portugal overcome their neighbours in a tight match, Joana Oliveira’s eight points ensuring a 2-0 (20:18, 14:12) victory against Spain, overturning the 2023 EHF Women’s Beach Handball European Championship loss on home sand in Nazare to the Spanish in the 3/4 placement match.

Host nation top after day one in men’s competition

Spain’s men took two victories out of two on the opening day, impressing on home sand with five of the squad who finished fifth at China 2024 playing. 

A 2-0 (19:18, 17:16) victory over Germany in their opening game saw two tight sets decided by single points, with Sergio Venegas top-scoring on 12 – going a little way in gaining revenge for Spain’s loss to the Germans in the world championship quarter-final. This was followed by a 2-0 (16:14, 23:20) victory over Portugal with Javier Delgado Sanchez top-scoring, also with 12.

The opening game of the men’s competition had featured China 2024 bronze medallists Portugal – featuring six of the players from that world championship side – taking on global tour debutants Denmark, who had finished as runners-up in Pingtan, but who only featured two players from the silver medal side. Thanks to 10 points from Rodrigo Gomes, Portugal took a 2-0 (13:12, 20:16) victory, overturning their 2023 EHF Men’s Beach Handball European Championship bronze medal loss on home sand last year.

Germany did end the day with a victory, thanks to the only shoot-out of the opening matches. They secured a 2-1 (23:22, 17:20, SO 9:8) win over Denmark thanks to a Robin John single point strike after the Danes had missed one of their shots earlier – it ensured that the Danish men and women lost all four of their games on day one.

Day two (Friday 16 August) will see the final round-robin preliminary group games played in the morning and early afternoon, ahead of the 3/4 placement matches and finals in the evening.

To read a preview of the games taking place in Cádiz, click HERE.

All 16 matches of the 2024 IHF Beach Handball Global Tour: Stage 2 will be streamed live on the IHF YouTube Competitions channel.

2024 IHF Beach Handball Global Tour: Stage 2

Results

Thursday 15 August

Women’s Competition
POR vs DEN 2-0 (14:10, 19:12)
GER vs ESP 0-2 (26:28, 24:26)
DEN vs GER 0-2 (18:19, 12:18)
POR vs ESP 2-0 (20:18, 14:12)

Men’s Competition
POR vs DEN 2-0 (13:12, 20:16)
GER vs ESP 0-2 (18:19, 16:17)
DEN vs GER 1-2 (22:23, 20:17, SO 8:9)
POR vs ESP 0-2 (14:16, 20:23) 

Match Schedule
(all times local)

Friday 16 August

Women’s Competition
1030 GER vs POR
1230 ESP vs DEN
1700 Placement 3/4
1900 Final

Men’s Competition
1130 GER vs POR
1330 ESP vs DEN
1800 Placement 3/4
2000 Final

2024 IHF Beach Handball Global Tour: Stage 2
Location: Cadiz, Spain
Dates: 15 to 16 August
Men’s Teams: Denmark, Germany, Portugal, Spain
Women’s Teams: Denmark, Germany, Portugal, Spain

About the IHF Beach Handball Global Tour
The IHF Beach Handball Global Tour was launched at the 2022 IHF Men’s and Women’s Beach Handball World Championships in Greece and debuted in Gdansk, Poland with Croatia winning the men’s tournament and Spain taking the top spot in the women’s tournament.

The 2023 IHF Beach Handball Global Tour visited Brazil, Tunisia and Poland before the Finals Stage was held in Doha, Qatar in November, with Qatar’s men and Brazil’s women taking the overall titles.

The 2024 IHF Beach Handball Global Tour commenced in May with Stage 1 in Maricá, Brazil. The host nation won both the men’s and women’s competitions.

Credit photo: RFEBM / J.L. Recio