August is a packed month in the handball world, with plenty of competitions – both for national teams and club sides – taking place over the next 31 days throughout the world.

The emphasis will surely be put on the IHF Men’s Youth World Championship, which will return after a four-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic between 2 and 13 August in Croatia.

This will be the first edition with 32 teams, as the sides will travel to Croatia, with four venues – Varaždin, Koprivnica, Rijeka and Opatija – hosting the competition, where reigning champions Egypt will aim to retain their trophy ahead of a sturdy challenge from several European sides.

The younger age categories will be highlighted over the next weeks as the top 16 European sides face off at the W17 EHF EURO 2023 in Podgorica, Montenegro, between 3 and 13 August.

Two other W17 EHF Championships are scheduled in Azerbaijan and Türkiye, with ten teams in each competition lining up at the start between 5 and 13 July.

The IHF Trophy Africa is also scheduled for this month, with the women’s youth and junior tournaments taking place in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, between 8 and 12 August. In the junior category, hosts Cote d’Ivoire face off with Guinea, Madagascar and Tanzania. At the same time, the youth competition also has a four-team line-up at the start, with Guinea, Madagascar, Nigeria and Rwanda vying for the trophy.

Staying close to the national teams, a ticket for Paris 2024 Olympic Games will be awarded this month, with the AHF hosting the Women’s Qualification in Hiroshima, Japan.

The round-robin competition, taking place between 17 and 23 August, has five teams at the start – hosts Japan, powerhouse Republic of Korea, India, Japan, Kazakhstan and the People’s Republic of China.

Only the winner seals the ticket to Paris 2024, while the second-placed side will head to the Olympic Qualification Tournaments due to take place next spring.

At the club level, the 2023 Arab Handball Championship of Champions will take place between 16 and 27 August in Qatif, Saudi Arabia, with 10 teams at the start.

The winners will progress to the 2023 IHF Men’s Super Globe, a huge prize for the side which will clinch the trophy.

Photo: Handball Federation Croatia / IHF