The host nation fans will be hoping their ‘Les Aigles de Carthage’ (The Eagles of Carthage) national team can pull off a shock on the sand in Hammamet and make it all the way through to the knockout stages.

Thanks to the lottery of a good draw, as hosts, Tunisia were able to choose which preliminary group they wanted to be in and there was only one choice to be made with group C including debutants Mexico and the Cook Islands, plus second-timers Thailand – the easiest, on paper at least.

If everything goes their way, they could take maximum points into the main round and put themselves in a prime position to make it through to the quarter-finals.

Leading the Tunisians in Hammamet is long-term men’s senior coach Mohamed Taboubi, assisted by his team captain Aymen Touzi.

And Taboubi is playing down any talk of an easy ride in the opening group.

“At this age level, the playing field is pretty even as most of these U17 players haven’t had much time in beach handball yet,” said the coach, to ihf.info.

“Sure, some of our group opponents have had more game time, especially Thailand, through their qualifying tournament, but that doesn’t change our ambition: we’re here to make it through to the second round and then take each game as it comes, with the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar as our ultimate goal.”

When asked if he could pick out one or two players from his provisional squad list of 13, dominated by six from Esperance Sportive de Tunis, he refused to be drawn on individual names.

“We don’t rely on one specific player,” said the coach. “This group has been working together for over a year now. There’s real talent here, but more importantly, we’ve focused on building chemistry and tactical understanding. That collective mindset is our strength. It’s what will carry us through a tough tournament like this, especially with Olympic qualification on the line.”

The host city of the world championships, Hammamet, will throw-off the start of the 2025 IHF Beach Handball Global Tour (BHGT) just before the global event start, with the coastal city well-versed in the sport, having hosted beach handball at the second edition of the African Beach Games and a previous BHGT stage, back in 2023.

And the opportunity presented to the home nation players to play on their own sand is not lost on those at the top of the sport in the North African country.

“Welcoming the world to Tunisia for this championship is a tremendous honour for our country, for our federation, and above all, our young athletes,” said Hana Guenaoui, President of Tunisia’s national beach handball teams, to ihf.info.

“It marks a major milestone, as it’s the first time we’re hosting a global tournament in this age category on Tunisian sand. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our young Carthage Eagles to represent Tunisia on the world stage, right here at home. It’s a chance for them to test themselves against the best, gain international experience, and grow; not just as athletes, but as individuals.

“We thank the IHF for their continued support and for believing in our vision. We are ready. We are motivated and we are proud to play a central role in this global celebration of beach handball.”

Coach: Mohamed Taboubi
Qualification information: Hosts
History in tournament: 2017-2022: DNQ
Group at Tunisia 2025: Group C – Tunisia (TUN), Thailand (THA), Mexico (MEX), Cook Islands (COK)