It has taken 12 years, but Montenegro are back among the medal winners at the IHF Women's Youth World Championship.

The last time the Balkan side reached the podium was in 2014, when a talented generation announced itself on the world stage. Many of those players—including Đurđina Jauković, Itana Grbić, Tatjana Brnović, Ivona Pavićević and Ljubica Nenezić—went on to become the backbone of the senior national team, helping Montenegro win bronze at the Women's EHF EURO 2022.

Now, a new generation has written its own chapter in Montenegrin handball history, securing the country's second medal at youth world championship level and confirming that the production line of talent continues to thrive.

The feature is even more impressive when the population of the whole country is just a little over 630,000 people. But Montenegro have a recipe, which have been applying time and time again.

 

The spirit of the “lavice” – the lionesses, as they are known in Montenegro.

“Montenegrins are Montenegrins - the people of Montenegro and Montenegrin handball are recognised for that spirit. Until our last breath and until the final moment, we will give everything to achieve victory. This is what we imagined,” said Andrea Dragnić after the dramatic semi-final against Denmark, when Montenegro took a 27:25 win to set up a final against Spain.

Dragnić, a diminutive centre back, has been the heart and soul of this team throughout the competition. She is the second best scorer, with 40 goals, but the best assist provider, with 33 assists, at the 2026 IHF Women’s Youth World Championship.

And while strength might not be her best attribute, she tops that with some exquisite moves, which leave the opponents guessing.

Dragnić has been constantly surprising the opponents with her spins and her speed, being impossible to stop. Take, for instance, the quarter-final against Slovakia, where she scored four goals and assisted seven others in the 33:32 win.

Or the win against Germany, where her five goals and four assists made the difference in the 27:26 win secured in the main round, which enabled Montenegro to progress in the knockout phase of the competition.

But now, this generation can secure the title at the 2026 IHF Women’s Youth World Championship, a huge achievement for a country which has been a constant presence between the top-8 teams in the senior World Championship, but missed a spark, that little touch which could have pushed them over the line and onto the podium.

“It’s a very special feeling. This is what we wanted from the beginning. It’s an indescribable feeling -  the energy and the emotions are incredible. Above all, our hearts are in the right place because we know that we have achieved our goal of reaching the World Championship final,” says Montenegro’s centre back.

This is a performance built on grit and, above all, the desire to win, the spirit which makes Montenegrin handball special.

 

Almost every player contributed, but Dragnić and left back Ivana Savić are the top scorers of this side, with 40 and 41 goals respectively, bailing out the side in crucial moments.

Just like the semi-final against Denmark, where Montenegro went up ahead by 11 goals, 17:6, after 24 minutes, just to find themselves backed into a corner. By half-time, the gap evaporated, and Denmark were down only six goals, 17:11.

10 minutes later, Denmark had cut even more into Montenegro’s lead, being down only two goals, 20:18.

What Dragnić did in the match, though, was more than goals and assists. She drew three suspensions from Denmark, she stole two balls – taking her overall tally to nine – and she passed for five clear chances, which were eventually missed by her teammates.

With that kind of attacking output, she might just be a shoe-in for the All-Star team at the end of the competition, regardless of the outcome of the final against Spain, a team which has already won against Montenegro, 35:33, in the main round.

 

It will also be a rematch of the bronze medal match at the W17 EHF EURO 2025, when Montenegro secured a 22:20 win against Spain and finished on the podium. Dragnić played a part in that match, but scored only one goal.

Now, Montenegro want more, regardless of their achievement, which is the biggest in the history of the country in the young age categories.

And maybe, just maybe, in the future she will be one of the players writing more history for the country which was an European champion in 2012 and a silver medallist at the London 2012 Olympic Games, when Norway beat them in a dramatic final.

Dragnić knows a thing or two about Norwegian handball, as she mentions that she drew inspiration from some of their top players.

“My role model in handball is definitely someone from the Norwegian national team, such as Stine Oftedal or Nora Mørk.”

“Or, if I think a bit more, maybe Itana Grbić. We are the same height and play in the same position, so she is one of my role models,” concludes the centre back.