Senegalese women’s handball is no stranger to IHF World Championships in recent years with representation in both senior and youth events.

However, when their women’s youth beach handball team take to Hammamet sand on the opening day for their 1730 (local time) clash against Hungary, they will become not only the first beach handball team to represent their country in a world championship, but the first in either gender.

Thanks to an IHF Executive Committee decision earlier this year, Senegal were awarded a place at Tunisia 2025 – an important event for coach Khalifa Abdou Aziz Diouf and his team as they prepare for their appearance on home sand at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar next year.

This place granted is part of the ongoing IHF support for the Senegalese Handball Federation, ahead of Dakar 2026 which has also included on-the-ground coaching support from French coaches Mika Illes and the legendary indoor player, Valerie Nicolas who won the 2003 IHF Women’s World Championship winner with France.

They have also been assisted by IHF Beach Handball Working Group (BHWG) Member, IHF Beach Handball Expert and globally-successful coach, Tamàs Neukum in Senegal, who has been helping to deliver Beach Handball courses to coaches and referees as well as running training sessions for talent identification of potential national team players.

“Success is never total, failure is never complete, it is only courage that counts,” said coach Diouf to ihf.info ahead of the championship. “Before you can win a match, you have to start by not losing it.”

Diouf will be looking to his captain, Ladara Ndoye to lead his team through unchartered territory with every single player not only making their international competition debut, but international debut itself.

“A good team is, above all, people who help each other, who stimulate each other,” explained Ndoye as she looked towards Tunisia 2025. “With regards to the teams in our group, Hungary are a world reference in beach handball and it will be a match to be taken with humility and an ambition to perform well. 

“Tunisia are a rising nation; the host country and it will be interesting to play them so we can judge our level in Africa. Finally, Mexico. They are an emerging beach nation just like us and that can be an interesting match for us.”

Those involved in beach handball in Senegal have stressed the usefulness of Tunisia 2025 to help improve their play and learn how to win so they can continue the popularisation of the sport in the country.

“We aim to continue to progress in the hope of getting on the Dakar 2026 podium,” adds coach Diouf, before identifying a number of players he hopes can be the different on the North African sand.

“Our team a first and foremost a group of friends, but on court they are very good team players, but Alda Thialaw Diop has good abilities and technique, Awa Bousso Ba is a young, dynamic and versatile specialist and defender, Maman Coumba Diop has a good vision of the game and quality of passing in her left wing position, while Ndeye Diary Ndiaye is a finisher of great quality.”

Diouf and his team fly out to Tunisia six days before the championship gets underway to have a final preparation and training camp in Hammamet before entering into competition.

Coach: Khalifa Abdou Aziz Diouf
Key players: Alda Thialaw Diop, Awa Bousso Ba, Maman Coumba Diop, Ndeye Diary Ndiaye
Qualification information: IHF Executive Committee decision – hosts of Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games
History in tournament: 2017-2022: DNQ 
Group at Tunisia 2025: Group C – Tunisia (TUN), Hungary (HUN), Mexico (MEX), Senegal (SEN)