The preliminary group stage of the 2025 IHF Men’s and Women’s Beach Handball World Championship concluded in Hammamet, Tunisia on Wednesday (18 June) with all 30 teams playing each other twice.

28 games later – as well as eight sessions across the morning, afternoon and early evening – saw the top three teams in each of the four preliminary groups of the men’s and women’s competitions move through to the next stage of competition, with the bottom team in each group moving into the consolation round.

And the clear highlight of the day was the first-ever win at an IHF Beach Handball World Championship for Senegal – with their women’s team ending the day with a 100% record with two wins from two.

Three continents were represented in the four men's preliminary group winners, including Europe (Spain, Germany), Africa (Tunisia) and South America (Argentina), with two in the women’s competition: South America (Uruguay) and Europe (France, Hungary, Netherlands).

Super Senegalese women seal main round spot, Uruguay end with perfect record

After impressing in their first-ever match on the opening day (a 2-0, 23:16, 12:10 loss to Hungary), Senegal took to the central court for their group C morning clash against Tunisia and pulled out a big performance to down the hosts via shoot-out, 2-1 (8:15, 20:14 SO 7:5). 

Their return from being a set down was decisive, as they went 4:0 ahead in the shoot-out and did not look back, Mame Anta Ndao top-scoring for the Senegalese, with 10 points. This prompted wild celebrations on court, with their watching men’s team joining them, knowing what it meant for the nation.

But Senegal would go one better in the later session, defeating Mexico 2-0 (21:19, 16:14). This result, combined with Mexico’s earlier defeat against Hungary 0-2 (14:22, 6:18), saw the central American nation move out of contention and into the consolation round. Hungary ended top of the group with three wins from three, including a clear 2-0 (25:18, 24:12) victory over the hosts. Tunisia’s victory over Mexico on the opening day was enough to seal their passage through to the main round also.

With group A already decided before the day’s action, due to the withdrawal of Tanzania, this left France, Brazil and Thailand to fight it out to take maximum points into the main round. Brazil saw off Thailand via shoot-out (9:4) and then lost to France in the late game. But the European side are warming up nicely in Hammamet, their 2-0 (19:16, 26:24) win against the South and Central America champions Brazil seeing a total of 35 points from the deadly pair of Elza Gorie (17 points) and Eloise Laborde (18).

China earned the last qualification place from group B, defeating Kenya 2-0 (16:10, 28:15) in what was, effectively, a play-off, while European champions Netherlands made it three wins from three, easing past Kenya 2-0 (20:6, 30:6) thanks to Emma Van Kan’s 18 points and then defeating Germany in a European classic 2-0 (21:20, 21:18). The Germans finished second, with a 2-0 victory over China (31:18, 33:9) as Mia Herr top-scored with 21 points, finishing with 11 goals from 11 attempts.

In group D Spain defeated Bulgaria 2-0 (34:10, 24:22) with Carlota Bravo Garcia her usual effective self, scoring 22 points. This sealed their passage through, behind the impressive Uruguay, who continued their run of wins, taking two victories, both via shoot-out, after defeating the Spanish in the morning (7:6) and then Croatia (9:4) later on. Croatia had sealed their path through earlier with a 2-0 (27:18, 24:18) win over Bulgaria, who will now play in the consolation round.

South American bragging rights go to Argentina with perfect record along with Spain and hosts Tunisia

With Iran withdrawing on the eve of Tunisia 2025, group A featured just three teams, meaning that the trio were already guaranteed a main round spot ahead of the action on Wednesday.

Spain sealed the top spot, thanks to their routine win against Oman, 2-0 (24:12, 24:12) and their default 2-0 (10:0, 10:0) win against Iran, but the battle for second spot went down to the wire, Oman eventually overcoming Puerto Rico 9:8 via shoot-out after the Asian side had won the first set 10:8 and the North America and the Caribbean team had taken the second, 18:16.

The ultra-competitive group B saw all three European sides beat each other – plus Kenya – to finish on four points each. In an advert for the beauty of the sport, Croatia and Germany opened the men’s morning session with a real battle on the north African sand. Germany took a 26:12 clear first set win and then Croatia win by golden goal in the second set by the unlikeliest of ways: Germany winning the restart, but hitting the ball into his own net.

In the shoot-out Croatia went ahead 7:2 after Germany had had their first two shots saved. Ivan Udovicic top-scored on 18 points for Croatia, who later beat Kenya 2-0 (30:12, 20:14) to end on maximum points. Germany’s 2-0 (24:22, 22:14) win over Hungary ensured they would end top of the group on set difference (+3), followed by Croatia (+2) and Hungary, who beat Kenya – with Marko Forgacs scoring 24 points – in third, on +1.

With supporters from both sides standing side-by-side and chanting throughout, the morning clash between Argentina and Brazil highlighted just how deep their classic, but friendly, sporting rivalry is. 

Argentina had seen off their neighbours via shoot-out (11:10) in their continental championship last year, but this time it was different with the blue and white striped side taking a 2-0 (22:10, 16:14) victory. This combined with a 26:24, 24:14 win over Senegal ensured they topped their group.

They were followed by Brazil, thanks to their 7:6 shoot-out win over Uruguay, who had made hard work of getting past Senegal earlier (2-0, 21:12, 14:12) in the winner-takes-all clash, a game in which the African side should have won the second set.

To wrap up the men’s competition, Tunisia impressed on the final day, winning both of their games 2-0, shutting out the Cook Islands (20:0, 18:12) and then Asian silver medallists Thailand (20:16, 20:12). In their final game of the preliminary stage, Mexico knew they had to beat the Oceania side to progress, while the Cook Islands were hoping to give them a big test, but in the end, Abner Raygoza Macias contributed 14 points towards a 2-0 (24:10, 20:7) victory.

 

 

 

 

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Wednesday 18 June – Results

Men’s Competition
CRO vs GER 2-1 (12:26, 27:26, SO 7:6)
KEN vs HUN 0-2 (20:32, 10:28)
SEN vs ARG 0-2 (24:26, 14:24)
URU vs BRA 1-2 (14:20, 23:20, SO 6:7)
MEX vs THA 0-2 (14:15, 18:19)
COK vs TUN 0-2 (0:20, 12:18)
OMA vs ESP 0-2 (12:24, 12:24)
PUR vs IRI 2-0 (10:0, 10:0)*
ARG vs BRA 2-0 (22:10, 16:14)
CRO vs KEN 2-0 (30:12, 20:14) 
HUN vs GER 0-2 (22:24, 14:22)
URU vs SEN 2-0 (21:12, 14:12)
OMA vs PUR 2-1 (10:8, 16:18, SO 9:8)
MEX vs COK 2-0 (24:10, 20:7)
TUN vs THA 2-0 (20:16, 20:12)
IRI vs ESP 2-0 (10:0, 10:0)*

Women’s Competition
KEN vs NED 0-2 (6:20, 6:30)
BUL vs CRO 0-2 (18:27, 18:24)
ESP vs URU 1-2 (24:20, 26:20, SO 6:7)
CHN vs GER 0-2 (18:31, 9:33)
MEX vs HUN 0-2 (14:22, 6:18)
SEN vs TUN 2-1 (8:15, 20:14, SO 7:4)
THA vs BRA 1-2 (16:14, 12:18, SO 4:9)
TAN vs FRA 2-0 (10:0, 10:0)*
CHN vs KEN 2-0 (16:10, 28:15)
NED vs GER 2-0  (21:20, 21:18)
CRO vs URU 1-2 (22:23, 15:14, SO 4:9)
ESP vs BUL 2-0 (34:10, 24:22)
MEX vs SEN 0-2 (19:21, 14:16)
TUN vs HUN 0-2 (18:25, 12:24)
FRA vs BRA 2-0 (19:16, 26:24)
THA vs TAN 2-0 (10:0, 10:0)*

*Following a team and schedule change on the eve of the world championships https://www.ihf.info/media-center/news/tunisia-2025-team-and-schedule-update these games have been awarded as default 2-0 (10:0, 10:0) wins to Puerto Rico, Spain, France and Thailand respectively.

All games can be watched again via the IHF YouTube Competitions channel. https://www.youtube.com/@IHFcompetitions