The Republic of Korea secured a big win to start the 2024 IHF Women's Junior World Championship, 33:20 against Mexico.

Group C
Republic of Korea vs Mexico 33:20 (17:9)

Two years ago, the Republic of Korea won the IHF Women’s Youth World Championship in North Macedonia, and now this generation of players has high aspirations for the 2024 IHF Women's Junior World Championship to be held in the same country. In the opening match against Mexico, the Asian side went in as clear favourites and they lived up to expectations, winning by a 13-goal margin.

Korea took control of the game early on as their aggressive defence worked well, allowing the Asians to score via fast breaks. Right winger Seoyeon Cha was particularly impressive in this phase, scoring four goals from as many attempts to put the Koreans 11:3 ahead midway through the first half.

Mexico then took a time-out and while the Mexicans' attacking play improved somewhat as the game progressed, Korea Republic continued to dominate. At the break, the lead was eight goals (17:9), meaning that the Central Americans needed a miracle to turn the game around.

But Mexico did not give up. The team, playing at this level for only the third time, went on a 5:0 run between the 39th and 43rd minutes to reduce the deficit from 11:21 to 16:21. But the Koreans weathered the storm and responded with a 5:0 run of their own, forcing Mexico to call another timeout.

In the end, Korea celebrated a commanding victory and took a big step towards the main round. Seoyeon Cha was top scorer with eight goals, while Korean goalkeeper Gayeong Kim achieved a 41% save percentage with 11 saves.

Alkaloid Player of the Match: Seoyeon Cha, Republic of Korea