Brazil come to Tunisia as South and Central America champions, having won the 2024 SCAHC Women’s Beach Handball Championship held in Chile last December.

A tie at the end of the round-robin competition Argentina miss out on qualifying for Tunisia, finishing behind Uruguay in second on set difference.

But it was not plain sailing for the Brazilians as they lost to the Uruguayans in their first game via shoot-out (5:4). However, that loss seemed to inspire them as they then went on to win their remaining three games – against Paraguay, Chile and, importantly, Argentina.

Left back in Chile for Brazil was Antonia Bittencourt, who finished as the event’s top-scorer on 70 points, and she cannot wait to get started in North Africa. 

“I am very happy and honoured to have the opportunity to represent Brazil in Tunisia. It will be a competition that promises great challenges from the first games of the group stage,” she said, to ihf.info.

“Our games against Tanzania, Thailand and France will be decisive and the path to achieving our goal will require a lot of teamwork and balance in decisive moments, but we will enter focused on going far in the competition and earning the much-desired spot for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar. 

“There will be 10 of us, representing the many others who are part of the entire journey. We will give it our all in pursuit of our dream and goals, representing our country with great determination, unity and pride.”

Bittencourt is one of Brazil’s rising stars in the sport with 2024 seeing her play at youth, junior and senior levels across a number of teams in the Brazilian and Rio de Janeiro championships where she won various awards including best left back and MVP honours.

Brazil’s group in Tunisia features ever-presents in the competition, Thailand, debutants Tanzania and France, who, like Brazil are appearing in their second, successive edition, having made their debut at Greece 2022.

Coach Luigi Barreto Francavilla, who was also in charge of the South American side at the 2022 IHF Women’s Youth Beach Handball World Championship, will be hoping to improve on what was a disappointing eighth-place finish on their global debut.

In Heraklion, Brazil lost to Spain, but beat Ukraine, India in the preliminary group stage to make it through to the main round. The second stage saw them lose to Hungary, but wins against Poland, and then Tunisia 2025 opponents Thailand 2-0 (25:10, 16:13) was enough for a last eight spot.

However, the wins dried up for Brazil as they lost in the quarter-finals to the Netherlands, the first game of the 5-8 placement round to France and then Germany in the 7/8 placement match.

Francavilla has included all eight players who won continental gold in his 18-woman provisional squad for Tunisia.

Coach: Luigi Barreto Francavilla
Key player: Antonia Bittencourt
Qualification information: 2024 SCAHC Beach Handball Championship – 1st
History in tournament: 2017: DNQ, 2022: 8th
Group at Tunisia 2025: Group A – France (FRA), Brazil (BRA), Thailand (THA), Tanzania (TAN)