The inaugural senior women's editions of the IHF Nations Trophy will continue this week, with the next two tournaments getting underway in Central America and Africa.

As the competition continues to establish new international pathways for women's handball, Guatemala and Madagascar will host the next two editions, with five national teams competing in each tournament.

Central America: Guatemala ready for home tournament

The Women’s IHF Nations Trophy Central American Zone begins on 29 September in Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala, running until 3 October.

The hosts will be joined by Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua, with all five teams set to compete in a round-robin format at the Domo Polideportivo.

The tournament gets underway on 29 September, with Guatemala facing Nicaragua and Honduras taking on El Salvador. The remaining fixtures will be played through 3 October, giving each team four matches across the five-day competition. The full schedule is laid out in the official competition brochure.

There is also a direct sporting reward attached to the final standings. The teams finishing first and second will receive support to participate in the 2026 South and Central American Women's Handball Championship, linking the Nations Trophy directly with the established continental competition.

Madagascar: Zone VII takes centre stage

Just one day later, the IHF Nations Trophy will stop in Antananarivo, where the Africa Zone VII tournament begins on 30 September and runs through 4 October.

Comoros, Madagascar, Mayotte, Réunion and Seychelles make up the five-team field, with the tournament being played at the Gymnase Couvert du Complexe Sportif CNAPS Vontovorona, which has a capacity of 2,000 spectators.

The teams will also meet in a round-robin format, starting with Réunion against Mayotte and Seychelles against hosts Madagascar on 30 September. Matches continue through 4 October, when Comoros face Seychelles and Réunion meet Madagascar in the final round of fixtures.

The tournament carries a significant reward beyond the trophy itself. The winner will earn the right to participate in the 2026 CAHB African Women's Handball Championship, providing Zone VII with a direct route towards the established continental level.

So far, three competitions were played in the inaugural Women's IHF Nations Trophy. Uruguay won the South American Zone, Zambia won Africa Zone III and Australia won the Oceania competition.