Cuba seal third continental title at the 2025 NACHC Women's Handball Championship

Sweeping their opponents, with five wins in five matches, Cuba clinched the title at the 2025 NACHC Women's Handball Championship, their third in six editions of the continental competition, and secured their spot for the 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship, marking their return after a six-year hiatus.

Five teams lined up at the start of this edition of the North American and Caribbean Women’s Handball Championship, with Canada, Cuba, hosts Mexico, Puerto Rico and the United States of America battling it out between 7 and 12 April, in Mexico’s capital, Ciudad de Mexico.

The five teams first faced the preliminary round, which was played in a round-robin format, where Cuba were impossible to beat, throwing off with a clear 35:23 win against Puerto Rico, followed by a 29:19 win against Canada, a 27:21 win against Mexico and a clear 34:16 win against the United States of America.

Cuba had by far the best attack and the best defence in the preliminary round and securing the first place meant that they had only one challenge left on their way to the trophy, a match against the second-placed team in the preliminary round in the final.

That team was Mexico, which had the best performance in the continental competition since the inaugural edition, in 2015, finishing on the second place in the preliminary round, with three wins and one loss, against Cuba. First, Mexico took a hard-fought win against the USA, 21:19, followed by another one against Puerto Rico, 28:23, and a 28:18 win against Canada, which sealed a medal for the hosts.

Canada and the United States of America finished third and fourth, and faced off in the bronze medal match, where Canada mustered a comeback in the second half, after being down 11:12 at the break, clinching the bronze medal with a 26:20 win.

In the big final, Cuba were the team which dominated the match from start to finish, using a 15:10 half-time lead as a springboard to a 32:21 win at the end of the match, when they secured their third continental title.

Gleinys Reyes scored 10 goals, with Yarumis Cespedes adding six more goals, and Angela Amoros and Lorena Tellez scoring five goals each, with Cuba running away with their fifth win of the competition.

This was Cuba’s third title, making them the most decorated team in the history of the competition. Mexico secured their fourth medal in six editions, with Canada also boasting their first bronze medal, after having previously won the silver in 2023.

Cuba will make their fifth appearance at the IHF Women’s World Championship, after finishing 21st in 1999, 23rd in 2011 and 2015 and 21st in 2019.

2025 NACHC Women's Handball Championship – final standings

1. Cuba
2. Mexico
3. Canada
4. USA, 5. Puerto Rico

Photo credit: Comite Olimpico Mexicano