Seven male teams and seven female teams lined up between 24 and 28 September in Asuncion, Paraguay, for the Under-16 South and Central American Championships, with Argentina winning both competitions, by delivering flawless performances.

In the female competition, Argentina dominated their opponents, starting the competition with a clear 32:8 win over Peru, followed by a hard-fought 23:20 win over Paraguay A, with the hosts, Paraguay, having two teams entered into the competition.

Then, Argentina took a 29:16 win against Uruguay, before sealing the gold medal and the continental title in a clear win over Brazil, 30:19, in the last match. Argentina controlled all the match, with a 11:8 lead at the break, which morphed into a clear 30:19 win at the end, with Antonella Quiroz and Melina Cabrera combining for 13 goals.

Brazil finished second and secured the silver medals in the female competition, while Paraguay’s A team ended up on the third place, followed in the standings by Uruguay, Paraguay’s B team, Chile and Peru.

Uruguay’s Julieta Villar was the top scorer of the competition, with 28 goals, followed by Paraguay’s Ana Paula Jara, with 26 goals and Argentina’s Antonnela Quiroz and Lou Genou, both with 21 goals. 

In the male competition, Argentina also had a flawless performance, starting with a clear 36:11 win over Peru, which set the tone for the rest of the competition. It was quickly followed by another big win, 50:19, against Paraguay B, and a closely-fought match against Uruguay.

There, Argentina struggled in the second half, after taking a 15:12 lead at the break, but eventually secured a 24:23 win over their neighbours, setting the path towards the gold medal.

Next, Argentina had another difficult outing, against Chile, where they also won by a single goal, 28:27, with Nicolas Ladelfa being key in the win, scoring six goals. In the last match, Ladelfa also shined for his team, scoring nine times, in Argentina’s final win, 26:21, against rivals Brazil, which enabled them to take the gold medal.

Brazil finished second, while Chile ended up on the third place, completing the podium. Uruguay were fourth, Paraguay’s A team was fifth, Peru finished sixth, as Paraguay’s B team completed the final standings.

Uruguay’s Matteo Punzo was the top scorer of the male competition, with 42 goals, followed by Brazil’s Eduardo Rodrigues, with 31 goals and Argentina’s Nicolas Ladelfa, with 26 goals. 
Credit photo: Handball SCA / German Paez