The Women’s IHF Nations Trophy is in full swing, with the inaugural senior editions already crowning champions across several regions. The competition now moves to Asia, where Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and Hong Kong, China, will host the Zone III and Zone IA competitions, respectively, with both winners earning a place at the 2026 AHF Asian Women’s Handball Championship.

The Women’s IHF Nations Trophy - Asia Zone III will be held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from 13 to 17 October 2026, bringing together Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and hosts Uzbekistan.

The two Asian tournaments follow a busy opening phase of the Women’s IHF Nations Trophy, which made its debut at senior level in September. Uruguay claimed the South American Zone title, defeating Chile in the final, while Benin edged Côte d’Ivoire to win Africa Zone III. Australia won the inaugural Oceania edition, and Zambia secured the Africa Zone VI crown.

The competition continued into October, with Guatemala taking the Central American Zone title and Réunion sweeping their opponents to win Africa Zone VII in Madagascar.

Unlike the Zone IA tournament, the Zone III competition will follow a single round-robin format, with every team facing the other four participants. The final standings will determine the champions, with the team finishing first securing qualification for the 2026 AHF Asian Women’s Handball Championship.

For Uzbekistan, arguably the most experienced side in the line-up, the competition offers the opportunity to compete on home court against four regional opponents, while the visiting teams will look to make the most of the international competition and claim the title and, subsequently, the sole qualifying place available in Zone III.

The Women’s IHF Nations Trophy - Asia Zone IA will follow from 14 to 18 October 2026 in Hong Kong, China, with six teams divided into two preliminary-round groups.

Hosts Hong Kong, China, will compete in Group A alongside Macao and Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Group B features Vietnam, Mongolia and Chinese Taipei.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, setting up a knockout phase in the race for the title. The winners of the semi-finals will meet in the final on 18 October, with the champions securing their place at the 2026 AHF Asian Women’s Handball Championship.