Eight youth (U18) national teams took part in the 2024 South and Central American Men's Youth Handball Championship, with four of them also jointly taking part in the Continental Phase of the Men's IHF Trophy South and Central America in a competition which took place between 5 and 9 November in Managua, Nicaragua.

In the opening round, the participants were divided into two groups, and the two best teams from each group progressed to the semi-finals, while the sides which finished third and fourth headed to the Placement matches 5/8.

In Group A, Argentina won all three games, 50:24 against Nicaragua, 33:17 against Uruguay and  42:17 against Paraguay. Uruguay finished second, with two wins, as Nicaragua ended third and Paraguay finished fourth.

In Group B, Brazil boasted a perfect record with a 40:15 win over Colombia, a 49:9 win over Guatemala and a narrow 21:19 win against Chile. Chile finished second, followed by Colombia and Guatemala.

In the semi-finals, Argentina proved too strong for Chile, 31:21, as Tomas Perez scored six goals for the winners. Brazil deployed a fantastic defence against Uruguay, conceding only six goals in the first half and 13 throughout the whole match, as they set up a final against Argentina, just like one week ago, at the 2024 South and Central American Men's Junior Handball Championship.

The final was a fantastic nip-and-tuck affair, with the two sides entrenched in a close battle, with Brazil holding a 7:6 lead after half-time. Eventually, despite having a depleted side, with only 10 players on the sheet, Brazil enjoyed a 19:17 win, clinching the title for the second time in the last three editions.

Uruguay secured the bronze medal with a 24:23 win over Chile, after a fantastic comeback, being down two goals at the break. It was Uruguay’s maiden medal in the competition, after Chile secured the two previous bronze medals.

On the other hand, the best-placed side between the Trophy hopefuls booked their ticket to the Intercontinental Phase of the Men's IHF Trophy. 

It was hosts Nicaragua who earned the ticket, after a hard-fought match against Paraguay, with Nicaragua taking a 39:33 win.

Final ranking

1.    Brazil
2.    Argentina
3.    Uruguay
4.    Chile  5. Nicaragua  6. Paraguay  7. Colombia  8. Guatemala

Credit photo: CBHB