Last year, Eric QUINTIN, the National Technical Advisor for Beach Handball at the French Handball Federation (FFHB), told IHF.info that “...beach handball is still quite recent in France; we started in 2016 with the intention to develop this great sport in all our French territories. Seeds have grown and our first international medal has been won by our youth female team.”

That medal was a silver at the U16 European Championship in Varna, Bulgaria back in 2024 after the French made it to the final, only to clearly lose to the Netherlands 0-2 (20:28, 14:19). The same generation followed it up with a sixth-place finish at the 2025 IHF Women’s Youth Beach Handball World Championship in Tunisia and then bronze at the 2025 U17 European Championship the following month.

However, due to competition adjustments in the European calendar, the U17 European Championship was held again the following year, and with age restrictions in place for Dakar 2026, just two of the squad from the 2025 continental championship made it into the 2026 team, with a fifth place secured in July after Norway and Czechia were seen off in the 5-8 placement round.

10 of the squad that played in that European Championship earlier this year have made it to coach Yann JOANNEL’s team for Dakar – just the second competition the coach will oversee after joining the team this year.

Present throughout all of their last four competitions and named in the Dakar 2026 squad is key player Eloise LABORDE, who will be one of the most experienced – and dangerous – players in Senegal. All four of those competitions saw the left-wing points score reach triple figures (2024 EURO – 103 from eight games, 2025 WCH – 124/8, 2025 EURO – 109/8, 2026 EURO – 151/10).

Behind LABORDE, captain Nina BAUVILLARD is the second most experienced having turned out in 2024 and 2026, with the French Handball Federation website describing her as ‘…fast and technically gifted’ and acting as a mentor to the new generation who have now joined her on the sand.

“What I love about beach handball is that it gets us out of the gym, and that feels good,” said the versatile player, officially listed as a defender on the squad list. “We can see that beach handball is gaining momentum, particularly in France, where more and more people are taking up the sport. Our first participation in the Youth Olympic Games proves it. We will do everything we can to win a medal in Dakar.”

That qualification came about through France’s finish at Tunisia 2025 with the squad aiming for an Olympic medal, just like QUINTIN, who won Olympic Games bronze for the France indoor team at Barcelona 1992.

Standing in their way in the preliminary group stage are hosts Senegal, along with Uruguay and Kenya. The French know Uruguay well, having lost to them in the world championship 5/6 placement match 5:4 via shoot-out last year, while Senegal are coached by one of the pioneers of beach handball in France, former senior women’s coach and three-time Olympian (indoor: 2000, 2004, 2008), Valerie NICOLAS.

“I am pleased with the draw because it will allow us to face playing styles that differ from those of the European teams, with one South American and two African teams in the mix,” explained the 42-year-old JOANNEL to IHF.info about that first stage of competition.

“These Youth Olympic Games will provide a wonderful showcase for beach handball, as well as an additional opportunity to develop it. It will be a very enriching experience and while remaining humble, we aim to win a medal: the best one possible.”

With coach JOANNEL proud of the FFHB’s “full commitment” to beach handball, which includes an annual ‘Beach Hand Tour’ across the country for senior players, plus ‘Interligues’ and ‘Intercomités’ for the younger age categories, Nicolas MARAIS, the FFHB elected representative for beach handball, recognised the importance of Dakar 2026 for the sport in his country, which at the end of the 2025/26 had seen beach handball licenses increase by 66% to 1,778 in one year, with 50 of the 95 departmental committees registered for domestic competitions.

“Being at the Youth Olympic Games is wonderful news for our young women as after competing in the European Championship this summer, they will take part in a second prestigious competition in Dakar, a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” he said. “It is also a fantastic opportunity for us to further develop beach handball.”

And with a settled, experienced and well-coached team, the sky is the limit in West Africa.

“I have a strong feeling that this group, with its diverse and complementary strengths, already possesses a level of experience that should allow them to thrive in this tournament,” added QUINTIN, to FFHandball.fr.

“They had a great European Championship and can approach these Youth Olympic Games with legitimate ambition. This team has a superb defence with players who have real character. There are tall players who cover the backcourt, and smaller players capable of forcing charges. They also have two complementary goalkeepers.

“Truly, there's talent everywhere, at pivot, specialist,” he added. “This is the most complete and complementary team in our short history, with strong finishers on the wings. They just need to manage not to get too caught up in their emotions, to show maturity to stay focused. A happy player is a player who isn't overthinking. Overall, our beach handball team is progressing, and this group of young women, like the group of our young men, is quite representative of that progress.”

Coach: Yann JOANNEL
Key players: Nina BAUVILLARD (Defender), Eloise LABORDE (Left Wing)
Qualification information: Tunisia 2025 – 6th, European representative place 
History in tournament: 2018: DNQ
Group at Dakar 2026: Group B – France (FRA), Kenya (KEN), Senegal (SEN), Uruguay (URU)