Last month, the draw for the preliminary groups of men’s and women’s Beach Handball competitions of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games were completed at the International Handball Federation (IHF) headquarters in Basel, Switzerland.

IHF.info hears from many of the women’s teams involved as they gear up for the event, which throws-off in Senegal in late October.

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GROUP A: SPAIN, CROATIA, PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, MEXICO

Inma NAVARRETE, Coach – Spain:
“It is a demanding group for us. Croatia are a familiar opponent from the past two years – we faced them both at the last youth world championships – Tunisia 2025 – and at this year's European Championship, where we met in the semi-finals, which we managed to win after a sudden-death shoot-out. So they will undoubtedly be a tough and closely-contested match. 

“We have less information about China and Mexico as we have not played against them recently. However, they are both teams that have been developing well and qualified for Tunisia 2025 so we will need to perform at a very high level to overcome both matches.

“Every coach and player dreams of playing in an Olympic Games final, and in this case, the Youth Olympic Games. Our objective is to compete in every match while staying true to our style of play; playing with fluidity, minimising turnovers, and, above all, making sure no team can beat us 2-0. Of course, our ultimate goal is to fight for a medal.”

Mario MOCILAC, Head Coach – Croatia:
“We are very happy to have the opportunity to participate in the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. It is a great honour for us to represent our country and European beach handball at such a prestigious event.

“We were eagerly awaiting the draw, which placed us in a challenging group alongside Spain, a strong team we faced twice at the European Championship in Zagreb. Our group also includes China and Mexico, two teams that are still an unknown to us.

“The recent European Championship showed that we have a strong team and a clear game plan capable of delivering good results. At the same time, it reminded us that beach handball is a sport that punishes even the slightest mistake against your opponent.

“Our goal is to perform well in every group-stage match, achieve the best possible ranking, and secure a favourable position ahead of the most important match of the tournament – the quarter-final.

“With the support of our federation and the Croatian Olympic Committee, we will prepare as thoroughly as possible so that we can perform at our best in every match on our journey towards our goal. We will give everything we have to return from Senegal with a medal around our necks, while fully aware that there is still a lot of hard work and dedication ahead of us to make that dream a reality.”

Yin LEI, Team Manager – People’s Republic of China:
“Our group features all strong opponents. Spain claimed the title at the 2025 IHF Women’s Youth Beach Handball World Championship last year, Croatia are a top European side, while Mexico stands as a powerhouse from North America.

“As a young squad, the Chinese team will approach every game with a mindset of learning from our rivals. We will aim to play to our own style and standard, and showcase the spirit of Chinese youth in the new era in the Youth Olympic Games arena.

“Our ultimate goal is to strive for a top-four finish, but, more importantly, we will focus on competing well in every match and every single possession.”

Citlalli Argelian ESTRADA JUAREZ, Coach – Mexico:
“We are well aware that the group stage will be very challenging, but our goal is to give it our all. The teams in our group are very strong and highly experienced; Spain are the champions of the IHF Women’s Youth World Championship held last year in Tunisia, while Croatia and China are known for their speed. 

“Due to the player eligibility rules for Dakar 2026, seven of our 10 players for the Youth Olympic Games are new compared to those who competed at Tunisia 2025, but we will do everything in our power to put in our best performance at these, our first, Youth Olympic Games.”

GROUP B: URUGUAY, FRANCE, KENYA, SENEGAL

Valentina CHAMPRET, Captain – Uruguay:
“I believe we’ve been drawn into a favourable group. We have already faced and beaten both France and Senegal, and we feel we have what it takes to have a very strong group stage.

“We finished fifth at the last world championship, Tunisia 205 and this gives us a lot of confidence heading into these Youth Olympic Games. Furthermore, the coaching staff has instilled a great deal of confidence in us. They have believed in us from day one and never doubted our abilities; that gives us the assurance to approach every match with the mindset of competing at the highest level.

“Our primary goal is to advance to the next round and go as far as possible. We are excited to represent Uruguay in the best possible way, to contend for a medal, and to dream of bringing the gold medals home – why not? We know it won’t be easy, but we have great confidence in who we are and what we can achieve as a team.”

Francisco GALLO, Head Coach – Uruguay: 
“The draw saw us in Pot 1, which meant we knew we would avoid two European teams in our group.
However, playing against the host nation, Senegal, with the crowd on their side means we know it will be a very tough group to qualify from.

“We played them at Tunisia 2025 and it was a physically intense match. We know they’ll be even more determined at their home Olympic Games. As for France, we know they’ve overhauled much of their squad which we saw at the recent European Championship, while Kenya has kept almost the entire roster that went to Tunisia 2025. Regardless of this, our goal is to qualify and go for a medal.”

Yann JOANNEL, Head Coach – France:
“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.

“It will be a very enriching experience and while remaining humble, we aim to win a medal: the best one possible.”

Caroline NYADIERO, Coach – Kenya:
“Being drawn alongside France, Uruguay, and hosts Senegal is both exciting and challenging. Each team brings unique strengths, and we respect the quality they represent.

“For Kenya, this is a historic opportunity to showcase our talent on the Youth Olympic Games stage. Our hopes for Dakar 2026 are to inspire young athletes back home, compete with courage, and leave a lasting mark for African beach handball. We are ready to embrace the challenge and carry the spirit of Kenya with pride.

"Since December, our girls have been training every weekend with dedication and discipline. In August, we officially enter residence camp locally to strengthen the team even further. The commitment shown by these young athletes assures me that Kenya is more prepared than ever to rise to the challenge in Dakar." 

Valerie NICOLAS, part of the coaching staff – Senegal:
“We are in a group with one of the best teams from the Americas, Uruguay, who are doing great work with its young players. The match against the European team will be special for me since because it is France, and I know that team is also working hard with its young players. And finally, there is Kenya, whom we have faced several times at the African Games and at Tunisia 2025.

“These will be good, tough matches and we will try to demonstrate the progress we have made since last year. The Senegal team is delighted to host the Youth Olympic Games in their country.”