The 2026 IHF Women’s Junior World Championship in Jingzhou, People’s Republic of China, will continue with 16 matches on Thursday, 25 June, as all 32 teams take part in the second round of the group stage.

There were no draws on the opening day, and many teams that won on Wednesday will have a chance to secure their main round berths with a second straight victory.

Group A
16:15 CST — India v France
18:30 CST — Egypt v Sweden

Group B
11:45 CST — Paraguay v Austria
14:00 CST — Serbia v Angola

Group C
16:15 CST — Canada v Germany
18:30 CST — Romania v Brazil

Group D
11:45 CST — Türkiye v Spain
14:00 CST — Republic of Korea v Argentina

Group E
16:15 CST — Algeria v Denmark
18:30 CST — People’s Republic of China v Guinea

Group F
11:45 CST — United States of America v Montenegro
14:00 CST — Czech Republic v Iceland

Group G
11:45 CST — Tunisia v Hungary
14:00 CST — Poland v Chinese Taipei

Group H
16:15 CST — Faroe Islands v Croatia
18:30 CST — Japan v Norway

14:00 CST Republic of Korea v Argentina

The Republic of Korea reached the podium of the IHF Women’s Junior World Championship nine times, but they have failed to finish in the top 10 since 2018. Now the runners-up at the 2025 AHF Asian Women’s Junior Championship hope to make a strong impression at China 2026, and in their opening match they earned a hard-fought 32:29 win over Türkiye.

Ayoung Suh stood out for Korea in that match, scoring nine goals, while goalkeepers Dain Kim and Chaeeun Go also had an impact, combining for 12 saves. While Türkiye constantly pressured their rivals, the Koreans proved to be the stronger side and earned two points.

If they beat Argentina and Spain do not lose against Türkiye, Korea will progress to the main round on Thursday. Argentina, in turn, also need a win to keep their chances alive, as they lost to Spain in the opening round, 19:29. The South American side need to improve their attack in order to get a better result in an encounter that may prove crucial for both rivals.

16:15 CST Faroe Islands v Croatia

It will be a do-or-die Group H match for both European sides, who started China 2026 with defeats and now hope to bounce back in order to keep their chances for a main round spot alive.

Facing Japan in their debut encounter at the IHF Women’s Junior World Championship, the Faroe Islands suffered a 10-goal defeat, 22:32. While showing some fighting spirit, they came up short, but now will be looking for their maiden win in the competition.

Croatia have much more experience at this level, as this is their 12th participation in the IHF Women’s Junior World Championship. However, they missed the 2024 edition, and at China 2026, the Balkan side started with a 27:21 defeat against Norway.

Last year, this generation of Croatian players finished eighth at the W19 EHF EURO 2025, while the Faroe Islands took 20th place, but were granted a wild card to participate at China 2026. Now both teams struggled in attack in their first games, and they need to do better in order to open their account.

18:30 CST Japan v Norway

The same Group H also features a clash between the two teams that won their opening matches at China 2026 — and notably, it will be the only such encounter on Thursday.

Japan, who are playing in their 22nd IHF Women’s Junior World Championship, looked confident in their first game, as they beat the Faroe Islands by 10 goals. The 2025 Asian Women’s Junior Handball Championship winners put on a strong performance, backed by Haruhi Sano’s 10 goals and Hana Osaki’s 10 saves.

Now the Japanese will face another Nordic team — and a much more experienced one, as Norway are playing in their 19th tournament at this level. The Scandinavians won the title as recently as 2022, and after finishing 10th in 2024, they are determined to do better.

On Wednesday, they beat Croatia 27:21 thanks to a solid second-half performance, and goalkeeper Leah Isabell Langaard had a special impact with her 40% save efficiency. Now Norway will be challenged by Japan, and with a win, they will have a good chance of finishing top of the group.

18:30 CST Romania v Brazil

Romania, who are playing at this level for the 17th time, had no problems in their opening game on Wednesday. The European team proved too strong for Canada, winning 40:15 and edging closer to the main round.

The Romanians effectively settled the game in the first half, as they led 22:8 at the interval. Enryka-Valentina Bodijar stood out in attack with seven goals, while the goalkeeping trio combined for 19 saves - in particular, Florentina-Anastasia Roșu stopped 11 shots.

Now Romania are likely to progress to the main round with a win against Brazil, but the 2026 South and Central American Women’s Junior Championship winners refuse to give up and hope to fight hard in their second game.

Their start at the tournament was much less optimistic than Romania’s, as the Brazilian side suffered a big defeat against Germany, 22:39. However, they hope to learn their lesson and bounce back in order to stay in contention for a main round ticket.