The groups for the inaugural IHF Women’s Under-16 World Championship have been confirmed following the draw, which took place on the outskirts of the 2026 IHF Men’s Club World Championship in Egypt on Thursday, 24 September.

The 16 participating teams have been divided into four groups of four, with representatives from five continents set to compete in the new IHF competition dedicated to the development of young players.

Group A will bring together People’s Republic of China, Morocco, USA and Kazakhstan, while Group B features Hungary, Paraguay, Guinea and Belarus.

In Group C, Germany, Uzbekistan, Mexico and Tunisia will face each other, with Argentina, Egypt, Switzerland and Russia completing the line-up in Group D.

 

The draw followed the IHF Council’s decision to expand the IHF Women’s U16 World Championship and the IHF Men’s U17 World Championship from 12 to 16 participating teams from now on. The increase strengthens the global youth competition pathway and provides more young players with the opportunity to compete on the world stage.

2026 IHF Women's Under-16 World Championship draw results

Group A: People’s Republic of China, Morocco, USA, Kazakhstan
Group B: Hungary, Paraguay, Guinea, Belarus
Group C: Germany, Uzbekistan, Mexico, Tunisia
Group D: Argentina, Egypt, Switzerland, Russia