Handebol Taubaté clinch third title at the South and Central American Men's Club Handball Championship
04 Jun. 2024

The fifth edition of the South and Central American Men's Club Handball Championship took place in in Taubaté, Brazil from 28 May to 1 June 2024, with 12 teams at the start, from five different countries – Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru and Uruguay.
The 12 teams were divided into three groups of four teams each, with the winner of each group plus the best second-placed team qualifying for the semi-finals, where three of the four participating Brazilian sides qualified, plus the reigning champions, Argentinian powerhouse San Fernando HB.
In Group A, hosts Handebol Taubaté, which have won the title twice in the past, were flawless, delivering a 47:15 win over Uruguayan side Colegio Aleman, a 51:10 win over Peruvian team Partille Club and a hard-fought 25:24 over fellow Brazilian side Nacional Handebol Clube, after the hosts were down 16:14 at the break.
In Group B, the favourites, Brazilian side EC Pinheiros, swept their opponents, 41:20 against Chilean side LN Maipu, 37:24 against another Chilean team, MET Handball and 31:23 against Argentinian side Colegio Ward.
The reigning champions, San Fernando HB, won Group C, with three wins in three matches, 33:25 against River Plate, 37:24 against Universitario and 28:22 against Brazilian side Praia Clube.
With Handebol Taubaté, EC Pinheiros and San Fernando HB winning their groups, one more spot in the semi-finals was open and it belonged to Nacional Handebol Clube, who had the largest goal difference, +62, being tied on points with Praia Clube (+2 goal difference) and Colegio Ward (+6 goal difference).
Once again, Handebol Taubaté and Nacional clashed in the semi-finals, but it was an easier win for Handebol Taubaté, 26:21, who never dropped their level, after taking a 15:10 lead at the break, while in the second semi-final, Pinheiros eliminated San Fernando HB with a dominating 30:21 win.
It was a battle for the ages in the final between the two best clubs in Brazil, with Handebol Taubaté riding their experience, with players like Cleber Andrade, Guilherme Torriani and Vinicius Teixeira, who all play for Brazil men’s senior national team, as they took a 15:11 lead at the break.
Pinheiros, who aimed for the double after securing the title in the 2024 South and Central American Women's Club Handball Championship, tried to mount a comeback, but it fell short, with Taubaté clinching a 29:27 win.
In the bronze medal match, Nacional ensured an all-Brazilian podium, with a 37:35 win over San Fernando HB, the second time in five editions when three clubs from Brazil are on the podium, after the 2021 edition.
Taubaté will now head to the 2024 IHF Men’s Club World Championship in Egypt, as the South and Central America representative.