The coach allocation for the three men’s and three women’s All-star Teams for the ‘IHF Beach Handball Showcase’ in Paris later this month has been announced.

The All-star Teams, plus the French men’s and women’s national teams, will play Beach Handball games across three days – Saturday 27, Sunday 28 and Monday 29 July 2024 – at the headquarters of the FFHB, the ‘Maison du Handball’, based in Créteil, just 20km from the Olympic Stadium.

Athletes from 18 different countries (Argentina, Brazil, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Islamic Republic of Iran, Netherlands, Norway, People’s Republic of China, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Spain, United States of America and Uruguay) will appear at the event which will highlight the spectacular sport and its culture, as the eyes of the world look towards the French capital, hosts of the 2024 Olympic Games this July and August.

Alongside France men’s coach Paul MOURIOUX (FRA) and France women’s coach Marion LIMAL (FRA), Leticia BRUNATI (Argentina), Mladen PARADZIK (Croatia), Khaled HASSAN (Qatar), Maria KARANTONI (Greece), Tamas NEUKUM (Hungary) and Alexander NOVAKOVIC (Germany) will guide the 64 players on the sand in France.

The six All-star Team coaches are divided into three pairs, with KARANTONI and PARADZIK joining forces, BRUNATI and ALY coming together and NOVAKOVIC and NEUKUM working as a team on one men’s and one women’s team each.

Each coach is well-known in the Beach Handball world for their specific work with one gender but the IHF Beach Handball Showcase will see them work with both.

2018 World Championship-winning coach with the Greece women, KARANTONI, will oversee Team Vela in the women’s competition, assisted by newly-crowned 2024 IHF Men’s Beach Handball World Championship-winning coach PARADZIK. KARANTONI will manage a side featuring her national team goalkeeper Magdalini KEPESIDOU, as well as China 2024 silver medallist Gisella BONOMI amongst others. The pair then swap places on the sidelines to take over Team Pegasus in the men’s event, with PARADZIK joining up with his national team captain Ivan JURIC.

2024 IHF Women’s Beach Handball World Championship silver medal and 2018 Youth Olympic Games gold medal winning coach with Argentina, Leticia BRUNATI, joins up with 2023 IHF Men’s Beach Handball Global Tour winning coach for Qatar, Khaled ALY, to take over women’s Team Lyra. They include Germany’s Lucie Marie KRETZSCHMAR (GER), part of the team which beat Argentina in that 2024 final – and also voted into the 2024 All-star Team as best defender – alongside 2022 IHF Women’s Beach Handball World Championship top-scorer Christine MANSOUR (USA).

The pair then swap roles for men’s Team Aquila, with ALY coaching Qatar national team players Mohsen ALYAFEAI and Mohammed ZAKY HASSAN, plus China 2024 MVP Ivan DUMENCIC (CRO) and top-scorer Santiago RODRIGUEZ (URU). BRUNATI will also be able to compare 2018 Youth Olympic Games gold medals with Jesus Domingo LUIS MOSQUERA, who won the title six years ago with Spain.

The final pairing features 2022 and 2024 IHF Women’s Beach Handball World Championship, 2021 and 2023 EHF Women’s Beach Handball European Championship and The World Games 2022 gold medal-winning coach with Germany, Alex NOVAKOVIC, alongside Tamas NEUKUM (HUN), who won numerous titles as coach for Hungary and is now part of the IHF Beach Handball Working Group.

For Team Hydra in the women’s competition, NOVAKOVIC will oversee German national team player Isabel KATTNER – voted as best pivot in the China 2024 All-star Team – along with Patricia ENCINAS (ESP), in the same team as best goalkeeper. For the men’s competition, Team Draco will see compatriot Laszlo NAHAJ join NEUKUM, with double world champion – and China 2024 All-star Team member – right wing Lucian BURA (CRO). Best specialist in that team Martin VILSTRUP ANDERSEN (DEN) is also involved.

The ‘IHF Beach Handball Showcase’ is part of a wider series of celebrations in Créteil, based in the Val-de-Marne region of France, which will receive the Olympic Flame on its global tour.

For the duration of the Olympic Games – July 26 to August 11 – a variety of free events will take place, including a fan zone for up to 2,000 people featuring live broadcasts, exhibitions, food, drink and concerts. 

IHF Beach Handball Showcase – teams and coaches

Women’s All-star Team 1 - TEAM VELA

Coaches: Maria KARANTONI (GRE), Mladen PARADZIK (CRO)

Magdalini KEPESIDOU (GRE)
Elisabeth HAMMERSTAD (NOR)
Line KRISTENSEN (DEN)
Patricia SCHEPPA (BRA)
Gisella BONOMI (ARG)
Renata CSIKI (HUN)
Rianne MOL (NED)
Jimena LAGUNA (ESP)

Women’s All-star Team 2 - TEAM HYDRA

Coaches: Alex NOVAKOVIC (GER), Tamas NEUKUM (HUN)

Patricia ENCINAS (ESP)
Jijuan DU (CHN)
Fiorella CORIMBERTO (ARG)
Meike KRUIJER (NED)
Isabel KATTNER (GER)
Carolina PIRES MILITAO (BRA)
Renata DA SILVA SANTIAGO (BRA)
Cristiana MORGADO (POR)

Women’s All-star Team 3 - TEAM LYRA

Coaches: Leticia BRUNATI (ARG), Khaled ALY (QAT)

Ana Maria URSU (POR)
Lucie Marie KRETZSCHMAR (GER)
Nathalie SOUZA GUEDES DE SENA (BRA)
Christine MANSOUR (USA)
Asuncion BATISTA (ESP) 
Line LARSEN (DEN)
Emese TOTH (HUN)
Isabel BARNARD (NED)

Women's Team #4 - France
Coach: Marion LIMAL (FRA)

Players - TBC

Men’s All-star Team 1 - TEAM AQUILA

Coaches: Khaled ALY (QAT), Leticia BRUNATI (ARG)

Mohsen ALYAFEAI (QAT)    
Peter HAJDU (HUN)
Mohammed ZAKY HASSAN (QAT)    
Jesus Domingo LUIS MOSQUERA (ESP)
Gil Vicente DE PAES PIRES (BRA)
Santiago RODRIGUEZ (URU)
Severin HENRICH (GER)
Ivan DUMENCIC (CRO)

Men’s All-star Team 2 - TEAM PEGASUS

Coaches: Mladen PARADZIK (CRO), Maria KARANTONI (GRE)

Moritz EBERT (GER)
Ivan JURIC (CRO)
Ebiye Jeremy UDO-UDOMA (USA)                
Hani KAKHI (QAT)
Attila KUN (HUN)
Bruno CARLOS DE OLIVEIRA (BRA)
Elhji TOURE JABBY (ESP)
Nahuel PEREZ (ARG)

Men’s All-star Team 3 - TEAM DRACO

Coaches: Tamas NEUKUM (HUN), Alex NOVAKOVIC (GER)

Laszlo NAHAJ (HUN)
Lukasz NIEDZIELAK (POL)
Diogo FERREIRA (POR)
Lucian BURA (CRO)
Andrew DONLIN (USA)
Martin VILSTRUP ANDERSEN (DEN)
Thiago DE OLIVEIRA BARCELLOS (BRA)
Ali HEIDARIAN (IRI)

Men's Team #4 - France
Coach: Paul MOURIOUX (FRA)

Players - TBC

The IHF Beach Handball Showcase is a collaborative effort between the International Handball Federation (IHF), Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (COJOP2024), French Handball Federation (FFHB) and International Olympic Committee (IOC).