The second batch of four matches at the 2026 IHF Women’s Junior World Championship saw Serbia and Czechia dish comfortable wins, while Turkiye pushed the Republic of Korea until the end, but conceded a 29:32 loss.

GROUP B
Serbia vs Paraguay 40:15 (21:6)

A strong attacking performance and solid defence helped Serbia open the tournament with a commanding win over Paraguay. The European team reached the 40-goal mark and boasted 80% shooting efficiency, compared with Paraguay’s 38%.

The teams were level at 1:1 five minutes into the game, but then Serbia went on a 7:1 run and never looked back. Their goalkeeper, Ivona Grujičić, made seven saves and posted a 54% save rate in the first half, as her team led by 15 goals at the break.

Paraguay, who were playing just their second IHF Women’s U20 Handball World Championship in history, were restricted to six goals before the interval. They scored just as many in the opening 12 minutes of the second half, but struggled again afterwards, making 23 turnovers throughout the game.

The Europeans rotated their squad, and all 13 court players scored at least once, with Mia Nedeljković finishing as top scorer with five goals. While the game was more balanced for much of the second half, Serbia had it firmly under control and had no problems clinching a big victory.

After this game, Serbia top the group alongside fellow European team Austria, who also have two points. On Thursday, Serbia will continue the tournament with a match against Angola, while Paraguay will face Austria.

Player of the Match: Lara Stanić (Serbia)

GROUP D
Republic of Korea v Turkiye 32:29 (14:10)

Turkiye returned at the IHF Women’s World Championship for the first time since 2001, ending a 25-year drought, and their opponent was a team which had already clinched nine medals in its history.

The Republic of Korea are, however, regaining their balance, after failing to finish in the top-10 since 2018, and had their share of issues against the European side, which finished 16th in the previous edition of the W19 EHF EURO.

And Turkiye really provided a scare for the pacy Republic of Korea side, taking the lead after 16 minutes, 7:6, with Buket Seven and Hande Muhcu firing from all cylinders. Korea bit back and some classy goals from Ayoung Suh, who was the team’s fulcrum in attack, provided a much-needed bounce back, as the Asian side led, 14:10, at the break.

Turkiye never stopped pressing, though, and for the first eight minutes of the second half, the lead hovered between the four-goal mark. Three goals in quick succession saw the European side cut the lead, 21:19, but Korea, the runners-up in the 2025 Asian Women’s Junior World Championship, had a fantastic player in Suh, who scored nine goals throughout the match.

Eventually, Turkiye failed to push Korea until the end, but they managed to snatch a good result, conceding only a three-goal loss, 29:32, as Seven finished with eight goals, while Sudenaz Dagli added six.

Player of the Match: Ayoung Suh (Republic of Korea)

GROUP F
Czechia v United States of America 44:21 (23:8)

A flurry of fast breaks provided the cushion for Czechia to secure a big win in their opener at the 2026 IHF Women’s Junior World Championship, as they had little to no trouble against the United States of America.

There was no question about the winner, as the sturdy Czech defence limited the USA team to only eight goals in the first half, with the European side jumping to a 6:1 lead after only nine minutes.

Goalkeeper Andrea Buchtová finished the first half with 10 saves and a 57% saving efficiency, while Claudia Rampová and Melisa Holeňáková each scored five goals, as Czechia jumped to a clear 23:8 lead, basically deciding the match.

The start of the second half was bumpy for Czechia, with the European side seeing three suspensions simultaneously, which enabled USA to cut the lead to only 14 goals, 27:13. But there was nothing that the American team could do to weather the storm, with Czechia continuing to apply the same recipe from the first match.

Maggie Doherty Dahllof shined for the USA, with 13 goals, scoring more than half of her team’s goals, but she could not prevent a big loss for her side, as Czechia secure their largest win in history at the IHF Women’s Junior World Championship, 44:21.

Player of the Match: Viktorie Pejsova (Czechia)

GROUP G
Poland v Tunisia 26:22 (15:10)

For 21 minutes, Tunisia stretched Poland as much as possible, keeping close to the European side. But a 3:0 run, spurred by Player of the Match Zuzanna Zimnicka eventually saw Poland break ahead, 11:8, as the European side used their depth and experience to open a five-goal lead at the break, 15:10.

Zimnicka was nothing short of sensational throughout the match, scoring 10 goals, but Poland had their fair share of issues to open a larger gap, especially as their 15 turnovers were costly.

Tunisia had goalkeeper Aya Boudhaouia hover around the 50% saving efficiency mark, stopping eight shots, while Ranime Cherif was flawless throughout the match, with six goals, but in the end, Tunisia never managed to get closer than three goals, conceding a 22:26 loss.

Poland face the Chinese Taipei next and could seal their main round ticket, while Tunisia meet Hungary, which had a 35-goal win against the Asian side.

Player of the Match: Zuzanna Zimnicka (Poland)