Hungary’s men and Netherlands’ women won their respective U17 European Beach Handball Championship titles this past week at the YAC 17 EHF Beach Handball EURO 2023 in Izmir, Türkiye.

The gold for the Dutch women follows their silver at the 2022 IHF Women’s Youth Beach Handball Championship gained last year in Greece and represents their third European younger age title after winning the same gold back in 2016 and 2017.

But their campaign in the Aegean coastal city nearly got off to the worst possible start after they lost their first set to Croatia (16:17) in their opening game. But they got back on track to take the second (16:14) and then the shoot-out (9:4). 

Their next three preliminary games, against the Czech Republic, France and Germany, all resulted in 2-0 wins which set up a quarter-final against Ukraine. This went to a shoot-out, with the Netherlands taking a 2-1 (25:22, 18:20, SO 10:8). Sweden were seen off 2-0 (22:14, 15:8) in the last four match to set up a gold medal match against Hungary.

The Hungarians had won nine previous titles and came into the championship as title-holders. Early on in the final, they were well-placed for another gold, having taken the first set (22:20). 

But the Dutch powered back to take it to a shoot-out (25:20), which saw them come up short in an epic encounter, Netherlands’ taking a 15:13 victory. The first seven attempts from both teams sunk home, but then the Dutch missed their eighth in sudden death.

With the title secured on the next shot, Hungary then missed the chance. Esmee Stege then ensured the Dutch got back their accuracy, putting them ahead and when their defender Nienke Slippens blocked the next Hungarian shot by the unfortunate Krisztina Décsei, the title was theirs.

Sweden saw off Spain 7:4 in their bronze medal shoot-out, it was the first medal in the competition for the Swedes, who had never made the medal rounds before.

In the men’s competition Hungary successfully defended their title to make it five in total, but unlike the Dutch women, they did not go through the competition unbeaten.

After opening their preliminary group journey with two 2-0 wins, against Switzerland and Portugal, they then lost a shoot-out (8:9) against Sweden and then 0-2 against Germany.

The two early wins were enough though as they progressed through to the knockout stages and they promptly went unbeaten without losing a set to gold. Croatia (27:22, 21:18) were seen off in the quarter-finals, a revenge victory against the 2021 champions, Sweden (22:20, 22:16) and then a high-scoring victory against the 2016 and 2017 gold medallists and 2021 and 2022 runners-up Spain in the final (21:20, 26:23).

Sweden grabbed their second bronze of the event, defeating Germany 2-0 to make it to the podium again.

On the sidelines, a number of well-known names were involved with the next generation of beach superstars.

Most notably, 1995 IHF Men’s Player of the Year Jackson Richardson was involved with the coaching of the French men’s side, while Norway’s senior beach handball captain Katinka Haltvik worked alongside her senior coach Eskil Berg Andreassen with the Norwegian women’s youth side.

Multiple medallist and All-star Team player for Hungary, goalkeeper Agnes Gyori, was with the Hungarian women in Izmir, while Sweden’s men’s national coach Tony Karlsson was with the young Swedish generation.

Ranking

Men’s Competition

1. Hungary

2. Spain

3. Sweden

4. Germany, 5. Norway, 6. Croatia, 7. France, 8. Czech Republic

Women’s Competition

1. Netherlands

2. Hungary

3. Sweden

4. Spain, 5. Ukraine, 6. Norway, 7. Germany, 8. Portugal

Photo: EHF/Kolektiff images

 

All recorded matches can be watched again on EHFTV.com