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One step closer to Olympic dreams

05 Mar. 2021

One step closer to Olympic dreams

The last 12 places for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games handball competitions are set to be decided over the next few weeks as the journey to Japan reaches its conclusion when the IHF Men’s and Women’s Tokyo Handball Qualification 2020 tournaments throw-off across Europe.

The IHF Men’s and Women’s Tokyo Handball Qualification 2020 mini-sites already feature the very latest news about the six tournaments, with match previews, reviews, features, interviews, photos, statistics and much more to come. 

Visit the men’s site here and the women’s site here.  

All games will be streamed live via the IHF Competitions YouTube channel here (geo-restrictions apply).

IHF Men’s Tokyo Handball Qualification 2020
Friday 12, Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 March will see three IHF Men’s Tokyo Handball Qualification 2020 take place in Podgorica (Montenegro), Montpellier (France) and Berlin (Germany).

Six teams are already qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games men’s handball competition which is played from 24 July to 8 August 2021. 

As hosts, Japan qualify directly, as do the reigning world champions from the original dates of Tokyo 2020, Denmark (2019). In addition, representatives of each continent have secured their places at Tokyo 2020 via continental championships and qualification events with Spain, Egypt, Bahrain and Argentina taking their championships in Europe, Africa, Asia and South and Central America respectively.

Tournament 1: Podgorica, Montenegro
The capital of Montenegro, Podgorica, will host one the most diverse of the three tournaments when Chile, Republic of Korea, Norway and Brazil do battle at the Verde Complex which has hosted a number of handball teams and events, including Women’s EHF Champions League matches and the EHF M20 Championship.

While Norway, who have only appeared at the 1972 Olympic Games, will be one of the favourites, Brazil will be fancied to secure the second place – although Korea and Chile will have something to say about that.

Tournament 2: Montpellier, France
The Sud de France Arena in Montpellier – currently closed for fans – will host one of the toughest tournaments when France, Tunisia, Portugal and Croatia do battle in southern France.

Croatia come to France with a new coach after their worst-ever World Championship finish at Egypt 2021 (15th). Hrvoje Horvat’s namesake father won the first-ever Olympic Games indoor gold medal with Yugoslavia at Munich 1972 and the younger Horvat will be looking to take the next step towards replicating that success of his father at Tokyo 2020.

Host nation France, who have medalled at the last three Olympic Games, will renew their recent rivalry with Portugal, who they lost to at the 2020 Men’s European Championship on their way to their worst-ever ranking (14th) and which led to now coach Guillaume Gille taking over. Gille’s side then prevented the Portuguese from progressing past the main round at Egypt 2021, defeating them 32:23.
They face off in the last match in Montpellier, with potentially all on the line.

Tournament 3: Berlin, Germany
Hosts Germany welcome Sweden, Slovenia and Algeria to the 11,900-capacity Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin. Currently closed to spectators, the arena is home to handball side Füchse Berlin and hosted games at the 2007 IHF Men’s World Championship.

While Algeria will be seen as outsiders, Germany will hope for more of the same from Rio 2016 against both Sweden and Slovenia, who they beat on their way to bronze but enter the tournament following their worst-ever IHF Men’s World Championship ranking of 12th. 

A final match clash between Sweden and Slovenia could be key, with Slovenia looking to add to their three Olympic Games appearances (2000, 2004, 2016) and Sweden hoping to qualify through where they can aim for one place better than their four silver medals gained between 1992-2012.

IHF Women’s Tokyo Handball Qualification 2020
Friday 19, Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 March will see three IHF Women’s Tokyo Handball Qualification 2020 take place in Llíria (Spain), Győr (Hungary) and Podgorica (Montenegro).

Six teams are already qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games women’s handball competition which is played from 24 July to 8 August 2021. 

As hosts, Japan qualify directly, as do the reigning world champions from the original dates of Tokyo 2020, Netherlands (2019). In addition, representatives of each continent have secured their places at Tokyo 2020 via continental championships and qualification events with France, Angola, Republic of Korea and Brazil taking their championships in Europe, Africa, Asia and South and Central America respectively.

Tournament 1: Llíria, Spain
Spain welcome Argentina, Senegal and Sweden to the Polideportivo Pla De L’Arc as they aim to qualify for their fifth Olympic Games and third in a row. Despite losing by the narrowest of margins in the final of the 2019 IHF Women’s World Championship in Japan, the silver medal was their highest-ever ranking, followed up by ninth at the 2020 European Championship.

Argentina have bad memories of qualification tournaments in Spain, having failed to qualify for London 2012 in Guadalajara. Their hosts beat Sweden in the Great Britain Olympic Games nine years ago 25:24 and will hope for more of the same again while the Swedes are aiming for their fourth straight qualification but will be without influential playmaker Isabelle Gullden, who retired.

Senegal – and Argentina – have never beaten Sweden in an Olympic Games or World Championship and the African silver medallists will look to create history with their first-ever Olympic Games appearance and a bit of revenge for a 20:29 loss against Spain at Japan 2019.

Tournament 2: Győr, Hungary
Kazakhstan, Hungary, Russian Handball Federation and Serbia do battle at the home of the European women’s club champions Győri Audi ETO KC, the Audi Arena.

The Asian side will face an uphill battle against three of the strongest women’s teams in the world, who have all faced each other in recent years. 

Serbia would appear at their first-ever Olympic Games should they qualify, while for Kazakhstan it would be their second appearance, following a 10th-place finish at Beijing 2008. Hungary have three Olympic Games medals (two bronze, one silver) in their sixth appearances, although their last one was in 2008 as they did not even make the qualification tournaments for 2012 or 2016. They easily defeated Serbia 38:26 at Denmark 2020 and Kazakhstan 39:15 at Japan 2019.

The women from Russia took gold at Rio 2016 having won all eight of their games. It was their third Games overall – a consecutive run which saw them win silver at Beijing 2008 and finish eighth at London 2012.

Tournament 3: Podgorica, Montenegro
Due to the Asian Handball Federation unable to fill their qualification place, just three teams will be participating in tournament 3 which is a 50% repeat of Group A at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

In Brazil, Montenegro lost 21:25 and 19:28 against Romania and Norway respectively, while the Romanians lost by one against the Norwegians (27:28). Since then, Romania look the weakest, on paper at least, having lost to their opponents in the last two international championships – hosts Montenegro 26:27 at Japan 2019, and Norway 20:28 at Denmark 2020. 

Norway have two of each colour Olympic Games medals, winning their most recent at Rio 2016 when they took bronze, meaning they have won a medal at the 1988, 1992, 2000, 2008, 2012 and 2016 Games.

Romania appeared at the first-ever women’s indoor Olympic Games tournament, in 1976 where they finished fourth, but have only managed three other appearances, finishing no higher than seventh, while Montenegro medalled on their first-ever appearance, silver at London 2012, which dropped to 11th last time out in Brazil.

For more information on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, visit www.tokyo2020.org.