Missing Jeřábková, can Czechia crack the top-10 at Germany/Netherlands 2025?

Czechia will be appearing at an IHF Women’s World Championship as an independent nation for the ninth time.

And while the pedigree of their former nation is in no doubt – they won the first-ever indoor women’s World Championship in 1957 – it has been a longer process for the independent nation, eighth their best ranking, gained both in 2017 and last time out, in 2023.

Since that last appearance under coach Bent Dahl, coaching duo Tomáš Hlavatý and Daniel Čurda took charge of the side ahead of their European Qualification Phase 2 double-header against Ukraine at home and away in Lithuania last April.

Highlights of Hlavatý’s coaching career include spells at Vipers Kristiansand, Ludwigsburg and the Russian national team, with whom he won silver with at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, as an assistant. Čurda has been involved with the national team since October 2023 as assistant.

Against Ukraine, they saw their side ease to a 35:19 (17:12) win, and after being well ahead at half-time in the second leg, they lost 26:27 (15:11), but took an aggregate 61:46 victory to qualify through to the global stage for the third, consecutive time.

In the first stage at Germany/Netherlands 2025, Czechia will play South and Central American champions Brazil, North America and the Caribbean champions Cuba, plus Sweden. Having never played the Cubans previously and Brazil just once – a 30:27 loss at Denmark/Norway/Sweden 2023 – Sweden have been regular opponents over the past few years.

A total of eight matches – two friendlies, four EURO meetings and two in the World Championship – have seen seven losses and one draw. The most recent game, a friendly in October 2022 was a 26:26 draw, with the two teams also meeting in the world championship, Sweden beating the Czechs 36:32 at Germany 2017 and 20:18 in the 9-12 placement round at Austria/Hungary 1995.

“We got the winners of their continental qualifiers from the fourth and second pots, Brazil have won the world championship in the past, regularly qualifies for it and ranks high while Cuba is a bit of an unknown at the moment,” said Hlavatý to ihf.info.

“Our main goal will be to advance from the group. We have to look ahead. We will try to involve as many players as possible in the tournament but we know that the matches are very demanding and close together in the schedule – there isn't much room for recovery.

“We want the players to have the opportunity to show what they can do and for the team to show progress. We will have very tough training to prepare for this. Our results will be determined by our fitness level, especially our strength, because the teams we will face are very strong.”

Czechia will play their preliminary group games in Stuttgart, Germany, a special country for Czech women’s handball as it was where they ranked eighth, at the 2017 IHF Women’s World Championship.

A big blow for the whole of Czech handball will be the absence of key player – and 2023 IHF Women’s World Championship top-scorer (63 goals) – Markéta Jeřábková, due to pregnancy in addition to the seasoned Iveta Korešová who finished with the national team following the Ukraine after 10 years representing her country.

Despite these losses, Czechia have named a provisional squad list containing a conveyor belt of talent, both hugely experienced and bursting onto the scene in recent years

This is led by captain and left wing Veronika Kafka Malá, who plays her club handball in Norway for Storhamar Handball Elite and has made 119 appearances for her national team. She is backed up by key players, left back Charlotte Cholevová (54 appearances) who plays her club handball in Germany with TuS Metzingen and Metz HB goalkeeper Sabrina Novotná (40).

“If we look at the results of our last matches against Sweden and Brazil, they were very close. Sweden is a tough opponent, but we definitely have a chance to succeed. Brazil plays fast handball, which we will have to watch out for and Cuba is a bit of an unknown quantity for us at the moment,” said Cholevová.

“I'm looking forward to the world championship; it's the highlight of the season for all of us. We will be very motivated to defend our position and the result from the one and we will prepare for it.”

Teammate and right back Valerie Smetková is at the beginning of her national team career, registering just 15 national team appearances so far and is relishing the chance to test her skills on the global stage.

“The world championship is a huge motivation to keep working and show ourselves in the best possible light. The recent matches showed us where we currently stand, where our weaknesses are and what we need to focus on. Personally, I’m really excited. It will be my first one and I truly value the opportunity to play at such an event,” said the player, who plays her club handball for Szombathelyi KKA in Hungary after leaving Czechia following the completion of her studies.

“It means a lot to me. It’s an honour to represent my country at a major event watched by practically the entire handball world. Every second on the court is a dream come true. Events like this push the whole team forward – you gain experience, memories and valuable moments.”

Czechia are one of the co-hosts for the upcoming 2026 EHF Women’s European Championship and are currently playing in the EHF EURO Cup. They opened their campaign in October with losses against Denmark (41:25) and Hungary (31:20).

Ahead of the world championship, they will have a training camp in Prague before moving to Romania where they will play further friendly matches against Austria, Romania and Portugal in the 2025 Carpathian Trophy.

Key players: Veronika Kafka Malá (left wing), Charlotte Cholevová (right back), Sabrina Novotná (goalkeeper)

Coaches: Tomáš Hlavatý and Daniel Čurda

Qualification for Germany/Netherlands 2025: European Qualifiers – Phase 2: 61:46 on aggregate against Ukraine

History in tournament: 1995: 13th, 1997: 13th, 1999: 19th, 2003: 15th, 2013: 15th, 2017: 8th, 2021: 19th, 2023: 8th

Group at Germany/Netherlands 2025: Group G (Sweden, Brazil, Cuba, Czechia)