On home continent sand Vietnam look to spring a surprise

Three-time consecutive (2022, 2023, 2025) Asian champions Vietnam are making their The World Games debut at Chengdu 2025 where they will face a tough test in their preliminary group, facing three strong European teams.

First up will ANOC World Beach Games title-holders, Denmark, followed by The World Games and World Championship title-holders Germany, before newly-crowned European champions Spain.

With expectation, Spain women come to Chengdu for gold

On paper, Juan Pablo Morillo’s Spain team are one of the big favourites to take gold at Chengdu 2025.

Recently-crowned as European champions, winners of the first two stages of the 2025 IHF Beach Handball Global Tour (BHGT) and with a squad depth that could turn out two, if not three top-level national sides they are thirsty to add to their gold medal haul this year already.

Debutants Portugal ready for Chengdu challenge

A sixth-place finish at the 2024 IHF Women’s Beach Handball World Championship in China last year sealed Portugal’s place at The World Games Chengdu 2025, their debut at the global, multi-sport event.

In China, they will face Croatia, Argentina and the hosts in their preliminary group – with all three teams they face familiar to them, having played them all 12 months ago in that world championship.

Host China return to The World Games after 24 years

When beach handball made its debut at The World Games – back in 2001 in Japan – it was officially a demonstration sport.

China’s 2-0 opening day loss will go down in history as the first-ever women’s beach handball game played at The World Games, and they went on to finish fifth out of six teams, thanks to two shoot-out wins against Togo, first in the preliminary group stage and then again in the 5-6 play-off.

Will the German global dominance continue or end in Chengdu?

Having dominated global beach handball in recent years with numerous European and World titles, plus The World Games Birmingham 2022 title, Germany’s women slipped down the podium to third at the European Championships in July.

Debutants Denmark looking to podium place

After finally qualifying for their first-ever The World Games appearance – at Birmingham 2022 – Denmark women were left disappointed at the last hurdle after their flights were cancelled from Copenhagen to Birmingham, USA at the last minute and they did not have enough time to rearrange their journey in time for the start.

They had no choice but to withdraw, but now, in 2025, they get that chance again and hope to make history.

Can Argentina complete the medal set and grab women’s gold?

The last two appearance at The World Games for Argentina’s women have seen podium spots – a silver in 2017 and bronze last time out, in 2022, so could 2025 be the year they grab gold?

Leticia Brunati’s team are certainly well-placed to do so having recorded their best-ever ranking at an IHF Women’s Beach Handball World Championship last year when they lost the final to Germany to finish second.