Four times they made it to the finals of the Asian Championships, but unfortunately lost all four times until they became silver medallists in 2010. Bahrain got on the map of international handball, when they had their first continental final, that they lost against Korea. Later on in 2014, 2016 and 2018, they were defeated three times in a row in the gold match by their neighbours Qatar – including two finals on home ground in Manama in 2014 and 2016.

Since hosting the EHF EURO 2010, ranking on the ninth position, the Austrians caused something like a handball euphoria in their country, qualifying for three World Championships (including 2019) and two more European Championships. On the way to Germany/Denmark, the team of Icelandic born head coach Patrekur Johannesson eliminated Belarus. Being part of the 2019 event is highly important to gain experience, as Austria (like Sweden and Norway) is one of the hosts of the 2020 European Championship.

The history of Korean handball is long and successful: In 1988 on home ground at Seoul the Korean men’s team became the first ever non-European finalists at Olympic Games. Later on and until 2012, Korea had been the leading force of Asian handball, where especially world star Kyung Shin Yoon was noticed and still is an all-time top scorer of German Bundesliga. Currently Yoon is in the coaching staff of the team, which is in the state of transition. Korea missed to qualify for the 2015 and 2017 World Championships, but now they're back.

Saudi Arabia qualified for their fourth World Championship in a row and their ninth in total. In 2013 in Spain they won the prestigious placement match 19/20 against their neighbours Qatar, but then those teams went separate ways. While Qatar strengthened their squad by naturalised players, the Saudis still count on players from their domestic league, mainly the top clubs Al-Noor and former Asian Champions League winners Mudhar.

With six World Championship trophies since 1995, France are record holders in this category - and they are mainly dominant since becoming EURO champions in 2006. From that trophy on, they took four world titles, three continental trophies and twice Olympic gold. In 2010 they were the first male handball team ever to hold all three major titles at the same time.

They were Olympic Champions, World Champions and European Champions - since the 2004 Olympic bronze medal, Russia haven’t made it to the semi-final at major events. After missing the EURO qualification for Croatia, former Olympic, World and European Champion (as a player) Eduard Koksharov took over the team and they made it from the pre-qualification through the playoffs against the Czechs to the 2019 World Championship. Parallel, Koksharov is sports director of 2017 Champions League winner HC Vardar - and it is the Russian plan to give talents playing time at this club.

In 2007 Germany celebrated the World Championship title on home ground. At the 2019 event they hope for the same extra power provided from the stands in Berlin, Cologne and hopefully Hamburg. The new coach Christian Prokop took over the team in 2017 from Dagur Sigurdsson, who had steered the Germans to the 2016 EURO title (the second one after 2004). Though they missed the 2017 World Championship semi-final and the 2018 EURO semis, the expectations are high to make it to Herning.

During the EURO 2012 Serbia, also nicknamed the Eagles, had extra wings and took the silver medal after losing the final against Denmark. Serbia didn’t qualify for the 2015 and 2017 World Championships, but now with interim coach Ljubomir Obradovic steering the rejuvenated team, Serbia qualified for the 2019 event by leaving the surprise team of Portugal behind, which before had eliminated 2015 bronze medallists, Poland.

For the 2016 Olympic Games on home ground, Brazil had invested all resources to make their fans happy – but all were sure that the women’s team (World Champions in 2013) would make it at least to the semi-final. Both teams ended in the quarter-finals – a great result for the men’s team, which had been build up by Spaniard Jordi Ribera for many years. After the Olympic Games, he returned to his home country – and steered Spain to their first ever European title in 2018. Since 2016, Washington Nunes Silva is the new coach and he started a transition.

In almost two decades Spain has belonged in the top of world class handball. First, it were Spanish clubs which dominated European handball, then the national team grew and grew. In 2005 Spain won their first major title, the trophy of the World Championship, which they again rose in 2013. After an overall of four silver medals at European Championships, the team of new head coach Jordi Ribera won gold in 2018. First they dethroned defending EURO champions Germany by eliminating them from the final at Zagreb, followed by the victories against France in the semi and Sweden in the final.