Maria PENDA

The next 18 months could be a watershed for beach handball in Africa. Starting with the opening stage of the 2025 IHF Beach Handball Global Tour in Hammamet, Tunisia, swiftly followed by the 2025 IHF Men’s and Women’s Youth Beach Handball World Championships at the same venue and then, after a short pause, the 2026 Youth Olympic Games will throw-off in October in Dakar, Senegal.

And one of the nations who could benefit from having tournaments in their home continent is Kenya. 

With their debut appearance at the IHF Women’s Youth Beach Handball World Championship this year, Mexico’s women add their name to the list of female teams representing the North American country on the global stage.

Twice before the senior women’s team have played at an IHF Beach Handball World Championship and three times the women’s junior side have played at an IHF Women’s Junior World Championship.

Ever-presents Thailand hope for top 10 finish

Asian silver medallists Thailand are one of just three women’s nations to have appeared at all three IHF Women’s Youth Beach Handball World Championships.

Along with Netherlands and Hungary, Thailand have appeared at Mauritius 2017, Greece 2022 and are now set for Tunisia 2025, but unlike their European rivals, they have never won a medal in the event.

China women come to Tunisia as Asian champions, having won the third edition of the Asian Handball Federation (AHF) Women’s Youth Asian Beach Handball Championships last year.

At the event, which took place at the Sports Authority of Thailand courts in Hua Mak, Bangkok from 16 to 25 October, the Chinese women were dominant as they went on to win their second title in three editions.

Last December, Uruguay’s women pulled off a big upset, beating Brazil at the 2024 South and Central American Handball Confederation (SCAHC) Youth (U17) Women’s Beach Handball Championships in Chile.

The result, combined with wins against Chile and Paraguay, plus a loss to Argentina, meant that the Uruguayans ended the round-robin tournament joint top with six points, alongside rivals Argentina and Brazil – the two powerhouses of South American beach handball.

Whatever happens in Tunisia, the German involvement – which also includes their men’s team – is integral to continue the rise of the sport in a country traditionally linked to the seven-a-side ‘indoor’ version.

“It has been a great goal for the German Handball Federation over the last decade to develop a strong and successful youth education in beach handball,” explained Jens Pfander, Head of Beach Handball at the German Handball Federation, to ihf.info.