Bahrain’s team in Skopje is set to feature six players who appeared at last month’s IHF Men’s Junior World Championship in Spain where they finished in 17th place under coach Halldór Jóhann Sigfússon, who will also oversee the youth team in North Macedonia.

North Macedonia 2019 is the final global competition for Japan ahead of a big 12 months for handball in the Asian country, with the upcoming 2019 IHF Women’s World Championship in Kumamoto and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The U19 men’s side will be looking to make the second round of the Youth World Championship after finding themselves in a group with continental rivals Bahrain – who they lost to in the final of the 2018 AHF Men’s Asian Youth Championship – as well as debutants Nigeria, hosts North Macedonia, South American side Argentina and the strong Danes.

Like their group rivals Canada, Chinese Taipei are appearing at their first-ever IHF Men’s Youth World Championship. They clinched their ticket to Skopje after winning bronze at the 8th AHF Men’s Asian Youth Championship in Amman, Jordan last September beating fellow North Macedonia 2019 team, Saudi Arabia narrowly, 29:26.

But more success was to come for the young side as they won another medal seven months later, with gold at the 2018/19 IHF Men’s Trophy Intercontinental Phase held in Pristina, Kosovo last April.