Belarus – Preview

Coach: Aleh Shareika

Key Players: Hleb Harbuz (Centre Back), Viachaslau Saldatsenka (Goalkeeper)

Road to Qualification: Group 5 winners – Europe qualification

History in Tournament: 1993-1995: DNQ, 1997: 14th, 1999: DNQ, 2001: 13th, 2003-2007: DNQ, 2009: 15th, 2011-2013: DNQ

Overview

Belarus have been absent from the Men’s Junior World Championship since 2009, when they finished 15th. In 2015 they qualified for Brazil as winners of their group in the European qualification, defeating Switzerland, Montenegro and Kosovo in January.

Coach Aleh Shareika has overseen the development of the current Belarus junior team, having brought them up from the Under 18 age group as former coach of the youth national team. This is the fourth international tournament the current squad has qualified for under Shareika’s guidance.

Many of the players in the 2015 junior team were part of the Belarus squads that finished 12th at the last Men’s Youth World Championship in 2013 in Hungary and 11th at the U20 EHF EURO 2014.

The coach says the team will focus on one match at a time at the Junior World Championship 2015:

“We will fight in every game and try to resolve the tasks step by step. Our goals are first to reach the eight-final, then quarter-final, semi-final and final.

“We will try to improve our previous results at the World Championships,” said Shareika.

Belarus’ biggest weapon is centre back Hleb Harbuz, who was top scorer in the European qualification with 25 goals over three matches, as well as being one of the highest scorers at the U18 EHF EURO 2012 with 52 to his name. The 21-year-old currently plays for St. Petersburg HC after two seasons with VELUX EHF Champions League participant, HC Dinamo Minsk.

In preparation for the championship, Belarus have a training camp in Yuzhne, Ukraine until July 3, followed by further training from 6 to 16 July in Minsk.

In mid-July they will play friendly matches against fellow Group A competitors Russia.

Group at Brazil 2015:

Group A: Sweden, Russia, Netherlands, Tunisia, Belarus and Paraguay

Games at Brazil 2015:

All times local

Monday 20 July:       NED-BLR (14:00)

Tuesday 21 July:      BLR-SWE (18:30)

Thursday 23 July:    TUN-BLR (14:00)

Friday 24 July:          RUS-BLR (16:15)

Sunday 26 July:       BLR-PAR (09:30) 

Link to IHF.info page of fixtures here