Coach: Janos Gyurka

Key Players: Adam Juhasz (Playmaker), Matyas Győri (Playmaker), Patrik Ligetvari (Left Back)

Road to Qualification: Runners-up – 2014 European Championship 18

History in Tournament: 2005-2011: DNQ, 2013: 10th

Overview:

Russia 2015 represents Hungary’s second participation in the IHF Men’s Youth World Championship. They were directly qualified for the last edition of the tournament, held in Hungary, as hosts, which makes the 2015 championship the first time they have earned their spot through qualification.

The Hungary youth team are coached by legendary right back, Janos Gyurka, who himself represented Hungary in 191 matches and scored 662 goals for the national side. Gyurka began his coaching career with club teams in Austria and Hungary: Bärnbach-Köflach (1999-2001, 2005-2008), Hypo Niederösterreich (2001-2002), Balatonfüred (2004-2005) and Veszprém’s junior women’s team (2009-2012), before turning his attention to Hungary’s national teams.

First he led the women’s junior team from 2010 to 2011, then took the helm of the men’s junior team in 2013. In 2014 he switched to the youth team, leading them to qualify for their first IHF Men’s Youth World Championship courtesy of a silver medal at the Men’s EHF EURO U18 2014.

“This will be the first world championship of this age category, and after last year’s European Championship, every team tried to work hard and progress. The biggest question for all teams is the amount of trainings and hard work, but the tournament in Russia will answer all questions.

“During the regular season, we have a few opportunities to have trainings and matches, but before the World Championship, the Hungarian Federation gave us every help to prepare for Ekaterinburg.

“In men’s handball, the period between the age of 18 and 19 is one of the most important at all – this year is the golden age of the progression of a handball player. There can be big progress and big setbacks. We will see during the world championship what influenced our players during the season of 2014-2015.

“Naturally, we will try to fit to our own expectations, and do our best in Russia. We have a great renown after last year’s silver medal at the European Championship, and we would like to preserve our place among the best teams,” says Gyurka.

Hungary will rely on key players Adam Juhasz (Tatabanya KC) and Matyas Győri (Balatonfüredi KSE), both of whom are playmakers, and Patrik Ligetvari (MKB Veszprém), at the championship in Russia.

Group at Russia 2015:

Group A: Hungary, Sweden, Korea, Poland, Chile and Serbia

Games at Russia 2015:

All times local

Saturday 8 August:         HUN-POL (10:00)

Monday 10 August:        CHI-HUN (18:00)

Tuesday 11 August:        HUN-SRB (16:00)

Thursday 13 August:      KOR-HUN (18:00)

Saturday 15 August:       HUN-SWE (20:00)

Click here to view the Hungary squad.

Click here to view all the matches of Russia 2015.