Overview:

 

Spain:

 

The winners of the 2016 World Championship in Budapest, Hungary are eager to claim another title. This year, the Spanish team won the bronze medal at the European Beach Handball Championship held in Zagreb, Croatia in June when they beat Denmark after a shoot-out 2:1. 

 

“We were preparing for a hard game and shoot-out. My emotions are mixed now, but what’s most important is our gold medal,” said Spanish player Silvia Llardo Fernandez.

 

At the 2008 World Championships, they earned a silver medal. They also participated in the 2010 and 2014 World Championships, but did not make it to the podium.

 

While they have not been a part of the 2009 and 2013 World Games, Spain can be counted among the favourites in 2017. 

 

Norway:

 

Norway’s women’s team are riding the 2017 wave of success. After the bronze medal at the 2016 World Championship, where the team also earned a fair play award, they topped the podium at the European Championship held in Zagreb. In the women’s final match, they beat Poland 2:0 (16:15, 19:16).

 

Norwegian coach Eskil Berg Andreassen, who oversaw bronze for Norway at the 2013 World Games when his side beat Chinese Taipei 2:0 (28:11, 19:17), said winning feels great: “It's been seven years since we last won a title – the 2010 IHF Beach Handball World Championship – but we always fight for medals and the key for me is almost always the defence and skills of the goalkeeper. In Zagreb, we also had a good individual performance in our attack. Maren Aardahl was important for us.”

 

23-year-old left back Maren Aardahl was awarded Most Valuable Player.

“I'm feeling good for the World Games, confident,” Aardahl said. “Our goal in every championship is to get a medal, and I think we have the qualities to achieve it [in Poland]. I'm really excited to see if Brazil is as strong as they usually are, because they are our toughest competition. We just have to wait and see how it all plays out, but we are ready.”

 

Argentina: 

 

The team of Argentina ranked 7th at the 2016 World Championship in Budapest, Hungary when they won 2:0 against Australia (13:3, 13:10). At the 2014 World Championship in Recife, Brazil they finished in 11th place, also after having beaten Australia.

 

Tunisia:

 

At their first World Games appearance Tunisia ended up in last place and are now eager to improve their result. The team participated in the 2016 World Beach Handball Championship for the first time and left their premiere in 12th place. 

 

Safa Ameri, one of the players of the African representative in the women's competition at the World Games, said: “We’ll try to do our best. Although the Brazil team will be a tough rival, we are not afraid of anyone. Were here to make a progress and to show Tunisian Beach Handball to the world.

“We don’t have an African Championship, so we get to play and gain experience only at the world events. I really hope we’ll have the championship of our continent one day.”

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