The 1st IHF Men’s North American and the Caribbean Emerging Nations Championship begins in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on Monday April 8. 12 teams from North America and the Caribbean (NAC) will take part in what is the debut of a competition expected to be highly beneficial for the region. The winner of the NAC Emerging Nations Championship will qualify for the 2019 IHF Emerging Nations Championship in Georgia in June.
The competition follows a group phase then knock-out round format, with four preliminary groups, from which the top two in each progress to the quarter-finals. The group phase will run until April 10, followed by the quarter-finals and 9-12 placement round for the third-ranked teams. The semi-finals will take place on April 13 and the finals will be held the following day. Each team is allowed three players above the age of 24, while the remainder of the squad must be 24 or younger – a regulation designed to encourage development.
Hosts Dominican Republic will start their campaign in Group C, meeting Haiti and St. Kitts and Nevis. Canada, who have enjoyed recent successes such as the youth men’s team victory in the first IHF Trophy – North America and the Caribbean at the end of 2018 followed by the women’s senior side’s qualification for the 2019 Pan American Games in March this year, will play from Group A. They will meet Puerto Rico and Dominica in the group phase.
The USA, winners of the junior category at the IHF Trophy – North America and the Caribbean, will take the court in Group D. In a year that will also see the nation end a 30-year wait to play their second IHF Men’s Junior World Championship, the 2028 Olympic hosts are focused on development and will benefit significantly from the experience at the NAC Emerging Nations Championship. They will meet Cuba and Barbados in the preliminary round.
Finally, Group B consists of Mexico, Martinique and Trinidad and Tobago.
Match schedule
All times local (UTC -4)
8 April
14:00 DMA vs CAN
16:00 TTO vs MEX
18:00 BAR vs USA
20:00 SKN vs DOM
9 April
14:00 PUR vs DMA
16:00 MTQ vs TTO
18:00 HAI vs SKN
20:00 CUB vs BAR
10 April
14:00 MEX vs MTQ
16:00 CAN vs PUR
18:00 USA vs CUB
20:00 DOM vs HAI
11 April
10:00 PL 9-12: 3A vs 3C
12:00 PL 9-12: 3B vs 3D
14:00 QF1: 1A vs 2C
16:00 QF2: 1B vs 2D
13 April
10:00 PL 9-12: 3D vs 3A
12:00 PL 9-12: 3C vs 3B
14:00 PL 5-8: Loser QF1 vs Loser QF2
16:00 PL 5-8: Loser QF3 vs Loser QF4
18:00 SF1: Winner QF1 vs Winner QF2
20:00 SF2: Winner QF3 vs Winner QF4
14 April
10:00 PL 9-12: 3A vs 3B
12:00 PL 9-12: 3C vs 3D
14:00 PL 7-8: Loser PR1 vs Loser PR2
16:00 PL 5-6: Winner PR1 vs Winner PR2
18:00 Bronze: Loser SF1 vs Loser SF2
20:00 Gold: Winner SF1 vs Winner SF2