Coach: Jan Basny

Key Players: Michaela Hrbkova (Right Back), Iveta Luzumova (Centre Back), Jana Knedlikova (Right Wing)

Qualification for Germany 2017: Qualification Europe Phase 2 Play-Off – Winners versus Turkey

History in Tournament: 1957: 1st (*), 1962: 3rd (*), 1965: 4th (*), 1971: DNQ (*), 1973: 6th (*), 1975: 6th (*), 1978: 4th (*), 1982: 5th (*), 1986: 2nd (*), 1990: DNQ (*), 1993: 9th (*), 1995: 13th, 1997: 13th, 1999: 19th, 2001: DNQ, 2003: 15th, 2005-2011: DNQ, 2013: 15th, 2015: DNQ

(*) Participated as Czechoslovakia

Overview:

Czechoslovakia won the first IHF Women’s World Championship, held in Yugoslavia in 1957. That was the start of their female handball golden era – which came to an end in 1993, when the dissolution of Czechoslovakia took effect. 

The 1995 World Championship saw Czech Republic participate for the first time in the tournament as an independent nation and they ranked 13th – still their best result up to the present.

“We have many great individualities that are dangerous in offence so we are not dependent on one or two main shooters. We have also some great personalities,” comments Czech Republic coach Jan Basny. 30-year-old right back Michaela Hrbkova is one of them. Currently playing her club handball for Germany’s Frisch Auf Goppingen, she claimed the top scorer crown of the 2016/17 Bundesliga with 210 goals and was also awarded Best Player of the Season.

Hrbkova’s performance during the two-leg series of the Qualification Europe Phase 2 was crucial for Czech Republic to win both games versus Turkey – 29:25 at home and 31:23 away. Michaela contributed 19 goals overall.

28-year-old right wing Jana Knedlikova knows about competing and succeeding at the highest level in the world, as she won the 2016/17 EHF Champions League with Hungary’s Györi Audi ETO KC. Precisely at that competition, centre back Iveta Luzumova – also 28 – had an outstanding campaign, scoring 64 goals for Thüringer HC from Germany.

“Our weakness is our defence, but we are working on it so we will be a strong opponent even in this part of the game,” says Jan Basny. And those adjustments will be important in such a competitive Group B, where they will play the reigning world champions Norway and three other strong European teams – Sweden, Hungary and Poland. But their opening match will be against Argentina, the Pan American Championship runners-up.

Even when the Argentinians have never defeated a European nation at the IHF Women’s World Championship, for the Czech coach it’s clear that they “can’t underestimate Argentina. The quality of the Argentinian players is growing up and most of them have European experience.

“Our aim is to get to eighth-finals. What will be next? It’s open,” concluded a positive coach Basny.

Official Federation Social Media:

Follow the official Czech Federation website and Facebook.

IHF & World Championship Social Media:

Follow the Germany 2017 IHF Women’s World Championship on our website, on Facebook,Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, as well as on the tournament’s official website, Facebook, and Twitter channels.

Group at Germany 2017: 

Group B: Norway, Sweden, Czech Republic, Hungary, Argentina and Poland

Games at Germany 2017: 
All times local

Saturday 2 December: CZE-ARG (14:00)
Sunday 3 December: POL-CZE (14:00)
Tuesday 5 December: SWE-CZE (18:00)
Thursday 7 December: CZE-NOR (20:30)
Friday 8 December: CZE-HUN (18:00)