Coach: Agnieska Truszynska

 

Key Players: Magda Wieckowska (Left Back), Katarzyna Cygan (Centre Back), Paulina Wdowiak (Goalkeeper)

 

Qualification for Poland 2018: Qualified as hosts

 

History in Tournament: 2006-16: DNQ

 

Overview

 

Being a World Championship host is always special, but in Poland’s case it will be even more significant, as they will make their debut at the IHF Women’s Youth World Championship.

 

Coach Agnieska Truszynska definitely knows what it means to represent the Polish national team: she played 112 international matches and scored 165 goals between 1994 and 2003. Now her challenge is to make it as far as possible with a hard-working U18 squad.   

 

Poland were runners-up at the Women's U17 EHF Championship, which took place last year in Skopje, FYR Macedonia. Their campaign was outstanding in spite of a 30:31 loss in the gold medal match versus Slovenia. In the preliminary round they were the best team of the tournament with three solid wins in Group A – against FYR Macedonia, Switzerland and Faroe Islands, while Greece failed to turn up.

 

The team’s top scorer at the continental competition was Katarzyna Cygan with 22 goals. The 18-year-old centre back plays her club handball at SMS ZPRP Plock together with goalkeeper Paulina Wdowiak, another talented member of the squad.

 

At the 2018 World Championship, Poland will meet the European gold medallists Germany, the Pan American champions Brazil, Romania, Angola and Slovakia in a tough Group A. “The next match is always the most important,” said coach Truszynska after the draw was completed. The main idea is to go step-by-step.

 

After the 2017 EHF Championship, the Polish side have made many training camps and played several friendly matches in preparation for the World Championship. They faced two of their preliminary round opponents: Romania – recording a 27:26 victory and a 31:22 loss – and Slovakia – 32:26 and 37:21 wins.

 

18-year-old left back Magda Wieckowska was the highest scorer for Poland in many of their latest games, proving the evolution she had during the last year. Truszynska has been following closely her club performance this recent season at Korona Handball Kielce.

 

From 18-27 June, the 2018 World Championship hosts had a training camp in the city of Cetniewo. They got together again in Szczyrk on July 4-12 and, finally, they will travel to Bilbao to play Spain two times.

 

August 7 is already marked in every Polish handball lover’s calendar. On that Tuesday at 6pm they will meet Angola in Kielce in the opening match of their first ever IHF Women’s Youth World Championship.

 

Follow the Polish Federation on their website, on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

 

Group at Poland 2018

Group A: Germany, Romania, Poland, Brazil, Angola, Slovakia

 

Games at Poland 2018
All times local

Tuesday 7 August: POL-ANG (18:00)
Thursday 9 August: SVK-POL (18:00)
Friday 10 August: ROU-POL (18:00)
Sunday 12 August: POL-GER (18:00)
Monday 13 August: POL-BRA (18:00)

 

IHF & World Championship Social Media

Follow the Poland 2018 IHF Women’s Youth World Championship on our website, on IHF Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, as well as on the official event website, Facebook and Twitter channels.

 

Photo: Polish Handball Federation