The northern Montenegrin town of Zabljak played host to the 13th Mediterranean Handball Confederation’s (MHC) Women’s Mediterranean Handball Championship over a week last month as seven teams featuring players born in 2002 onwards from around the region fought it out for the title.

 

Alongside hosts Montenegro (MNE), France (FRA), Italy (ITA), Tunisia (TUN), Slovenia (SLO), Turkey (TUR) and invited team Romania (ROU) were all in Montenegro for the games which featured slightly different rules for the MHC: a game has a duration of 45 minutes consisting of 3 x 15-minute periods (except for the final which is 3 x 20 minutes).

 

Whichever team wins the respective period gets a point, a draw equals 0.5 points for each team and the overall winner of the match gets two points, a draw is one point each. The final scoring of each match should add up to five points. So, if a team wins all three periods, and therefore the game, it is 1+1+1+2 = 5 points.

 

After 31 games in Zabljak, it was France who emerged victorious with the gold medal, replicating the ranking of their male side who won the men’s title back in February in Marrakech. In the final they came from behind to beat the previously unbeaten Romania 28:22 (10:11, 9:8, 9:3). It was some revenge for the French who had lost their only game of the competition against their final opponents early on in the group stage 23:21.

 

At the end of that group stage, Romania led the proceedings with 27 points from their six games, scoring 166 goals. France were in second on 23.5 points, scoring 124 goals.

 

Slovenia were placed third with 18 points and 100 goals ahead of hosts Montenegro in fourth on 14.5 points and with 86 strikes. Italy finished the stage fifth with 12 points and 110 goals and at the bottom were Turkey in sixth with 9.5 points and 97 goals just ahead of Tunisia with 0.5 points and 73 goals.

 

Slovenia beat the hosts Montenegro 22:20 (6:5, 5:7, 7:6) to take bronze overall, but finished second in the Mediterranean nations ranking with Montenegro third. Romania received the ‘Special MHC Trophy’ reserved for guest teams from non-Mediterranean countries.

 

All games from Zabljak were streamed live on www.mnesport.me as the competition continues to grow in the region with increased spectator and media awareness.

 

The first Women’s Mediterranean Handball Championship took place in Italy in 2004 then, MNE (2006), FRA (2007), TUR (2008), ITA (2009), CRO (2010), ITA (2011), ISR (2012), MNE (2013), TUN (2015), MNE (2016) and TUN (2017).

 

The championships are governed by the Mediterranean Handball Confederation, which was formed back in June 1999 in Cairo, Egypt, originally as the Mediterranean Handball Association, and with IHF President Dr Hassan Moustafa as their founding President. Original member countries included ALG, CYP, EGY, GRE, ITA, LBA, MAR, POR, SYR, TUN, TUR and the former Yugoslavia. In February 2003 the association changed to a confederation and an Executive Committee was formed.

 

FINAL RANKING

(number in brackets represents Mediterranean ranking)

 

1 – France (FRA) (1)

2 – Romania (ROU)

3 – Slovenia (SLO) (2)

4 – Montenegro (MNE) (3)

5 – Turkey (TUR) (4)

6 – Tunisia (TUN) (5)

7 – Italy (ITA) (6)

 

RESULTS

 

Monday 23 April

 

FRA vs ITA 25:18 (10:6, 6:6, 9:6)

ROU vs TUN 28:14 (11:4, 8:4, 9:5)

TUR vs MNE 13:14 (4:4, 5:4, 4:6)

SLO vs ROU 19:30 (4:12, 6:9, 9:9)

MNE vs FRA 11:14 (2:6, 3:4, 6:4)

TUN vs TUR 10:21 (4:5, 1:6, 5:10)

 

Tuesday 24 April

 

ITA vs MNE 10:13 (2:5, 3:4, 5:4)

TUN vs FRA 10:22 (3:7, 4:8, 3:7)

TUR vs SLO 12:18 (4:4, 5:8, 3:6)

FRA vs ROU 21:23 (5:7, 7:8, 9:8)

ITA vs SLO 18:22 (7:6, 7:7, 4:9)

TUN vs MNE 10:23 (4:10, 2:5, 4:8)

 

Wednesday 25 April

 

ROU vs ITA 31:14 (12:4, 11:4, 8:6)

MNE vs SLO 9:18 (3:7, 2:5, 4:6)

FRA vs TUR 19:12 (5:7, 9:3, 5:2)

ITA vs TUN 27:16 (8:7, 7:4, 12:5)

SLO vs FRA 5:23 (2:7, 1:7, 2:9)

ROU vs TUR 31:21 (12:9, 10:3, 9:9)

 

Thursday 26 April

 

SLO vs TUN 18:13 (4:4, 6:4, 8:5)

MNE vs ROU 16:23 (8:7, 3:8, 5:8)

TUR vs ITA 18:23 (7:5, 6:7, 5:11)

 

Friday 27 April

 

FRA vs TUN 19:12 (8:6, 5:4, 6:2)

SLO vs TUR 25:20 (9:4, 6:7, 10:9)

MNE vs ITA 19:13 (10:4, 5:2, 4:7)

 

Placement 5/6/7: TUN vs TUR 24:21 (8:3, 9:8, 7:10)

 

Semi-Final 1: FRA vs SLO 26:20 (10:7, 9:7, 7:6)

Semi-Final 2: ROU vs MNE 21:13 (6:3, 7:8, 8:2)

 

Saturday 28 April

 

Placement 5/6/7: TUR vs ITA 21:15 (6:4, 8:5, 7:6)

Placement 5/6/7: TUN vs ITA 14:17 (5:6, 3:6, 6:5)

 

Bronze: SLO vs MNE 22:20 (6:5, 5:7, 7:6)

Final: ROU vs FRA 22:28 (11:10, 8:9, 3:9)

 

For further information about the Mediterranean Handball Confederation visit: www.mediterraneanhandballconfederation.org.

 

Photos: Jozo Cabraja/Katal Media/MHC