For the first time ever beach handball will be part of an Olympic programme, when it is contested at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires. The IHF is therefore organising the first Men’s and Women’s U17 Beach Handball World Championship to be held later this year in Mauritius, where teams from around the world will compete for places at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.
Oceanian teams begin the journey toward Mauritius and Buenos Aires in early May, with teams from Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa and Kiribati taking to the sand alongside hosts Cook Islands to fight for two World Championship places available in each gender. Preliminary matches will be held on May 3 and 4, with the play-offs and finals on May 5 on Nikao Beach Volleyball Court in Rarotonga.
Teams from Europe, Asia and Pan America have already booked their places at the World Championship in Mauritius, which will run from July 11th to 16th.
The nations already qualified are:
Men’s youth: Mauritius, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, Pakistan, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Russia, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Paraguay
Women’s youth: Mauritius, China, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Norway, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Paraguay
Fans can follow the Oceania IHF U17 Beach Handball World Championships – Men's & Women's Qualification Games on the Cook Islands Handball Federation official Facebook page here.