EHF Beach Handball Euro 2021 Preliminary Round Groups Revealed
With 97 days until the start of the EHF Beach Handball EURO 2021, the European Handball Federation has revealed the competition’s preliminary round groups.
The 12th EHF Beach Handball EURO will take place in Varna, Bulgaria, between 13 and 18 July, with 19 men’s and 18 women’s teams fighting for the title. The under-17 event will be played the week immediately (8 until 11 July) in the same city.
Women’s draw
In the women’s competition, the 18 teams have been split into four groups, based on their beach handball ranking, with two groups of five teams and two groups of four teams. At the end of the preliminary round, the top three teams will progress to the main round, with two groups of six teams.
The most balanced group in the women’s tournament is Group A, as ANOC World Beach Games Qatar 2019 Gold medallists and reigning champions Denmark will face beach ranking leaders Spain and former European champions Ukraine and Italy, with Turkey completing the group.
The silver medallists at the 2018 IHF Women’s Beach Handball World Championship, Norway, have been drawn into Group B, which will provide serious entertainment. Two-time European champions Hungary and Croatia, hosts Bulgaria and Romania complete the line-up in this group.
Four nations line-up in group C, headed by 2019 bronze medallists Netherlands, with the Dutch drawn with 2006 champions Germany, Portugal and Switzerland.
Reigning world champions Greece have been drawn into Group D, alongside two-time European champions Russia, Poland and France.
Men’s draw
In the men’s tournament, 19 teams have also been split into four groups, with three groups of five teams and one group of four teams. The best three teams are set to progress to the main round.
European title holders Denmark aim to retain their title, yet their path to another trophy could be challenging. Three-time European champions Spain and Norway, the silver medallists at the last EHF Beach Handball EURO, are also in Group A, with Romania and Turkey filling the other two places.
Former world champions Croatia have been drawn in Group C, alongside Poland, Switzerland, Sweden and hosts Bulgaria, with strong chances to proceed to the main round.
Russia, the most decorated team in the history of the EHF Beach Handball EURO, will face Germany, Portugal and the Netherlands in Group D, while the bronze medallists of the last edition, Hungary, were placed into Group B alongside Ukraine, France, Italy and Greece.
Under-17 draw
One week ahead of the EHF Beach Handball EURO 2021, the Under-17 EHF Beach Handball EURO 2021 will also take place in Varna, between 8 and 11 July.
In both the women’s and men’s tournaments, six groups were drawn, with three teams each, as the winners will proceed to the main round.
Reigning champions Spain will face France and Switzerland in Group A of the women’s tournament, while Hungary, the silver medallists of the last EURO, play in Group B, alongside hosts Bulgaria and Greece.
In the men’s competition, Croatia aim to retain their title, facing Switzerland and hosts Bulgaria in Group C, while the most balanced group is set to be Group A, where Spain and the Netherlands, the teams which played the bronze-medal game at the last EURO, are joined by Sweden.
Read more on the IHF website and the EHF website.
Source: https://www.ihf.info and https://www.eurohandball.com
