“I hope I will make it true — that dream for myself”

It is a unique moment in the players’ handball endeavours — where they stand on the cusp of pursuing professional careers, but still have plenty to learn. As such, events like the W19 EHF EURO 2025 not only serve as competitions that decide titles but also as education for the future stars of the sport. They are learning more about how best to perform as a team, how to overcome obstacles such as unexpected losses and developing on an individual level.

Germany are one of four teams that will play the semi-finals on Friday evening, taking on Denmark. Goalkeeper Lena Lindemann looked back on their journey through the W19 EHF EURO, which has unbeaten up to now.

“It was very hard for us because we had very hard other teams we played against. But I think after every game, we learned something, and we grow. It's a good journey and a beautiful journey. I think it’s nice when we all look back,” said the 19-year-old.  

Germany have taken five wins and one draw, versus fellow semi-finalists Spain, who themselves have recorded four wins, the draw and one loss on the path to the medal round. Spain line player Kelly Fonkeng says that one of the challenges for her team has been dealing with injuries and staying focused through that, trying not to look too far ahead.

“We were having many injuries and we changed all the team,” says Fonkeng. “The thing that we did is focus on our own, do what we can reach, and we tried to be a team every game.”

Austria are another side among the top four, and for them the W19 EHF EURO has been a rocket of an experience, as they took an unexpected quarter-final victory over France to make it to the medal round. The win was unexpected because Austria had been decisively defeated by France in the last match of the main round — but such a turnaround between games is a significant lesson for both sides that each match is a new one. For Austria, the lesson was clearly the importance of mentality.

“I think we're underdogs,” said goalkeeper Nina Plavotic, who already has EHF European League experience with Hypo Niederösterreich. “We are a small country, but I think we proved that we are a big team and we can achieve everything.

“At the beginning, it wasn't our game and out tournament, but step by step, we proved that we are bigger, and we can play with the big teams. We won against France. I think that’s the biggest achievement.” 

Although everything the players experience at the W19 EHF EURO will lend to their growth as handball athletes, not all the lessons feel positive in the moment. Türkiye’s Buket Seven is among the top scorers of the EURO, with 46 goals in six games. Seven’s team placed third in group F, behind Croatia and Austria, and therefore went on to the intermediate round.

“It's a good tournament. A good experience for us — me and all the whole team, but we are not happy because we are not playing like us. We are getting bad results, but we are trying to improve the team and individually. I don't think I can play as myself. I want to see my play better every day,” said Seven. “We have to improve ourselves still.”

A challenging part of being a young player is feeling what you have within you but knowing you are not quite there yet — knowing there is a lot of work to do. As First Vice-President of the EHF Predrag Boskovic said at the opening of the Respect Your Talent session on Wednesday morning, it is a long way from being a talent to a top player.

To that end, Seven knows her strengths and what she needs to work on; what she has not been satisfied with at the EURO:

“I can do one-against-one. I can do good things, but I can't do the outside shots,” she said. “I will try to improve those skills. But I think I am so far good at this one-against-one, and I will try to improve my passes, my outside shots. I have a disadvantage because of my height, but I will try to do it in time.”

What players like Seven may not realise is that these are the same kinds of things even the likes of EHF Excellence Awards MVPs for the 2024/25 season and current back-to-back IHF World Players of the Year Henny Reistad and Mathias Gidsel spoke about in their “My Game” features. The learning never stops, but when a young player can already look honestly at their game and see what they do well and what they can do better, they are certainly on the right track. 

As the U19 players look to how their handball careers will unfold after graduating from the Younger Age Category level, it is not only a time for developing, but a time for dreaming. The biggest dreams might feel far away right now, but all the players know the importance of patience while putting in the work to achieve them.

“First, next season, I play in the second league in Germany. My goal one day is to play the first league, and the Champions League, but step by step,” said Lindemann, while Fonkeng highlighted the importance of keeping joy in the game.

“I’m really happy playing handball right now, and that’s the most important for me,” said the Spain line player. “I played since I was small, so I want to reach as high as possible.”

The W19 EHF EURO offers another element crucial in the achievement of dreams — being seen, as Plavotic highlighted:

“I think a step further in European handball will be my next step. I hope so. And I think this tournament is the perfect space to be seen by every club, and I hope this step will be taken in the future.”

While Lindemann, Fonkeng and Plavotic may have opportunity to significantly develop at home, Seven sets her sights outside of Türkiye’s borders. 

“My main goal, my purpose, is to play abroad in different countries and experience new teams. So far, I feel good. I will try to play better. This is a big stage for me and for my teammates. I am thinking that I played good so far, but I have to keep going, play good and show myself on this stage. I hope I will make it true — that dream for myself — and I will succeed.” 

Photos: Rukometni savez Crne Gore