A glimpse into the future with YAC All-star teams

The summer of 2021 has given us a fascinating insight into the future of handball with an incredible 10 Younger Age Category events across Europe.

At each of these events, All-star teams were named, so get familiar with the names in this piece as we may be reading a lot more about them as they set the handball scene alight in years to come.

Kajdon and Hungary stay on top

Hungary claimed double gold in the women's events for the second time in a row and it comes as no surprise that they were well-represented in the All-star teams.

Five Hungarian players got the not, including W19 EHF EURO MVP Blanka Kajdon, retaining the individual title she claimed two years ago at under 17 level.

No country in the top tier events matched Hungary's collection of all-stars but one emerging nation managed to eclipse it in the EHF Championship events.

Faroe Islands had an astonishing eight players make the All-star teams across three events, spearheaded by Elias Ellefsen a Skipagotu, who has already impressed with the senior national team, as he led his side M19 EHF Championship glory in Bulgaria with an MVP and top-scoring performance.

Here is an overview of the All-star teams across all 10 YAC events this summer.

W19 EHF EURO, Slovenia

Goalkeeper: Veronika Chipula (Russia)
Left wing: Maja Merai (Hungary)
Left back: Daria Statsenko (Russia)
Centre back: Lena Grandveau (France)
Right back: Nina Koppang (Sweden)
Right wing: Bruna Zrnic (Croatia)
Line player: Sarah Bouktit (France)
Best defender: Charité Mumbongo (Sweden)
MVP: Blanka Kajdon (Hungary)
Top scorer: Katarina Pandza (Austria) - 68 goals

W19 EHF Championship, North Macedonia

Goalkeeper: Rakul S. Wardum (Faroe Islands)
Left wing: Sara Minovska (North Macedonia)
Left back: Catharina Molenaar (Netherlands)
Centre back: Julia Niewiadomska (Poland)
Right back: Anasaiya Sivukhna (Belarus)
Right wing: Rakel Sara Elvarsdottir (Iceland)
Pivot: Fanny Reinikainen (Finland)
Best defender: Britt Maarschalkerweerd (Netherlands)
MVP: Catharina Molenaar (Netherlands)
Top Scorer: Jana Mittún (Faroe Islands) – 44 goals

W19 EHF Championship, Italy

Goalkeeper: Skirmante Gekaite (Lithuania)
Left wing: Dominyka Andronik (Lithuania)
Left back: Lana Mijailovic (Serbia)
Centre back: Nerea Canas Cadenas (Spain)
Line player: Bevelyn Eghianruwa (Italy)
Right back: Giulia Fabbo (Italy)
Right wing: Mante Voskresenskaja (Lithuania)
Best defender: Marija Ilic (Serbia)
MVP: Ramona Manojlovic (Italy)
Top scorer: Mari Tomova (Bulgaria) – 57 goals

W17 EHF EURO 2021, Montenegro

Goalkeeper: Klara Zaj (Hungary)
Left wing: Katja Vukovic (Croatia)
Left back: Julie Mathiesen Scaglione (Denmark)
Centre back: Alina Reshetnikova (Russia)
Line player: Kata Juhasz (Hungary)
Right back: Viola Leuchter (Germany)
Right wing: Mia Emmenegger (Switzerland)
Defender: Daria Lavrenteva (Russia)
MVP: Julia Farkas (Hungary)
Top scorer: Viola Leuchter (Germany) - 55 goals

W17 EHF Championship 2021, Georgia

Goalkeeper: Anja Cvetkovic (Serbia)
Left wing: Natasa Cetkovic (Serbia)
Left back: Jalisha Loy (Netherlands)
Centre back: Maria Palsdottir Nolsoy (Faroe Islands)
Line player: Romee Maarschalkerweerd (Netherlands)
Right back: Milica Acimovic (Serbia)
Right wing: Karin Egholm (Faroe Islands)
Best defender: Aurora Gislimberti (Italy)
MVP: Jalisha Loy (Netherlands)
Top scorers: Arge Lukka (Faroe Islands) and Valeriia Nesterenko (Ukraine) - 33 goals

W17 EHF Championship 2021, Lithuania

Goalkeeper: Marija Jovanovska (North Macedonia)
Left wing: Emilia Wieckowska (Poland)
Left back: Carmen Arroyo Pimienta (Spain)
Centre back: Joanna Granicka (Spain)
Line player: Elisa Eliasdottir (Iceland)
Right back: Tinna Sigurros Traustadottir (Iceland)
Right wing: Teodora Dukoska (North Macedonia)
Defender: Lilja Agustsdottir (Iceland)
MVP: Iva Mladenovska (North Macedonia)
Top Scorer: Ulyana Petrachkova (Belarus) - 42 goals 

M19 EHF EURO 2021, Croatia

Goalkeeper: David Späth (Germany)
Left wing: Ivan Barbic (Croatia)
Left back: Elliot Stenmalm (Sweden)
Centre back: Mitja Janc (Slovenia)
Line player: Javier Rodriguez (Spain)
Right back: Renars Uscins (Germany)
Right wing: Francisco Costa (Portugal)
Best defender: Mislav Obradovic (Croatia)
MVP: Mitja Janc (Slovenia)
Top scorers: Elliot Stenmalm (Sweden) and Mitja Janc (Slovenia) - 61 goals

M19 EHF Championship 2021, Bulgaria

Goalkeeper: Pauli Jacobsen (Faroe Islands)
Left wing: Stanislau Sadouski (Belarus)
Left back: Ihar Bialiauski (Belarus)
Centre back: Jonas Patzel (Czech Republic)
Line player: Bozhidar Simeonov (Bulgaria)
Right back: Kyril Samoila (Belarus)
Right wing: Hakun West Av Teigum (Faroe Islands)
Best defender: Andrei Pushkin (Belarus)
MVP: Elias Ellefsen a Skipagotu (Faroe Islands)
Top scorer: Elias Ellefsen a Skipagotu (Faroe Islands) - 44 goals

M19 EHF Championship 2021, North Macedonia

Goalkeeper: Jakub Alaj (Poland)
Left wing: Petar Atanasijevikj (North Macedonia)
Left back: Kotsionis Konstantinos (Greece)
Centre back: Marko Mitev (North Macedonia)
Line player: Joel Willecke (Switzerland)
Right back: Berin Keso (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Right wing: Filip Michalowicz (Poland)
Best defender: Joel Willecke (Switzerland)
MVP: Marko Mitev (North Macedonia)
Top scorer: Ivano Pavlovic (Bosnia Herzegovina) - 35 goals 

M19 EHF Championship 2021, Latvia

Goalkeeper: Aleksandru Mihai Paska (Romania)
Left wing: Denis Veres (Romania)
Left back: Arsenije Dragasevic (Montenegro)
Centre back: Radojica Cepic (Montenegro)
Line player: Jevgenijs Rogonovs (Latvia)
Right back: Ids Eussen (Netherlands)
Right wing: Vojislav Vukic (Montenegro)
Best defender: Jelta Hiemstra (Netherlands)
MVP: Radojica Cepic (Montenegro)
Top scorer: Endjis Kusners (Latvia) - 46 goals