Iceland seal last worlds spot after placement matches

The W19 EHF EURO 2023 will conclude on Sunday with the last four matches, the highlight being the final between Denmark and Hungary, scheduled at 18:45 CEST in Pitești Arena.

• the top 13 teams, plus hosts North Macedonia, were due to qualify for the 2024 IHF Women’s Junior World Championship, therefore the game between Iceland and Serbia, the Placement Match 13/14, decided the last team to earn a ticket to the competition
• the Nordic side finished off the W19 EHF EURO 2023 in big style, winning their last three games and totally dominated Serbia, with a 16:10 lead at the break morphing into a clear 33:22 win
• Iceland’s left wing, Lilja Ágústsdóttir, jumped to third place in the top goal scorer standings, with 48 goals, after scoring nine times in the game against Serbia
• in the Placement Match 15/16, North Macedonia dealt Croatia their seventh loss in a row, 31:26, finishing the competition on a high, after conceding six losses in the first six matches
• after a well-balanced first half, Germany powered through in the second half against the Czech Republic, taking a dominant 36:22 win in the Placement Match 11/12, equalling their worst finish since 2011, when they also ended up in 11^th place
• goalkeeper Bianca Schansema saved 13 of the first 18 shots she faced, for an outstanding 72.2% saving efficiency, lifting the Netherlands to a 27:13 win over Norway in the Placement Match 9/10
• the W19 EHF EURO 2023 will conclude on Sunday in Pitești with four games, including the final between Denmark and Hungary (18:45 CEST) and the bronze medal game between Portugal and hosts Romania (16:30 CEST)

Iceland celebrate fourth World Championship berth

As the W19 EHF EURO 2023 is slowly reaching the its climax after some scintillating handball delivered by the top young talents in Europe, Iceland was the last team to secure a place at the 2024 IHF Women’s Junior World Championship, with a straightforward win over Serbia, 33:22.

The winner was not a matter of debate, as the Nordic side had excellent performances from Lilja Ágústsdóttir and Katrin Anna Asmundsdottir, who combined for 16 goals, as Iceland celebrated only their fourth World Championship berth in history and their first since 2018.

North Macedonia, Germany and the Netherlands also clinched wins to secure a better place in the final standings, while Croatia were the only side to lose seven games out of seven and ended up in 16^th place.