Germany in a double pack: U17 teams aim for World Cup gold against Spain!

Germany in a double pack: U17 teams aim for World Cup gold against Spain!

What an exciting day for German beach handball! On June 22, 2025, both the male and female selections will reach for the coveted World Cup gold in the final of the U17 World Championships. The place where it happened: Tunisia. The German teams prevailed in a thrilling tournament and now face their opponents, the Spanish national teams. The kick-off for the female selection takes place at 6 p.m., while the men's team starts at 7 p.m., all according to German time.

The road to the final wasn't a walk in the park. The female team, coached by Michael Fasold, celebrated a convincing 2-0 win against Hungary in the semi-finals and is looking forward to the challenge against Spain, who they have not yet had the opportunity to get to know in person during the tournament. In contrast, the male selection met the team from Spain in the main round and was able to win after winning the shootout against Hungary in the semi-finals. National coach Konrad Bansa is emotionally touched by this success and emphasizes the good squad planning.

Heading towards the Youth Olympic Games

The successes of the two teams are not only a reason to celebrate, but also a golden opportunity! Both teams have the chance to qualify for the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar (Senegal). This depends on the IHF's admission criteria and the decision of the German Olympic Sports Confederation. The German Handball Federation (DHB) plans to express interest in participating to the DOSB by July 31st at the latest, should the two teams reach the final.

A look at the participants and the competition

These World Championships are the 3rd IHF Men's and Women's Youth (U17) Beach Handball World Championships, which will take place in Tunisia from June 17th to 22nd. Several countries compete in the men's and women's competitions, including Brazil, Hungary and of course Spain. The draw, which took place on April 10, 2025, placed the teams in different pots, which explains the exciting constellation of games.

The competition is also an excellent opportunity for the young talents to present themselves in front of the eyes of the German Handball Association. Over the last few months, the players from the 2008 and 2009 vintages showed impressive performances in various screening processes and at the German Youth Championship. This continuous work by the coaches and the successes on the field are the key to the success of the two national teams.

Ingo Meckes, sports director of the DHB, describes the joint finals for men and women as extraordinary and promising for the future development of German beach handball. This marks an exciting time for the athletes, but the first steps towards international success have already been taken.

We're keeping our fingers crossed for the German teams and are looking forward to a thrilling final against Spain!