India won the 16th Asian Women's Junior Handball Championship
Kuwait, 14 March 2022
For the first time in history, India won the Asian Women’s Junior (U-21) Handball Championship. Five (5) teams were in Kazakhstan competing for the continental title and a spot at the 23rd IHF Women’s Junior Handball World Championships in 2022, to be held in Slovenia. A total of 10 games were played at the Universal Sports Complex Dostyk, Almaty from March 7 to 14, 2022.
India’s triumph makes them the sole occupants of a gold medal in the championship’s all-time medals table, after the Republic of Korea. Korea has won all the fifteen (15) previous editions of the championship since the inaugural edition in 1990.
Despite being one of the low-level teams in Asia, India was able to win a gold medal this time as the Republic of Korea withdrew from this edition of the championship after the draw due to unavoidable circumstances, whereas medal winners of the previous editions, Japan, China, and Chinese Taipei, didn’t participate due to the COVID-19 pandemic. India has been continuously participating in the Asian Championships in recent years, and this has helped them gain experience. For the first time in the history of the championship, India defeated Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
The Islamic Republic of Iran is also a team that created history this time. A podium finish with a silver medal and a ticket to the World Championship is motivating for the junior girls, whose seniors participated for the first time in the IHF Women’s Handball World Championship back in Spain in December 2021.
India and the Islamic Republic of Iran will now represent Asia in the 23rd IHF Women’s Junior Handball World Championship to be held from June 22nd to July 3rd, 2022 in Slovenia. It will be the first time that India will participate in the World Handball Championship as any level.
Final Rankings:
- India *
- Islamic Republic of Iran *
- Kazakhstan
- Uzbekistan
- Thailand
(*) Qualified for the 23rd IHF Women’s Junior Handball World Championship, 22 June to 3 July 2022 in Slovenia.
The full results of the championship can be found here.
