Reigning champions Brazil and Greece will be gunning for glory at the ninth edition of the Men’s and Women’s Beach Handball World Championships set to run from June 21 to 26 in Heraklion.
In the women’s competition, the hosts will be defending their title from Kazan 2018 where they beat Norway 2-1 in the final.
The upcoming event in Crete is set to be the first since then as the 2020 edition scheduled to take place in Pescara was cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Greece has been drawn into group A alongside Portugal, Mexico, and Thailand.
“Playing at home will be really fantastic, the place will be beautiful, the courts will be full, and you can’t imagine how much I am looking forward for the World Championship to start,” said Greece’s Magdalini Kepesidou.
“Reaching the top of the world is easier than maintaining there, so I think our mission is harder than in Kazan but that doesn’t mean that we will not give everything we have to defend our title.”
Group B consists of Denmark, Spain, Vietnam, and the United States while Argentina, The Netherlands, Uruguay, and Oceania champions Australia make up group C.
Germany have been put into group D and are one of the tournament favourites after winning gold at the European Championship last year in Bulgaria.
They are joined by Norway, Hungary, and defending Pan American champions Brazil.
Brazil occupy first seed in group D of the men’s competition and will face Portugal, Qatar and New Zealand in the opening stage, a challenge which they are relishing.
“We’re obviously stoked to play Brazil – what else can you say?” said New Zealand head coach Tim Rayner.
“They have won everything.
“It is exciting to have Qatar in our pool as it’s a team we played in Russia, at Kazan 2018, and felt if we executed well could have pushed towards getting a victory.”
The hosts face a tough challenge in group B next to Pan American semi-finalists Argentina and the US with Puerto Rico also able to produce an upset.
Croatia, Spain, Uruguay and Ecuador are set to compete in group B while group C will see Denmark, Norway, and Iran all face off.
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