Yesterday at Karteros, outside Heraklion, Spain’s youth beach handball team kept nothing in reserve as they defeated a skilled Netherlands team to become world champions. Likewise, Croatia’s excellent men’s team captured the 2022 Men’s Youth World Championship in a thrilling effort.
The IHF Beach Handball World Championships continue in Crete, Greece where more than 2,000 participants from 64 countries have gathered to compete on the pristine beaches outside Crete’s capital, Heraklion. With the youth division winding up yesterday, the 10th IHF Men’s and Women’s Senior’s Beach Handball World Championships will take place this week from 21 to 26 June 2022 at Karteros.
Yesterday’s Highlights
Croatia has emerged as the 2022 IHF Men’s Youth Beach Handball World Champions via a tough match that ended in a shootout with Brazil. Iran, France, and Argentina rounded out the top 5 finishers. The MVP of the games was Germany’s Lars Zelser, with the Best goalkeeper trophy going to Antonio Kranjcevic, of Croatia. The tournament’s Best Left-Wing award was taken home by Spain’s Eduardo Escobedo Romero.
Spain’s junior women secured an emotional victory over a tough Netherlands team with a single-point shootout. The match was momentous for many reasons, not the least of which was a world championship finals record 30 points scored by Spain in the first period and the Netherlands in the second. Highlights of the 2022 IHF Women’s Youth Beach Handball World Championship included:
- Spain won a shoot-out final 2-1 with a single-point shot
- The Netherlands took home the silver
- Poland defeated Hungary in a shoot-out 2-1 for bronze
- Netherlands’ Eva Heuten took home the Women’s MVP, top-scorer, and best-left wing awards
Coming up on Tuesday, the IHF Beach Volleyball World Championships continue with senior men’s and women’s matches tipping off at Karteros. For schedules and more information, visit the official IHF website here, their Facebook, or Instagram feeds. Check back here for news and updates.