Beautiful sandy beach of Oceanside, Calfornia/USA was scenario for recently finished 2018 Pan American Men’s & Women’s Beach Handball Championships. 16 national teams participated on this event which was qualificational for IHF BH World Championship 2018 that will be held at the end of July in Kazan, Russia.
After four days of competition, winners of bronze medals were decided in matches of the girls of Paraguay and Mexico (2:1 – 20:12, 13:14, 8:4) and boys of USA and Argentina (2:0 – 24:14; 17:14). Final matches were held with same national teams, Uruguay and Brasil.
Once again, both Brasilian teams won gold medals (straight 2:0 in female and shoot-out victory in male final), but Championship showed that beside well known Beach Handball teams from this country, there are a lot of other national teams able to compete on top Global level. Chance to show that and represent Pan America in Kazan will have Brasil and Uruguay in both female and male competition, while Mexico and Paraguay in female and USA and Argentina in male will almost complete the list of the WCh participants. After European, Asian and Oceanian competitions, we are just waiting for best African teams that will join teams RUS, ESP, NOR, POL, DEN, GRE, THA, VIE, TPE, AUS, BRA, URU, PAR, MEX in female’s competition and RUS, CRO, ESP, HUN, SWE, QAT, OMA, IRA, VIE, AUS, BRA, ARG, USA, URU in male.
IHF Beach Handball World Championships will be held from 24 till 29 of July.
X.Q
Photo credit to: Santiago Russo/USA Team Handball
