The inaugural Women's U16 World Championship is set to take place from October 16 to 24 in Agadir, Morocco. The German team secured their spot in this prestigious event by clinching the title at the U16 EHF European Open held in July in Gothenburg. With the tournament approaching, the final roster for the championship has been officially announced.

Head coach Gino Smits has selected 16 talented players born in 2010 and 2011 to represent Germany. Most of these athletes were part of the squad that triumphed at the U16 European Open. However, due to injury concerns, three adjustments have been made to the lineup, welcoming Noemi Kamen, Janne Uthmann, and Alina Mangold to the team. "We hope that all players remain injury-free leading up to the start of preparations," stated Smits.

Exciting Matchups Await as Germany Prepares for the Championship

The upcoming championship presents not only a series of sporting challenges against new opponents but also a unique opportunity for all players to experience competing at a world-class level. The tournament will feature 16 teams from five continents, making it a truly global event. Germany's first match will take place on October 16 at 13:45 (local time), where they will face Mexico. Following this, they have matches scheduled against Tunisia on October 18 at 13:45 (local time) and Uzbekistan on October 20 at 18:15 (local time).

The German U16 team will embark on their journey to Morocco from Cologne on October 14. In the interim, the coaching staff is diligently preparing for their group stage opponents. "We have ample video material to prepare for our opening match against Mexico. However, we currently lack recent footage of Uzbekistan and Tunisia, which we will acquire just before the tournament starts," explained coach Gino Smits. Despite the challenging dynamics of the competition, the team has clear objectives: "Our goal is to win the group and qualify for the semifinals."

The four group winners will advance to the semifinals, vying for medals, while the second-placed teams will compete for positions five to eight. The third-placed teams will battle for spots nine to twelve, and the fourth-placed teams will play for positions thirteen to sixteen.

The following players will represent Germany at the Women's U16 World Championship:

  • Mariella Koumtoudji (HSG Bensheim/Auerbach)
  • Emma Schneeberger (SC Germania List / SV Altencelle)
  • Janne Uthmann (BVB 09 Dortmund)
  • Nika Lemke (Handewitter SV)
  • Mia Hinz (Turnerschaft St. Tönis / TuS Lintfort)
  • Nora Lueg (BVB 09 Dortmund)
  • Alina Mangold (HSG Stuttgart Metzingen)
  • Azelya Alici (Handewitter SV)
  • Noemi Kamen (HSV Solingen-Gräfrath 76 e.V.)
  • Tilda Plöhn (Handewitter SV)
  • Romy Sieber (HC Leipzig)
  • Carlotta Maria Werum (HSG Kleenheim-Langgöns e.V. / FSV Mainz 05)
  • Taya Nagel (Füchse Berlin / Berliner TSC)
  • Paulina Glomb (JSG Westfalen/PSV Recklinghausen)
  • Jana Skill (HSG Bensheim/Auerbach)
  • Mercy Hacker (Füchse Berlin / Berliner TSC)

The preliminary matches for the German U16 women are as follows:

  • Friday, October 16, 13:45 (local time): Germany vs. Mexico
  • Sunday, October 18, 13:45 (local time): Tunisia vs. Germany
  • Tuesday, October 20, 18:15 (local time): Germany vs. Uzbekistan

As reported by dhb.de.