The inaugural 2026 IHF Women’s Under-16 World Championship is taking place in the vibrant city of Agadir, Morocco, and as the preliminary rounds come to a close on Tuesday, October 20, the excitement is palpable among the 16 participating teams. This championship marks a significant milestone in international women’s handball, showcasing young talent from around the globe. The anticipation builds as four teams prepare to secure their spots in the semi-finals following a series of intense matches.
The schedule for the final day of preliminary rounds is set, featuring thrilling matchups that will determine the four semi-finalists. In Group A, the United States of America will face Kazakhstan at 14:00 GMT, while hosts Morocco will take on the People’s Republic of China later in the day at 18:30 GMT. Group B showcases Guinea against Belarus and Hungary matched up with Paraguay, both games set for 14:00 GMT and 18:30 GMT respectively. Groups C and D will also see action, with notable matches including Mexico vs Tunisia and Switzerland vs Russia, both kicking off at 11:45 GMT, followed by Germany vs Uzbekistan and Argentina vs Egypt at 16:15 GMT.
As it stands, four teams—People’s Republic of China, Hungary, Germany, and Russia—are positioned strongly to advance to the semi-finals, having won their initial two matches. The dynamics of the games are such that China could still progress even with a 13-goal loss against Morocco, depending on the outcome of the USA vs Kazakhstan match. Similarly, Hungary and Germany have strategic scenarios that could see them through even with potential losses. China leads the scoring charts with 104 goals, followed closely by Germany and Russia, while their defensive capabilities are equally impressive, with China conceding only 32 goals and Germany 38.
Individual performances have also shone through, with China’s Meishan Du emerging as the top scorer of the tournament, netting an incredible 27 goals with a shooting efficiency of 77%. Following her are Kazakhstan’s Nurdana Kyrgyzbay with 20 goals and Uzbekistan’s Fazilat Imomova with 18 goals. In terms of goalkeeping, Uzbekistan’s Zilola Usmonova and Paraguay’s Alejandra Lucia Caceres Niro have each made 27 saves, but it is China’s Na Wu who stands out with a saving efficiency of 68.7% after the first two matches. The culmination of these preliminary rounds promises to set the stage for an exhilarating semi-final round in this historic championship hosted in Morocco.
As reported by ihf.info.
