Korean Women’s Handball Team Begins Pursuit of World Championship Glory
The Korean women’s national handball team departed for Tunisia on November 19th to compete in the 27th World Women’s Championship, facing a challenging road ahead in Group H against formidable opponents. The team will first engage in crucial preparation, including friendly matches and intensive training, before the tournament’s group stage commences.
The national squad is bracing for intense competition in Group H, which features European powerhouses like Norway and other strong contenders. Following their departure, the team will initially travel to Tunisia for two friendly matches against the local national team, serving as a final assessment of their readiness. Subsequently, they will relocate to Trier, Germany, to finalize preparations for the group stage.
Korea faces a difficult path in the tournament’s group stage, drawn into Group H alongside Norway, considered a top contender; Angola, a dominant force in African handball; and Asian rival Kazakhstan. Historical matchups paint a clear picture of the challenges ahead. Korea’s record against Norway stands at 7 wins, 1 draw, and 11 losses, while they have secured 8 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses against Angola. Their most favorable record is against Kazakhstan, with 26 wins and 2 losses.
Norway is widely regarded as the most significant obstacle, consistently ranked among the world’s elite, having secured second place at the 26th World Championships and the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Despite this, the Korean team aims to draw inspiration from past victories against Norway at the 2005 and 2009 World Championships, hoping to achieve their first win in 16 years.
Angola, with championship titles from the 17th and 18th World Championships, also presents a substantial threat. They are heavily favored to secure a win against Kazakhstan, maintaining an undefeated streak against their Asian counterparts since 2011.
“We will conduct a final inspection of tactics and player condition through training in Tunisia,” stated the national team’s coach, Lee Gye-cheong. “We will be fully prepared to show unwavering and stable performance in the group stage.”
Team captain Lee Yeon-kyung (Gyeongnam Development Corporation) emphasized the importance of teamwork, saying, “We are focusing on maintaining stable teamwork in both attack and defense. We will do our best to create the flow of play that the team wants in this tournament.”
Left-back Woo Bit-na (Seoul City Hall) expressed her determination, stating, “I am preparing calmly to help the team in each game. I will stay focused and do my best to achieve good results.”
Korea’s group stage schedule at the SWT Arena in Trier, Germany, begins with a match against Norway at 4:30 a.m. on Friday, November 28th, followed by a game against Angola at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 30th, and concluding with a match against Kazakhstan at 2 a.m. on Tuesday, December 2nd.
[김용필 MK스포츠 기자]
