Beach Handball Heats Up at The World Games Chengdu 2025: Quarter-Finals Loom
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The final round of preliminary group games at The World Games Chengdu 2025 takes place this Saturday, August 9th, with all 16 teams poised to advance to the quarter-finals on Sunday, August 10th. The outcomes of today’s matches will determine the bracket and set the stage for a challenging knockout stage. Fans can follow all the action with a click HERE.
Women’s Competition: Germany and Argentina Aim for Top Spots
The top two teams from the last IHF Women’s Beach Handball World Championship – Germany (gold) and Argentina (silver) – enter the final day of preliminary play with a clear objective: secure first place in their respective groups. A win for each would not only guarantee a top seed but also potentially offer a more favorable matchup in the quarter-finals.
First up, Argentina faces debutants China, a team they previously defeated in the main round last year in Pingtan. Bolstered by Gisella Bonomi, the tournament’s leading scorer with 33 points, Argentina is heavily favored. However, China presents a challenge with their strong goalkeeping, led by Fan Wenna, who has recorded 17 saves from 49 shots (35%). A passionate home crowd is expected to fuel the Chinese team. “Our crowd is the best in the world,” one Argentinian player stated to ihf.info, emphasizing the importance of fan support.
Meanwhile, Germany, the tournament’s highest-scoring team with 88 points, will clash with fellow Europeans Denmark. Germany previously defeated Denmark 2-1 in the semi-finals of China 2024, but lost to them 2-0 in the main round. “It will be a hard game because Denmark are a good team. We take all our power to this game,” a German player told ihf.info, adding her appreciation for the atmosphere at The World Games and the support she’s received.
Other women’s matches see Vietnam and Croatia seeking their first wins against Spain and Portugal, respectively. Portugal currently boasts the tournament’s stingiest defense, having conceded only 51 points in their first two games. Spain defeated Vietnam 2-0 at a similar event in China last year, while Portugal overcame Croatia 2-1 in the main round.
Men’s Competition: Spain and Brazil Maintain Momentum
In the men’s competition, Spain and Brazil lead the way with two wins apiece. This is somewhat surprising, considering both teams finished fifth and sixth, respectively, at the 2024 IHF Men’s Beach Handball World Championship held on Pingtan Island in China.
Brazil faces its biggest test yet against the newly-crowned European champions, Germany. Germany is looking to rebound from a loss to Portugal. Brazil currently has the best defensive record, conceding just 72 points in their two games. “It’s the big match of the group to decide who is going to be the first place in the group and who will have the ‘easiest’ match with the fourth-placed team in the other group,” explained a Brazilian player to ihf.info, praising the leadership of coach Antonio Guerre Peixe.
The other men’s match in the first session pits The World Games title-holders, Croatia, against Portugal. Croatia is currently without a win and will be desperate to avoid ending the preliminary stage empty-handed. Portugal, led by goalkeeper Ricardo Castro (11 saves), aims to continue its winning streak. “We are growing with the competition,” Castro stated to ihf.info. “We want to continue to win, it’s match-by-match and we want to win to have the best placement for the quarter-finals.”
Spain will face Tunisia, having recently defeated them 2-0 in June at a BHGT event in North Africa. A win for Spain would solidify their top spot in the group.
Denmark and China Clash in Final Group Match
The final match of the day features the best attacking force in the men’s competition – Denmark – against debutants China. Denmark leads the tournament in points scored (99), with Christian Nielsen (36 points) and Martin Andersen (34 points) as their top scorers, and Frederick Jensen leading in assists (19). “I am super-excited. We have never played against China before, so it’s always fun to play against teams we haven’t before, playing the host nation and seeing the Asian perspective of the game,” said a Danish player to ihf.info, also reflecting on the honor of being a flagbearer at the opening ceremony.
The World Games Chengdu 2025 – Beach Handball: Day 3 Schedule (All times local, CST)
Saturday, August 9th
Preliminary Group
Women’s Competition
15:30 ARG vs CHN, POR vs CRO
17:10 GER vs DEN, ESP vs VIE
Men’s Competition
16:20 CRO vs POR, GER vs BRA
18:00 DEN vs CHN, ESP vs TUN
