Skopje hosted a European tournament, and Romania took the trophy

While attention was on the European Championship in Serbia, Skopje staged the M18 EHF Championship I from 3 to 9 August - a tournament for eight of the best sides that did not qualify for the EURO. The title went to Romania, on the same evening Bulgaria took the second championship, played in Telavi, Georgia. Fourteen countries were spread across the two tournaments. Hosting a European youth championship is not something you get by accident - it is trust built over years, and it confirms again the position of Macedonian handball in the European calendar. The question that remains is a different one entirely: how much of that infrastructure and attention stays once the cameras are packed away.

Germany dismantled Slovenia in the final - first gold in five years

For the first time since 2021, Germany are European champions in the under-18 category. In the final in Belgrade, at the Aleksandar Nikolić hall, they beat Slovenia 36:27 - and it was their best performance of the whole tournament. The start did not suggest it: Slovenia, the only side unbeaten going into the final, led 8:5 and forced the German coach into a time-out in the 15th minute. The response was merciless - a 12:3 run over the next 15 minutes, and after the break three more goals for a nine-goal gap (20:11). The Slovenians entered a twelve-minute attacking drought they never came out of. The top scorer was Vincent Fatzijev with 8 goals from 11 attempts. The irony is that the tournament MVP is the Slovenian Jaka Podvršič - the individual award stayed with the losing finalist.

Denmark beat Spain again for bronze - and did it in the last 15 minutes

For the second time in under a week, Denmark beat Spain, this time for bronze, 28:25. The Danes started strongly in Belgrade and led 5:1 after ten minutes, but Spain came back and wiped out the deficit completely at the start of the second half - 19:19. The next four minutes settled the match: the Danish attack kept making mistakes, but the defence held and never let Spain take the lead. Once they survived that stretch, the Danes scored four in a row. Hjalte Andreasen finished with 7 goals from 8 shots. Spain are fourth, and across the whole tournament they lost only to Denmark - twice. That is the most bitter way to end a championship: unbeaten by everyone except the one who takes every medal off you.

The Struga tournament turns 54, and Ohrid opened it with +13

The international handball tournament „Struga” runs from 12 to 15 August on the open-air court „Goran Poposki - Babec”, and the story began in 1973. Besides the hosts, this year's field includes Vardar, Ohrid, Butel Skopje, Prilep and Serbia's Dubočica 54 from Leskovac. The opening was marked by the „lake derby”, in which Ohrid beat hosts Struga 37:24 and immediately announced they intend to defend last year's trophy. It was not easy in the first phase, but the gap grew as the time went on. The winning side finished the match without coach Boris Rojević, who was sent off at the start of the second half. To reach another final, Ohrid now need a win against Dubočica as well.

Vardar opened the tournament 39:29 against Prilep, and the season ticket costs 4,500 denars

The Macedonian champions began the 54th edition in control from start to finish - 39:29 against Prilep, with 18:13 at half-time. The top scorer was Viktor Jankovski with seven goals, Leon Ljevar added six, and Mateo Fadiul and Uroš Mitrović five each. Vardar's goalkeepers collected 23 saves - Gogov 12, Valah 11. For Prilep the top scorer was Andrej Stojanovski with seven. In parallel, the club published the price of the 2026/27 season ticket: 4,500 denars for every home match in the Champions League, the domestic championship and the Regional League. The Champions League games and the derbies against Pelister, Ohrid and Alkaloid are played at the Jane Sandanski arena with numbered seats, some of the other fixtures at Rasadnik without numbering. Sales will be online only. For the price of two concert tickets - a whole season of handball at the highest club level.