The Road to the World Cup in Macedonia: 12 Teams Fight for the Title at the M20 EHF EURO

The youth European Championship for handball players under 20 in Romania has entered the main round with 12 teams still in the race for the trophy. Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Denmark, Sweden and Hungary entered with a perfect record - three wins from three. But for a Balkan fan the most important footnote is this: 15 nations from this championship will qualify for the 2027 Junior World Championship (U21), which is played next summer right here in Macedonia. That means these matches in Romania directly decide who will be our guests a year from now. When the hosting is already yours, the only question left is whether our own generation will be ready for that stage.

Poland and Hungary With the Trophies in Beach Handball in Zagreb

The European Championship in beach handball, played in the Croatian capital Zagreb, ended with familiar names at the top. After three days of play on the sand, the men's and women's final line-up for EHF EURO 2027 is complete - 16 national teams in each competition. Beach handball remains a discipline where the Balkans have something to say, and the fact that the finals are played in Zagreb shows the region is slowly becoming one of Europe's hubs for this sport. Fewer spotlights than indoor handball, but no less passion in the stands.

New Format for the EHF European League for Men: Start in September, Final in May

The EHF European League for Men for the 2026/27 season is getting a new format with as many as five phases - group phase, playoffs, round of 16, quarterfinals and the final EHF Finals. 32 teams set off from the group phase between September 29 and December 2, and the competition culminates on May 22 and 23, 2027. The group draw is set for July 17. For Balkan clubs who make it into this competition, the new format means more European nights and a longer road to the trophy - which is good for the fans, but also harder on the budgets of clubs that already count every euro.

Macedonian Juniors Pointless at the Euros, Playing Out for 13th to 24th Place

The Macedonian men's youth handball national team under 20 finished the first round of the Euros in Romania without a single point, after defeats including one to a strong Denmark. Instead of fighting for a medal, our hopefuls are now playing out for a place between 13th and 24th. The result hurts, but the context matters - this is the generation that in a year is supposed to perform in front of a home crowd at the World Championship. The question for Macedonian handball isn't just this tournament, but what gets built between tournaments: how much attention, how much funding and how much patience the work with young players gets before we throw them onto the biggest stage.

RK Astibo Withdraws From the Women's Super League Over Finances

The handball club Astibo has informed the public that in the coming season it will not compete in Macedonia's women's Super League for financial reasons, but will instead play in a lower rank. The story is familiar to anyone who follows domestic sport - a club with tradition that withdraws not because of results, but because of an empty treasury. Every such withdrawal narrows the already tight women's handball scene in the country. While we boast of hosting the Junior World Championship, at home clubs are folding quietly, one by one, without our asking much about who will answer for it.