Macedonia's youth beaten by Norway at the start of the Euros in Romania

It isn't easy to open a tournament against one of the favourites, and that's exactly what happened to Macedonia's youth handball side. At the start of the European Championship for players under 20, held in Romania from 8 to 19 July, our young handballers lost to Norway. Macedonia is placed in group D alongside Norway, Croatia and Denmark - a group where every match will be a battle for survival. A defeat at the start hurts, but the tournament is long. The question is whether this generation will learn fast from the first slap or carry it as a burden to the end.

Ohrid without a wild card - Eurofarm Pelister the only Macedonian representative in the European League

The line-ups for the EHF European League for the 2026/27 season are already known, and for Macedonian handball the news is half good, half bitter. GRK Ohrid didn't get a wild card and stays out, which means Eurofarm Pelister will be the only Macedonian representative on the continental scene next season. For one club to carry the whole flag of a country in a European competition is both an honour and a burden. Bitola's men will play for themselves, but also for all who wanted to see Ohrid there too. How much longer will we rely on one club to keep from disappearing off the European map?

Pelister 2 strengthens - Simonoski and Ilieski signed for Bitola's "second team"

While the first team prepares for Europe, Eurofarm Pelister 2 is quietly building the future. Bitola's second side brought in two new players - Kristijan Simonoski and Božidar Ilieski - moves that rarely make the big headlines, but clubs like this are exactly the ones that build future internationals. The "second team" isn't a side for trophies; it's a workshop where the young get minutes they wouldn't see in the first team. In a country that constantly complains about a brain drain of talent, every young player kept at home is a small victory in itself.

The men's under-20s open a new page - 24 national teams at the start in Romania

The European Championship for players under 20 gathered 24 national teams that on 8 July began their campaigns in the pre-qualifying stage in Romania. This is the stage where the future stars of European handball are born - many of today's big names played their first significant minutes at exactly such a youth tournament. For the Balkan national teams, which for decades produce handball talent above their weight, championships like these are more than a contest: they're a shop window before the scouts of the biggest European clubs.

Germany beat Hungary for the title at the women's W16 tournament in Zagreb

While the men's youth play in Romania, women's handball had its final in the region. Germany beat Hungary and won the first title at the women's W16 European Open Tournament played in Zagreb. The Croatian capital has lately become a genuine host of youth handball events, which is good news for the whole region - every tournament played in the Balkans means our young ones watch top teams up close, without travelling across half of Europe. Germany's handball machine, even at the youngest level, shows why it has been among the world's best for decades.