The Australian national men’s handball team is set to compete in the 4th IHF Men’s Emerging Nations Championship, which will take place in Varna, Bulgaria from 25 to 30 April 2023. The team will travel to Bulgaria next week to participate in the tournament, which will feature a total of twelve teams from around the world.
The tournament is open to players under the age of 24 (with three overage players) and will provide a platform for emerging handball nations to showcase their talents and compete against other developing nations in the sport. It will also provide an opportunity for players to gain more experience and exposure to high-level competition.
Australia has been placed in a preliminary group with Moldova and Cyprus, and they will open the tournament against Moldova on 26 April. The winner of the group will advance to the semi-finals. The other teams participating in the tournament include Andorra, Azerbaijan, hosts Bulgaria, Cuba, Great Britain, Guatemala, India, Malta, and Nigeria.
This will be Australia’s second appearance in the tournament, having previously taken part in the 2015 edition held in Kosovo. The team is looking to improve on their performance from their previous appearance and make it through to the semi-finals.
Australia is hoping to make a strong impression in the tournament and showcase the growth of the sport in the country. The team’s participation in the tournament is a positive step towards the development of handball in Australia and will help to raise the profile of the sport in the country.
The Australian team will be led by head coach Taip Ramadani, who will be supported by coach Eoin Murray and manager Rodrigo Alvarez.
The Australian selection:
| Player | Club |
| Adam Gillespie | Brisbane HC |
| Alejandro Gonzalez Peña | Sydney Uni HC |
| Bjørn McCourt | Oslo Studentenes (NOR) |
| Caleb Gahan | UQ HC |
| Christopher Fallah | UTS HC |
| Daniel Reid | UQ HC |
| Hamish Langenberg | SG Pforzheim (GER) |
| Jacob Crook | Brisbane HC |
| Karl Warrener | Canberra HC |
| Liam McCourt | Oslo Studentenes (NOR) |
| Pavle Prokić | UQ HC |
| Rohan Meagher | Harbourside HC |
| Thiemo Lautz | BFC Preussen Berlin (GER) |
| Timothy Anderson | HRW Laupheim e.V (GER) |
Australia’s preliminary matches
26 Apr | 14:30 v Moldova
27 Apr | 14:30 v Cyprus
