Malta’s Under-17 girls’ and Under-19 boys’ national handball teams have completed a highly constructive international campaign at the 2026 Paris World Games, held in the French capital from 6 to 11 July. The prestigious multi-sport event gathered youth athletes from over 60 nations to compete across football, basketball, rugby sevens, and handball, utilizing more than ten venues across the Paris metropolitan area.

Outstanding Final Run for U-17 Girls

The Under-17 girls’ team, under the guidance of coach Raquel Ciantar, put together an impressive campaign by winning three of their five qualifying and knockout matches to reach the Playoff B Final.

• Mazan Ventoux Comtat Handball: Opened the group stage with a 20-33 defeat on Tuesday, 7 July.
• ASMJC Saint Louis (Réunion): Bounced back immediately with a thrilling 17-16 victory.
• Villiers EC Handball: Concluded the group phase with a 29-20 loss.
• HandbalClub Dendermonde (Belgium): Dominant 23-11 victory in the Playoff B quarter-finals.
• OV Helsingborg (Sweden): Secured a narrow, hard-fought 21-20 win in the semi-finals.
• MAT HB (France): Finished as runners-up in the Playoff B Final following a 25-9 loss against one of France’s top youth handball nurseries.

Valuable Lessons for U-19 Boys

The Under-19 boys’ team, coached by Jacob Ciantar, faced a steep learning curve against high-caliber opposition. While results did not go their way, their performances progressed significantly with each match.

• HBC Lingolsheim: Started the tournament with a 17-26 defeat.
• Avenir Du Ponant 1: Suffered an 11-31 loss against a sharp French outfit.
• AAS Sarcelles Villiers le bel HB: Showed immense improvement in a tight 21-22 battle.
• Avenir Du Ponant 2: Narrowly eliminated 17-19 in a competitive Playoff B quarter-final that went down to the wire.

Structural Support and Future Vision

Both squads were overseen throughout the tournament by head coach Guy Bischoff. Reflecting on the campaign, Malta Handball Association (MHA) President Vladimiro Comodini praised the grit shown by the players.

“Our teams faced strong opposition throughout the week and showed real character in the knockout rounds,” Comodini said. “The boys encountered some tough moments against experienced sides, but the closeness of those later results points to what this group is capable of with more exposure. Youth development is at the center of everything we are building at the Malta Handball Association.”

The MHA extended its gratitude to SportMalta, VisitMalta, and the Maltese Olympic Committee for providing the financial and logistical support necessary to make this international baseline experience possible for Malta’s next generation of handball players.