Algerian Radio
The Algerian U20 women’s national handball team has officially qualified for the 2026 World Championship, scheduled to take place from June 24 to July 5 in Jinzhong, China. The qualification was secured through the "repêchage" system (wildcard) following the intercontinental phase of the IHF Trophy 2025-2026.*
According to the draw held at the International Handball Federation (IHF) headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, Algeria has been placed in Group E. They will compete against Denmark, the host nation China, and Guinea.
Algeria's qualification followed the conclusion of the Women's IHF Trophy Intercontinental Phase, held in April 2026 in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria. In that competition, Guinea claimed the gold medal in both the junior (U19) and youth (U17) categories, while Bulgaria and Canada finished second and third, respectively, in the junior category.
Under the IHF qualification system, the slot reserved for the winner of this intercontinental competition was allocated to Algeria, which officially benefited from the "repêchage" to participate in the 25th edition of the U20 Women's Handball World Championship.
The task for the Algerians in Group E appears challenging, especially with the presence of Denmark, a global handball powerhouse, in addition to China, which will benefit from home support, and a strong Guinean team.
The championship will feature 32 teams divided into eight groups. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Main Round, while the remaining teams will compete for the President's Cup.
The matches will be hosted in four venues in Jinzhong: Jinzhong City Hall, Jinzhong Vocational and Technical College, Shanxi Medical University (Zhongdu Campus), and Jinzhong University.
The groups for the 2026 U20 Women’s World Championship are as follows:
* *Group A:* France, Egypt, Sweden, India
* *Group B:* Austria, Serbia, Angola, Paraguay
* *Group C:* Germany, Romania, Brazil, Canada
* *Group D:* Spain, South Korea, Argentina, Turkey
* *Group E:* Denmark, China, Guinea, *Algeria*
* *Group F:* Montenegro, Czech Republic, Iceland, USA
* *Group G:* Hungary, Poland, Chinese Taipei, Tunisia
* *Group H:* Croatia, Japan, Norway, Faroe Islands
