Malta Youth Handball Teams Gain Valuable Experience at Paris World Games

Malta's Under-17 girls' and Under-19 boys' handball teams returned home with valuable experience following their participation in the 2026 Paris World Games, held from 6 to 11 July.

The Under-17 girls, coached by Raquel Ciantar, enjoyed an impressive campaign, winning three of their five matches to reach the Playoff B Final. After opening with a defeat to Mazan Ventoux Comtat Handball, Malta bounced back with a narrow victory over ASMJC Saint Louis before losing to Villiers EC Handball. The girls then produced outstanding performances in the knockout rounds, defeating Belgium's HandbalClub Dendermonde 23-11 and Sweden's OV Helsingborg 21-20 to book their place in the final, where they were beaten 25-9 by French side MAT HB.

The Under-19 boys, under coach Jacob Ciantar, faced a challenging tournament but showed encouraging progress. Following defeats to HBC Lingolsheim and Avenir Du Ponant 1, Malta narrowly lost 22-21 to AAS Sarcelles Villiers le Bel HB before exiting in the Playoff B quarter-finals after a closely contested 19-17 defeat to Avenir Du Ponant 2.

Both teams were overseen by head coach Guy Bischoff throughout the tournament. Malta Handball Association President Vladimiro Comodini praised the players' character, describing the experience as another important step in the Association's continued commitment to youth development.

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