2023 World Championship guide: Crash course in group A-D

The 2023 World Championship starts in less than two weeks and it’s time to introduce all the groups here at Gohandball.

The first day of the 2023 World Championship is almost here. On Wednesday the 29th of November Norway, one of three hosting nations, gets the WC started. 

Here is Gohandballs guide for group A-D. We go through each group and the different nation’s stars and expectations.

Group A

Sweden

Number of WCs (including 2023): 11
Result last WC: 5 (2021)
Greatest merits: 1 EC silver (2010), 1 EC bronze (2014)
Stars: Jamina Roberts (Vipers Kristiansand), Linn Blohm (Györ), Nathalie Hagman (Ramnicu Valcea)

Croatia

Number of WCs (including 2023): 8
Result last WC: 18 (2021)
Greatest merits: 1 EC bronze (2020)
Stars: Camila Micijevic (Paris 92), Tea Pijevic (Gloria Buzau), Katarina Jezic (Dunarea Braila)

China

Number of WCs (including 2023): 18
Result last WC: 32 (2021)
Greatest merits: 5th place in Olympics (1996)
Stars: Xiuxiu Tian (Shandong), Lu Chang (Shandong), Zhang Haixia (Jiangsu)

Senegal

Number of WCs (including 2023): 2
Result last WC: 18 (2019)
Greatest merits: 1 silver African handball championship (2019)
Stars: Soukeina Sagna (Plan de Cuques), Hawa N’Diaye (Gloria Buzau), Gnonsiane Niombla (Gloria Bistrita-Nasaud)

Group B

Montenegro

Number of WCs (including 2023): 7
Result last WC: 22 (2021)
Greatest merits: 1 EC gold (2012), 1 silver Olympics (2012) 1 EC bronze (2022)
Stars: Itana Grbic (RK Krim), Milena Raicevic (Buducnost)

Hungary

Number of WCs (including 2023): 24
Result last WC: 10 (2021)
Greatest merits: 2 bronze medals in Olympics (1976, 1996), 1 WC gold (1965), 1 EC gold (2000)
Stars: Blanka Biro (Ferencvaros), Katrin Klujber (Ferencvaros), Petra Vámos (Schaeffler)

Cameroon

Number of WCs (including 2023): 4
Result last WC: 28 (2021)
Greatest merits: 5 silver medals African handball championship (1979, 1987, 2004, 2021, 2022)
Stars: Isabelle Mben Bediang (Konyaalti), Cyrielle Ebanga Baboga (Celles-sur-Belle), Karichma Ekoh (Chambray)

Paraguay

Number of WCs (including 2023): 5
Result last WC: 29 (2021)
Greatest merits: 1 bronze Panamerican Championship (2017)
Stars: Maria Fernandez (Porteno), Delyne Leiva (Porteno)

Group C

Norway

Number of WCs (including 2023): 22
Result last WC: 1 (2021)
Greatest merits: 2 gold medals in Olympics (2008, 2012), 4 WC gold medals (1999, 2011, 2015, 2021), 9 EC gold medals (1998, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2022)
Stars: Henny Reistad (Team Esbjerg), Nora Mörk (Team Esbjerg), Stine Bredal Oftedal (Györ), Katrine Lunde (Vipers Kristiansand)

South Korea

Number of WCs (including 2023): 20
Result last WC: 14 (2021)
Greatest merits: 2 gold medals in Olympics (1988, 1992), 1 WC gold (1995)
Stars: Ryu Eun Hee (Györ), Lee Mig Yeong (Busan)

Greenland

Number of WCs (including 2023): 2
Result last WC: 24 (2001)
Greatest merits: 1 gold Nor.Ca championship (2023)
Stars: Ivalu Bjerge (Holstebro), Najaaja Lyberth (Greenland)

Austria

Number of WCs (including 2023): 14
Result last WC: 16 (2021)
Greatest merits: 1 WC bronze (1999)
Stars: Petra Blazek (Hypo), Sonja Frey (Thüringer)

Group D

France

Number of WCs (including 2023): 16
Result last WC: 2 (2021)
Greatest merits: 1 gold in Olympics (2020), 2 gold medals in WC (2003, 2017), 1 EC gold (2018)
Stars: Pauletta Foppa (Brest Bretagne), Estelle Nze Minko (Györ), Chloé Valentini (Metz)

Slovenia

Number of WCs (including 2023): 8
Result last WC: 17 (2021)
Greatest merits: 8th place WC (2003), 9th place EC (2004)
Stars: Ana Gros (Györ), Tjasa Stanko (RK Krim), Nina Zulic (Krim)

Angola

Number of WCs (including 2023): 17
Result last WC: 25 (2021)
Greatest merits: 15 gold medals African championship
Stars: Azenaide Carlos (Rapid Bukarest), Albertina Kassoma (Rapid Bukarest), Isabel Guialo (Fleury Loiret)

Iceland

Number of WCs (including 2023): 2
Result last WC: 12 (2011)
Greatest merits: 12th place WC (2011)
Stars: Sandra Erlingsdottir (Metzingen), Andrea Jacobsen (Silkeborg-Voel)