At the 2024 Asian Women’s Handball Championship, Japan defeats South Korea in a thrilling final, while India finishes sixth

Hong Kong-CHN placed eighth in the third-place playoffs, as Kazakhstan defeated Iran.

INN/New Delhi, @Infodeaofficial

At the Asian Women’s Handball Championship (AWHC) 2024 in New Delhi, the Indian women’s handball team tied their best-ever result by placing sixth. Later, in a thrilling match, Japan shocked the defending and record champion South Korea, winning 25–24 after trailing 12–9 at halftime. South Korea’s winning seven consecutive titles was ended by Japan’s second victory.

India hosted the AWHC for the first time from December 3–10 at the Indira Gandhi Arena, presented by the World Handball League (WHL) and coordinated by the Asian Handball Federation. In the 5th/6th place playoff on Tuesday, Team India put up a fierce and determined fight against heavyweights and ten-time silver medallists China, losing 41-30 in the end.

India and China got off to a strong start in their match, which resulted in a fierce beginning as the two sides fought for control of the zone. However, as the match went on, China used their vast expertise at this level to close the gap between themselves and the hosts and then quickly won. In any case, Menika of Team India was optimistic about her team’s success during the competition.

“India hosted the tournament for the first time. We had a great time performing in front of our supporters. However, this time, we set a medal as our goal, and we failed to meet those standards. Menika, one of India’s brightest stars at the competition, stated, “We’ll learn from our mistakes and we’re looking forward to the next opportunity.”

A resolute India team demonstrated several strengths throughout the competition, both offensively and defensively, spearheaded by outstanding performances from rookie Bhawana Sharma and seasoned custodian Nina Shil. Menika anticipated that Indian handball would see several benefits in the future, most notably the forthcoming WHL.

“WHL presents us with a lot of opportunities, particularly for women. We watched the men’s league from the sidelines last year, expecting for an equal platform in the women’s league. Therefore, I believe that this is a huge opportunity that we would like to fully utilise, as do my colleagues on the Indian side,” Menika continued.

Kazakhstan defeated Iran 28–22 in the third-place playoff earlier in the day to earn their second-ever bronze medal in the competition. In the meantime, Hong Kong-CHN defeated Singapore 33-18 to secure a seventh-place finish ahead of the latter. Iran, Kazakhstan, South Korea, and Japan earned spots in the 2025 IHF World Women’s Handball Championship, which will be held in Germany and the Netherlands.