Malta’s Under-17 girls’ and Under-19 boys’ handball teams have returned from the 2026 Paris World Games after competing against some of the strongest youth teams from across the world.
The tournament, held in Paris between 6 and 11 July, welcomed young athletes from more than 60 countries across several sports, including handball, football, basketball and rugby sevens. Handball matches were played at various venues across the French capital.
The Under-17 girls, coached by Raquel Ciantar, enjoyed an impressive campaign, reaching the Playoff B Final after winning three of their five matches.
Their tournament began with a 33-20 defeat to French side Mazan Ventoux Comtat Handball, but they bounced back with a narrow 17-16 victory over ASMJC Saint Louis from Réunion. Later that day, they lost 29-20 to Villiers EC Handball.
In the knockout stage, Malta defeated Belgium’s HandbalClub Dendermonde 23-11 before edging Sweden’s OV Helsingborg 21-20 to book a place in the Playoff B Final. There, they came up against French club MAT HB and were defeated 25-9.
The Under-19 boys, coached by Jacob Ciantar, also gained valuable experience throughout the tournament. They opened with defeats to HBC Lingolsheim (26-17) and Avenir Du Ponant 1 (31-11), before producing a much-improved performance in a narrow 22-21 defeat to AAS Sarcelles Villiers le Bel HB.
The boys continued to improve and were unlucky to miss out on a place in the next round after losing 19-17 to Avenir Du Ponant 2 in the Playoff B quarter-finals. Their performances in the latter stages showed encouraging progress and highlighted the potential within the squad.
Both teams were guided throughout the tournament by Malta’s Head Coach Guy Bischoff.
Malta Handball Association President Vladimiro Comodini praised the commitment shown by both teams and stressed the importance of competing at this level.
“Our teams came up against strong opponents throughout the week and showed great determination, especially during the knockout rounds. Reaching this stage against teams of this quality is a positive achievement for Maltese youth handball.
“The boys faced some difficult matches, but their performances improved as the tournament went on. Those close results show what this group can achieve with more international experience. Youth development remains a key priority for the Malta Handball Association, and competitions like these provide the valuable experience our young players need.”
The Malta Handball Association also thanked SportMalta, VisitMalta and the Maltese Olympic Committee for their continued support, which made the teams’ participation possible.
