The Handball Girls’ World Cup has been expanded to 32 teams. This means a very simple opening for Norway before it closes up in Spain. This is how the World Cup is played in December.
Stine Bredal Oftedal & co. will for the most part play its matches in the city of Castelló – not far from Valencia in eastern Spain. Norway is listed with a total of three World Cup titles in its 20 previous participations in the playoffs, but during the World Cup in Japan two years ago, it was “only” 4th place.
The expansion of the World Cup has given place to five teams from Asia and Norway opens the World Cup against two of them – Kazakhstan and Iran. In match three, Romania is waiting, which is missing the big star Cristina Neagu.
Norway’s preliminary matches in Group C:
Friday, December 3 at 20.30: Norway – Kazakhstan
Sunday, December 5 at 20.30: Iran – Norway
Tuesday, December 7 at 20.30: Norway – Romania
All the Norwegian matches are broadcast live on TV3.
Three of four teams advance to the main round. There, the Netherlands and Sweden are clear favorites to move on and become opponents along with Puerto Rico or Uzbekistan. It is likely that Norway will continue to play at 20.30. The alternatives are at 15.30 or kl. 18.00.
The main round is played on these dates:
Thursday, December 9th
Saturday, December 11th
Monday, December 13th
In the quarter finals, it can be really tough for Norway. According to national team manager Thorir Hergeirsson, Norway crosses here with groups A and B. This means that Olympic winner France or silver winner Russia’s handball federation can become opponents in Granollers. The most likely alternatives are Serbia or Montenegro.
Camilla Herrem went with “Tore Tang” after the European Championship gold a year ago. During this summer’s Olympics, the handball girls finished third.
The quarterfinals will be played on Tuesday 14 or Wednesday 15 December.
The match times are at 17.30 or kl. 20.30.
The entire World Cup final is played in Granollers – a city not far from Barcelona. If Norway reaches the semifinals, nations such as Spain, Brazil or Germany could become opponents.
The semifinals will be played on Friday 17 December.
The semifinal is played at 17.30 or 20.30.
The World Cup final will be played on Sunday 19 December.
The time is at 17.30 in Palau d’Esports de Granollers which takes a maximum of 5,685 spectators. The bronze final is played at 14.30 the same day.
All Norwegian matches are thus shown live on TV3. Several other matches will also be shown on this channel, while the World Cup as such will be shown on Viasat’s platforms.
Licensee Nent Group sends 22 employees to Spain. Ørjan Bjørnstad will lead the broadcasts from the WC arenas with Karoline Dyhre Breivang and Ole Erevik as experts from the start. Gradually, Gro Hammerseng-Edin also joins the expert corps.
The World Cup groups are like that
A: Frankrike, Montenegro, Angola, Slovenia.
B: RHF (Russia), Serbia, Cameroon, Poland.
C: Norway, Romania, Kazakhstan, Iran.
D: Netherlands, Sweden, Puerto Rico, Uzbekistan.
E: Germany, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia.
F: Denmark, South Korea, Tunisia, Congo.
G: Croatia, Japan, Brasil, Paraguay.
H: Spain, Austria, Argentina, China.
Previous World Cup winners
2019: The Netherlands. 2017: France. 2015: Norway. 2013: Brazil. 2011: Norway. 2009: Russia. 2007: Russia. 2005: Russia. 2003: France. 2001: Russia. 1999: Norway. 1997: Denmark. 1995: South Korea. 1993: Germany. 1990: Soviet Union. 1986: Soviet Union. 1982: Soviet Union. 1978: East Germany. 1975: East Germany. 1973: Yugoslavia. 1971: East Germany. 1965: Hungary. 1962: Romania. 1957: Czechoslovakia.
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