Foreword by Jean Brihault / EHF President

2016 Men’s and Women’s 16 Beach Handball Championships

On behalf of the European handball family, I welcome you all to Portugal for the 7th edition of the younger age category Beach Handball European Championships; over the next three days we invite you to enjoy beach handball delivered by a younger generation of players. Once again, the European Handball Federation is ready to see the European champions of tomorrow in the spotlight today!

For the first time the EHF will organise younger age category Beach Handball European Championships for players aged 16 or under (born 2000 or later); this event will serve as a qualification to the 2017 Men’s and Women’s 17 Beach Handball World Championships from which three European teams will qualify for a place in the final tournament at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games (IOC event) in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The location for this new event is the coastal town of Nazaré that lies north of Lisbon, which offers the perfect setting for beach handball with a perfect event area directly on the beach. As we welcome the teams to Nazaré, they will be fascinated by the rich local history and legend. Perfectly located, Nazaré offers some of the best surfing in Europe with waves reaching a breathtaking 35 metres due to the underwater canyon.

With beautiful panoramas and the soft sandy beaches, the European Handball Federation is delighted to be hosting the first edition of the Men’s and Women’s 16 European Beach Handball Championships here in Nazaré, Portugal. As we look forward to the first throw-off of the tournament; we have carefully scheduled the matches to secure the optimum enjoyment for all visitors.

This event will come to a close on 10 July 2016 and we are expecting a high number of participating teams playing thrilling matches under the bright sun of Portugal.

Welcome to Portugal and enjoy the tournament!

Jean Brihault
EHF President