The President's Cup at the 2024 IHF Women's Junior World Championship threw off with four exciting matches, where Tunisia, Argentina, Brazil and Japan secured wins enhancing their chances to seal a better placement at the end of the competition.

PRESIDENT’S CUP

GROUP I
Tunisia vs Islamic Republic of Iran 26:23 (11:9)

Tunisia opened the President's Cup with a victory, keeping their chances to win this group alive. In a tight battle, the African side proved too strong for the Islamic Republic of Iran, who suffered their fourth consecutive loss, but this time by the lowest margin so far, three goals.

Iran had struggled in attack in their previous matches, and although there were some signs of improvement in their last group game against Brazil, on Sunday, the Asian side were challenged at the start, and as they were down 1:4 in the 11th minute, their coach called for a timeout. 

It seemed to help, as the Islamic Republic of Iran drew level at 5:5. Led by Nour Mariem Dabbabi, the Alkaloid Player of the Match in their win against Chile, Tunisia then pulled clear again, but the game was quite hard-fought, and the Africans led by just two goals at half-time. 

Early in the second half, Tunisia increased the gap to 17:11, but the Asians tried to fight back and put pressure on their rivals. Iran's Fatemeh Merih was on fire, ending the game with 14 goals, more than a half of her team's tally, but Tunisia's goalkeeper Aya Boudhaouia boasted a 38% saving rate, and it helped her team to clinch a victory.  

Alkaloid Player of the Match: Fatemeh Merikh (Islamic Republic of Iran)

Brazil vs Chile 28:14 (11:6)

Last year, the two teams met at the group stage of the 2023 South and Central American Women's Junior Championship, and Brazil won by just one goal, 28:27. Now the Brazilians claimed another win in this South American clash, but by a bigger margin.

It was their second straight victory at North Macedonia 2024, so Brazil have four points and retain a chance to fight for the President's Cup. In turn, Chile are yet to take at least one point in the tournament, after losing all their four encounters so far. 

Brazil opened the match with a 5:0 run and went on to dominate, although Chile did not give up. The Chilean goalkeeper Paula Craig Ortiz made as many as 12 saves in the first half, yet the Brazilians managed to maintain a five-goal gap at the break, 11:6. 

Chile's hopes to mount a strong comeback after the restart did not materialize, as Brazil increased their lead to 16:6 by minute 40 and continued to firmly control the game, ultimately winning by 14 goals. 

Alkaloid Player of the Match: Manuella Navarro (Brazil)

GROUP II
Argentina vs Chinese Taipei 27:25 (13:13)

With a strong outing against the Republic of Korea, where they lost by only two goals and a win against Mexico, 41:16, Argentina were favoured to take another win against the Chinese Taipei, which had lost all three matches so far at North Macedonia 2024, but were seriously made to sweat by their opponents.

The Asian side delivered their best performance so far at North Macedonia 2024, keeping Argentina in check throughout the whole match, as the game was tied, 13:13, after 30 minutes, with the Chinese Taipei leading during the first half.

A 6:1 run from Argentina to start the second half was basically the pivotal moment of the match, as left back Sofia Gull Querin, the Alkaloid Player of the Match, dominated the court, scoring eight goals, on her way to jump on the second place in the the top goal scorer standings, with 25 goals in four matches.

Argentina led by as many as five goals, 22:17, but the Chinese Taipei bounced back and cut the gap to a single goal, 26:25, only for Azul Spinelli to score her seventh goal in the final second of the match and deliver the second win in four matches for Argentina, 27:25.

Alkaloid Player of the Match: Sofia Gull Querin (Argentina)

Japan vs Mexico 47:12 (25:5)

With Mexico having previously conceded 128 goals in three matches in the preliminary round against ungary, the Republic of Korea and Argentina, heading to the President’s Cup brought them the chance to start fresh and try to secure their maiden win at North Macedonia 2024.

But with a pacy Japan team, which never stopped pressuring their opponents, Mexico found themselves once again in a conundrum. After a 4:0 run from Japan to start the match, Mexico scored twice in a row through Ximena Campos and Denisse Mata Carrasco, to balance the score.

Yet Japan followed up with a 15:0 unanswered run for nearly 18 minutes, which saw goalkeeper Yukiha Horuchi stop 14 shots, for an outstanding 74% saving efficiency. It was no surprise that Mexico were down 20 goals at the break, 25:5, with Japan on their way for a record-scoring match.

Indeed, the Asian team scored their largest number of goals in history at the IHF Women’s Junior World Championship, 47, as Mexico was limited to a 24% shooting efficiency, as the gap grew higher and higher, to 32 goals, with 10 minutes to go, 41:9.

Left wing Waka Terada scored eight goals for Japan, while goalkeeper Mizuki Sugimoto saved 13 shots, for a 68% saving efficiency, as the Asian side clinched a 47:12 win, their largest-ever at the IHF Women’s Junior World Championship.

Japan and Argentina have now four points each in the group and will face off on Tuesday to decide the group winner, which will then head to the Placement Matches 17/20. Mexico are due to face the Chinese Taipei, with both sides aiming for their first win.

Alkaloid Player of the Match: Risa Konya (Japan)