The European Handball Federation has decided to introduce an under-19 European Championship in the upcoming summer, the Men’s 19 EHF EURO 2021, in a move to lessen the pandemic’s impact for national team players born in 2002 and younger.

The decision, which was confirmed by the EHF Executive Committee on Thursday, follows the earlier  announcement of the International Handball Federation to cancel all their younger age category events in 2021, including the Men’s 19 World Championship which was scheduled to take place in Greece.

Following the IHF’s announcement, its impact on Europe was analysed.

Michael Wiederer, EHF President, said: “Bearing in mind that the EHF had stopped the organisation of an EHF EURO for the identical age category, the Men’s 18 EHF EURO 2020, it became clear that this generation would lose the first two years of their national team career.

“This summer, the EHF will organize, together with Bulgaria, Latvia and North Macedonia, the EHF Championships for the identical age category and this would mean that only the players of the 16 top nations will have no official competitive activity in 2020 and 2021.”

The EHF Executive Committee therefore agreed - provided that the health situation and the circumstances allow for it - to organise a Men’s 19 EHF EURO, exactly in the form as it was foreseen for 2020.

Contact was established with the Croatian Handball Federation (initial hosts of the Men’s 20 EHF EURO 2020), and the group system and the match schedule were transferred accordingly.

The Men’s 19 EHF EURO 2021 will be played in in Varaždin and Koprivnica from 12 to 22 August 2021, with the following teams taking to the courts.