The Ukrainian women’s handball team has begun its final training camp before the 2023 World Cup

Ukrainian women’s handball team began the final stage of preparation for the upcoming World Cup 2023. The gathering began on November 20 at the Koncha-Zaspa Olympic Center.

Head coach Vitaly Andronov called 20 handball players to the training camp. Slovak Juventa welterweight Irina Kompaniec will join the national team immediately before the World Championships.

The composition of the Ukrainian women’s national team for the training camp before the 2023 World Cup:

• Goalkeepers: Judit Balogh (Vasas, Hungary), Maria Gladun (Lokomotiva, Croatia), Victoria Saltanyuk (Koberzyce, Poland);
• Central: Maryana Markevich (Galician), Tamara Smbatyan (Alba Fehervar, Hungary);
• Left welterweights: Karina Soskyda (Juventa, Slovakia), Yulia Andriychuk (Dacia Mioveni, Romania), Tatiana Polyak (Galichanka), Anastasia Orzhakhovskaya, Anastasia Parkhomenko (both Spartak-ShVSM);
• Welterweight rights: Evgenia Koguch (Juventa, Slovakia);
• Left extremes: Alisa Petriv (Karpaty), Marina Konovalova, Olesya Dyachenko (both from Galicia);
• Far right: Milana Shukal, Katerina Kozak (both Galician);
• Linear: Irina Prokopyak (Galician), Anastasia Melekestseva (Kobezhice, Poland), Andriyana Naumenko (Zalau Romania, Romania), Karina Kolodyuk (Carpathians).

Let us note that Evgenia Levchenko, Irina Glebko, Irina Stelmakh (suspended her career), Diana Dmitrishin and Daria Kot will not help the Ukrainian team at the 2023 World Cup.

The Ukrainian national team is in Group G, where it will play with Brazil, Spain and Kazakhstan. The Ukrainians will meet Brazil on November 29. Matches with Spain and Kazakhstan are scheduled for December 1 and 3, respectively.

The three best teams from each quartet will advance to the main round of the World Championship. Next, 24 teams will be divided into 4 groups of 6 teams. The two best teams from each group will advance to the playoffs of the world championship.

The Ukrainian women’s handball team will play at the World Championships for the first time since 2009. 14 years ago the blue-yellows took 17th place. The best result of the Ukrainian team is fourth place at the 2003 World Cup.

The World Handball Championship among women’s national teams will take place from November 29 to December 17, 2023 in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The current world champion is Norway.