Oman to Compete in Beach Handball World Cup Croatia 2026

Oman Drawn with Croatia, France and Australia in Beach Handball World Cup

Muscat (ONA): Oman national beach handball team will participate in the Men’s Beach Handball World Cup, to be hosted by Croatia during 23-28 June 2026. This marks the team’s ninth appearance in the tournament’s history, with high expectations to continue its commendable presence on the international stage and achieve positive results in this global event.

This participation represents Oman’s ninth appearance in the Beach Handball World Cup finals. The team’s previous participations began in Egypt in 2004, where they secured fourth place, followed by Taipei in 2009 (eighth place), Al Musannah in the Sultanate of Oman in 2012 (sixth place), Brazil in 2014 (seventh place), Hungary in 2016 (sixth place), Thailand in 2017 (ninth place), and Russia in 2018.

The 2020 edition, scheduled to be held in Italy, was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The team’s most recent appearance was in China in 2023, where they finished in fifteenth place.

Ahead of the World Cup, the team is holding an external training camp in Croatia, which includes participation in an international friendly tournament during 19-21 June. The tournament features the national teams of Croatia, Iran, Australia, and the United States. This serves as a final preparatory stage aimed at enhancing the technical and physical readiness of the players and providing them with additional competitive exposure before the World Cup.

The national team began its preparation program for the World Cup last March. This included training camps and participation in the Asian Beach Games held in China during April, as part of the technical staff’s plan to prepare the team in optimal condition.

The tournament draw placed Oman in Group Four alongside hosts Croatia, France, and Australia. The team will open its campaign against Croatia on 23 June at 3:00 PM Muscat time, followed by a match against France at 11:00 PM on the same day.

The team will conclude its first-round fixtures against Australia on 24 June at 3:00 PM. Group One consists of Spain, Portugal, Iran, and the United States. Group Two comprises Hungary, Denmark, Tunisia, and Puerto Rico. Group Three features Germany, Brazil, Argentina, and Italy. The tournament follows a single round-robin format in the preliminary stage. The top three teams from each group will advance to the main round, which is divided into two groups.

This will be followed by the knockout stages, beginning with the quarter-finals and culminating in the final match. The Croatia 2026 edition marks the sixth time the Beach Handball World Cup has been hosted by a European nation, following previous editions held in Spain in 2008, Turkiye in 2010, Hungary in 2016, Russia in 2018, and Greece in 2022.