World Championship selection: the Lithuanians did not hold their own against the handball elite Hungarians at the start of the decisive stage

Selection for 2025 the World Men’s Handball Championship reached its climax. On Thursday, at the start of the last qualifying round, the Lithuanians will be at the Twinsbet Arena in Vilnius 26:33 (11:13) against the Hungarians preparing for the Olympics. Lithuanians before May 12 will have a 7-goal deficit in the away match. The series winners will advance to the World Championship.

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In the duel with the future participants of the Paris Olympic Games, the Hungarians, the Lithuanian national team did not avoid painful losses. Due to a serious knee injury, the only Lithuanian who won the Champions League cannot help the national team for a long time – Jonas Truchanovičiushealth problems also stopped the captain of the Lithuanian national team Gerda Babarskas.

According to the ranking, the Lithuanian national team, which entered the second round of the World Championship selection, overcame the first barrier only after a dramatic struggle. Both meetings of the Lithuanian national team with the Finns ended in a draw – 20:20 guests and 26:26 at home. The Lithuanians won a place in the next round after defeating the Finns in Alytus in a penalty shootout.

Lithuanian handball players have participated in the world championship only once. in 1997 Lithuanian handball players took 10th place in the world championships. The current coach of the national team also competed in the World Championship held in Japan Gintaras Savukynas. The Hungarians took 5th place in this year’s European Championship. It was the best Hungarian performance in the history of the Old Continent championships. Hungarians even took 4th place in the Olympic Games 5 times. The last time they did it was in 2012. in London. Hungarians have won silver in the World Championships (1986), and in the last championships in 2023. was the 8th In the last 16 years, the Hungarians have missed only one World Cup (2015).

Among the 18 players invited to the national team, there are eleven handball players competing in the Lithuanian championship and seven in foreign clubs. The average age of the players is 25.4 years. The oldest – 37-year-old A. Malašinskas, 36-year-old Giedrius Morkūnas and 32-year-old B. Petreikis, the youngest – 17-year-old Matas Kairys, 19-year-old Tomas Drakšas and 20-year-olds Ernestas Stvolas, Mantas Urvikis and brothers Romas and Matas Highlands.

Composition of the Lithuanian national team:

Goalkeepers: Lukas Gurskis (Vilnius “Amber”), Matas Pranckevičius and Giedrius Morkūnas (both Vilnius “Šviesa”).

Left sides: Ernestas Stvolas (Amber) and Mantas Urvikis (Light).

Left halves: Karolis Antanavičius (Hard Alpla, Austria), Matas Aukštikalnis (Amber), Modestas Štarolis (Kaunas “Granitas-Karys”) and Matas Kairys (Klaipėda “Dragūnas”).

Offensive players: Aiden Malašinskas (HC Buzau, Romania), Ben Petreikis (TuS N-Lubbecke, Germany), Romas Aukštikalnis (Empor Rostock, Germany) and Tomas Drakšas (Dragūnas).

Lineman: Džiugas Jusys (HSG Hanau, Germany).

Right halves: Mindaugas Dumčius (Elbflorenz Dresden, Germany) and Žanas Gabrielius Virbauskas (CSM Bacau, Romania).

Right sides: Marius Kairys (“Granitas-Karys”) and Mykolas Lapiniauskas (“Dragūnas”).