Poland’s youth handball players won promotion to the U21 World Cup for the first time in 20 years. The white-and-red team did it crazily! In the final 78 seconds of the match, they managed to make up three goals against their rivals!
Sunday’s match between the Poles and Norgewians was like a rollercoaster. The Poles started very well and were even in a lead before halftime. When they changed sides, however, everything changed. It was the Norwegians who made up losses and took the lead.
Everyone thought that the situation was hopeless. However, Polish players showed that it was not the end. Exactly 78 seconds before the end, when the Poles were losing by 25:28, a miracle happened. The white and red team did not lose their nerves. First, Patryk Wasiak scored at 26:28. A minute later, the rivals fired a missed shot and in response, Marcin Głuszczenko scored the contact goal. There were less than 30 seconds to go. But it was enough for Marcel Jastrzębski and Głuszczenko to become the heroes. Thanks to the team play, Poland drew with Norway!
This draw was enough. It gave Poland’s youth players their first promotion to the U21 World Championship in 20 years. Previously, they played there in 2003 at the tournament in Brazil.
This year’s U21 World Championships will take place in Germany and Greece. The tournament will be played between 20 June and 2 July. Poland will host the U21 World Cup in two years, in 2025.
In Italy, not only the Poles drew with Norgewians but also defeated the Czechs (33:25) in the opening round of the competition on Friday.