Latvian national handball team Photo: LHF
On Saturday, the Latvian men’s handball team played a draw with Luxembourg in the second World Cup qualifiers in the Faroe Islands, Torshavn. Latvia played with the Luxembourg handball players at 30:30 (18:15). The first two goals of the game were scored by the Latvian handball players, holding the dominance of two or three goals for a longer period in the result period, but reaching 9: 5 in the 15th minute after Dainis Krištopāns’ shot.
However, the opponents gradually played out, equalizing the result in the 22nd minute (11:11), but then rising to the minimum lead twice. The Latvians finished better at the end of the half, scoring four goals in a row after 13:14 and winning the half. In the 35th minute, after three goals in a row, the Luxembourgers took the lead again with 20:19, but in the 45th minute they also achieved 24:21 in their favor.
Latvia responded with four goals and after the successful throw of Elvija Borodovskis took the lead with 25:24. In the 56th minute, another three-goal series after Austra Tuminski’s shot led to the lead with 29:26. However, this time too, the opponents played, with the draw at the end of the fight – 30:30. Nikita Panchenko stood out in the Latvian national team with five goals, Egils Politers, Tuminskis and Nils Kreicbergs added four goals, and Dainis Krištopāns scored three goals in seven attempts. Tommy Vircs, meanwhile, scored nine goals for the Luxembourg national team. Josip Ilic scored six goals, Martin Miller scored five goals and Daniel Sheid scored four goals.
In the other games of the group, Luxembourg beat the Faroe Islands at 31:26 (11:10) on Friday, but the hosts beat Italy at 27:26 (11:13) on Saturday. After two rounds of play, Luxembourg is leading with three points, the Faroe Islands and Italy are two points away, and Latvia is finishing the tournament table with one point.
On Sunday, Latvians will compete with the Faroe Islands at 8 p.m. The two best teams from each of the four groups will qualify for the second phase of the qualifying tournament. The final tournament of the World Championship with the participation of 32 units will take place from 11 to 29 January 2023 in Poland and Sweden. In addition to the housewives, the place in the final tournament has already been secured for the world champion Denmark. The four teams will secure a place in the World Cup in the finals of the European Championships currently taking place in Slovakia and Hungary.
Composition of the Latvian national team
goalkeepers – Edgars Kukša (OHV Aurich, Germany), Raitis Puriņš (ASK National Guard / LSPA), Artūrs Kuģis (Varberg, Sweden);
field players – Nikita Panchenko, Austris Tuminskis, Nils Miķelsons, Emīls Kurzemnieks, Nils Kreicbergs, Andis Ērmanis, Antons Šuleiko, Oskars Arājs, Egils Politers (all – Dobele “Tenax”), Kristers Rihards Ozols (ASK Zemessardze / LSPA), Dain “Saint-Germain”, France), Renārs Grebenņikovs (“Latgols”), Artūrs Meikšāns (Pelvas “Serviti”, Estonia), Elvijs Borodovskis (“TSG Habloch”, Germany), Linards Usāns (“Latgols”), Rihards Leja ( “Ogre”).
