India to host 20th Asian Women’s Handball Championship in New Delhi

India will host the 20th edition of the Asian Women's Handball Championship for the first time in the history of the sport. The competition was slated to take place in Almaty, Kazakhstan, but was rescheduled and shifted to India due to unforeseen circumstances.

The tournament is scheduled to be held from December 1 to 10 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi. The 20th Asian Women's Handball Championship will see around 200 players in action from multiple countries, including Iran, South Korea, China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

The tournament will offer teams a chance to qualify for the 2025 IHF World Women’s Handball Championship, to be played in Germany and the Netherlands. The top four teams will secure a spot in the World Championship.

Swapnil Jain, Managing Director of Pavna Group and a co-promoter of the Women's Handball League (WHL), recently spoke about the golden opportunity India have received to host the tournament. He was quoted as saying in a press release (via Sportstar):

“Hosting this prestigious tournament is a significant milestone for Indian handball, marking a pivotal moment in our journey to elevate the sport to new heights. With our women’s team recently securing a bronze medal at the Asian Women’s Club Championship, we are thrilled to welcome some of Asia’s leading nations to India. This event is an opportunity to showcase India’s immense potential on the Asian stage and inspire future generations to embrace handball with passion and determination.”

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Asian Women's Handball Championship: India's performance over the years

India will make their eighth appearance in the tournament and look to make full use of the home advantage. Here is a glance at India's performance over the last seven appearances:

1993 - 7th place

2000 - 6th place

2008 - 8th place

2012 - 8th place

2015 - 7th place

2018 - 8th place

2022 - 6th place