Czech Handball Team Wins European Championship Qualifier Against Israel

The Czech men's handball team secured a narrow 27:26 home victory against Israel in their opening match of the European Championship qualification in Zlín. Despite leading by as many as five goals, the Czech team faced a late surge from the Israeli side, which managed to close the gap to a single goal during a period where the Czech offense struggled.

Tomáš Piroch led the Czech scoring with nine goals, while Joav Lumbroso scored ten for Israel. Czech coaches Daniel Kubeš and Michal Brůna noted that while the team started dominantly, they struggled with Israel's mobility in the second half, particularly in six-on-seven situations.

The Czech team will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in their next match of the group stage, followed by a matchup against Slovenia. The qualification process aims to determine the participants for the 2028 European Championship, which will be hosted by Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland.