Japan women's U‑18 handball team secures 9th place at World Championship

The Japan women's under‑18 handball team competed in the 11th IHF Women's Youth World Championship held in Romania from 29 July to 7 August 2026. After advancing through the group stage with wins over Angola and Brazil and a loss to Switzerland, the Japanese side defeated the Netherlands 47‑36 in the 9‑12 placement round. In the final 9th‑place match on 7 August, Japan beat France 38‑31, finishing the tournament in ninth place. Hiyu Miura was named Player of the Match after scoring a tournament‑high 13 goals. The matches were streamed live on the IHF’s official YouTube channel.