Young Slovenians return from Belgrade with silver

Slovenian U18 handball players are returning from the European Championship in Serbia with a silver medal, their first-ever achievement in this age category. The team fell 36-27 to Germany in the final held in Belgrade's Pionir Hall, now known as Aleksandar Nikolić Hall.

This loss was the first for the talented squad under coach Marko Šibilja after a seven-game winning streak. Despite falling short of gold, the players, including best player Jaka Podvršič, are returning proud. The U20 team recently earned a bronze medal at their European Championship in Romania, highlighting a promising future for Slovenian handball.

The reception for the U18 team and their coaching staff is scheduled for Monday in Ljubljana. The team had a strong start in the final, leading 8-5 and 9-8, but Germany staged a comeback, going on an 8-2 run to take a significant lead. By the 41st minute, Germany's advantage had extended to nine goals, making the outcome clear.

Germany's lead eventually reached 11 goals, its highest point in the match. For Slovenia, Maks Ilc, Podvršič, and Žan Kovač each scored five goals. Luka Kresal, Nik Sovič, and Omar Ajšić added two goals each, with Tjaš Erčulj, Matic Aljančič, Gal Rapotec, Luka Gale, Erazem Cizerle, and Rok Blagus scoring one apiece. Germany's Vincent Faciejew was the top scorer with eight goals.

Slovenia had a dominant performance throughout the tournament, winning all matches leading up to the final. They defeated North Macedonia, Sweden, and France in the group stage, followed by wins against Germany and Serbia in the main round. In the knockout stages, they beat Hungary in the quarterfinals and Denmark in the semifinals. Denmark secured the bronze medal by defeating Spain 28-25 in the third-place playoff.