Georgia wins first emerging nations trophy in handball, beating Cuba

Playing on its home turf, the Georgia national handball team finished the International Handball Federation (IHF) Emerging Nations Championship with its first Emerging Nations Trophy, beating Cuba with a win of 31:21 on Sunday night in Tbilisi Sports Palace.

After a level first quarter Georgia began to create an advantage, and they controlled the second half completely to record a 10-goal victory at the final whistle… 18 saves from goalkeeper Shota Tevzadze and a fast-paced attacking game were the keys to Georgia’s victory in the final”, writes the IHF.

• All results and news on the Emerging Nations Championship can be found on the official IHF competition website.

18 saves from goalkeeper Shota Tevzadze and a fast-paced attacking game were the keys to Georgia’s victory in the final. Photo: The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia.

It is Georgia’s first Emerging Nations title after the Faroe Islands won in 2015 and 2017.

The defeat in the final was Cuba’s first loss in Georgia 2019.