28 Jun Spain opens the 2024 University Handball World Championship with a victory organized by the Camilo José Cela University
Spain opened the 2024 University Handball World Championship with a victory in the first match against Poland, winning by a score of 35-27. This match between the two men’s teams took place after the tournament’s opening ceremony, organized by Camilo José Cela University in collaboration with the Higher Sports Council, the Andalusian Government, the Málaga Provincial Council, the Antequera City Council, and the Royal Spanish Handball Federation (RFEBM). The tournament will run until June 30 in the city of Antequera, Málaga.
In its twenty-sixth edition, the championship has brought together 222 players, divided into fourteen teams—seven men’s and seven women’s—and 63 official referees. Spain, as the host country, will have representation in both categories.
The Fernando Argüelles Pavilion, the venue for the matches, also hosted the opening ceremony where representatives of the participating countries appeared one by one. The men’s competition includes teams from Brazil, Chile, the Czech Republic, France, India, Poland, and Spain, while the women’s competition includes teams from Chile, the Czech Republic, France, India, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain.
A Strong Commitment to Sports and University Well-being
Alejandro Delso, Director of Strategy and Innovation at SEK Education Group, highlighted that organizing this championship “is a testament to our strong commitment to sports and university well-being, pillars of our educational project, which are reflected in the training of health professionals and in offering educational experiences that positively impact our students and society.”
Isabel Sánchez, General Director of Events and Sports Facilities of the Andalusian Government and a former international basketball player, also emphasized the importance of balancing sports and academic life. She thanked “the work done by the Camilo José Cela University in enabling this balance in university sports.”
José Luis Lesma, Director of Sports at SEK Education Group, explained that Camilo José Cela University and SEK International Schools support young athletes with individualized high-performance and academic excellence programs through the SEK International Sports Academy.
According to Aitor Canibe, Deputy Director General of High Competition at the Higher Sports Council, such tournaments allow athletes to realize the goal of representing our country internationally at the university level.
Juan Rosas Gallardo, First Deputy Mayor and Councilor for Sports of the Antequera City Council and Vice President of the Málaga Provincial Council, commented that according to the City Council’s forecast, this sporting event “will have a very significant direct economic impact on the city, estimated at more than 500,000 euros, not to mention the promotion of the city worldwide.”
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