Earlier this month, the beach sports complex of the Fuentenueva Campus in Granada, Spain, hosted the men’s and women’s beach handball competitions of the 2025 European Universities (EUSA) Beach Championships.
The championships saw beach handball take place across three days from 15 to 17 July, with beach volleyball (15 to 19 July) also part of the event.
In the beach handball competitions a total of 18 teams – nine men’s and nine women’s – competed with 14 universities from seven European nations featuring: Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Türkiye. Over 230 participants were involved.
Eszterhazy Karoly Catholic University (HUN), University of Granada (ESP), University of Malaga (ESP) and University of Zagreb (CRO) entered teams in both competitions.
The men’s event also featured teams from Dumlupinar University (TUR), Hungarian University of Sports Science (HUN), Ozyegin University (TUR), University of Bergen (NOR) and University of Porto (POR). The women’s competition was completed with Gazi University (TUR), Norwegian School of Sports Sciences (NOR), Polytechnic Institute of Porto (POR), University of Goettingen (GER) and University of Hamburg (GER).
Men’s title goes to Hungarian University of Sports Science
After 30 games, the men’s final – match 31 – went to a shoot-out as Portuguese side University of Porto took on the Hungarian University of Sports Science. A tight first set was edged by the Hungarians (20:19), and there was just as much drama in the second, the Portuguese grabbing a 25:24 win.
This meant a shoot-out and after the third round it was all-square on 6:6. However, the side from Hungary held strong, scoring their fourth as Porto missed their next two to ensure an 8:6 victory for the sports science students – for whom Bator Laszlo Bohuniczky scored 22 points.
The University of Malaga grabbed bronze, defeating University of Zagreb, coached by Stjepan Babic, 2-0 (27:23, 25:24), Mario Miranda Sirvent scoring 17 points for the Spanish side.
Gold medallist Zalan Szalay top-scored in the men’s competition with 142 points from his eight matches, followed by Zagreb’s Domagoj Kulis on 124 from seven.
University of Granada take women’s honours
Match number 72 of the 2025 EUSA beach handball competitions saw an all-Spanish affair in the women’s final as the University of Malaga, complete with Alba Diaz Gonzalez, faced host side University of Granada.
Despite 16 points from the Spanish international Gonzalez, Malaga could not compete with the Granada side, who ran out 2-0 (20:14, 26:22) winners, Nayra Alfaro Montes scoring 24 points.
Hungarian side Eszterhazy Karoly Catholic University saw off Croatia’s University of Zagreb 2-1 (17:10, 19:22, SO 8:4) for bronze. Featuring a number of Hungarian internationals – including 11 points from Fanni Friebesz – the shoot-out saw the Croatians miss their opening shot and then their fourth.
Bodza Buzsaki top-scored in the women’s competition with 110 points, ahead of teammate Friebesz, on 102 points.
At the closing ceremony http://beachsports2025.eusa.eu/euc-beach-handball-2025-closing-ceremony of the championships the EUSA flag was passed to Jarko Saric, President of the Student Council of the University of Split, Croatia, who will host the next edition, in 2027.
All three days of beach handball action from Granada can be watched again on the EUSA Beach Sports YouTube channel where you can also find action from the 2023 edition.
For individual match report statistics and scorers, visit HERE. https://results.eusa.eu/index.php?page=index&sport=25&multi=103&ln=en
All-star Teams
Men’s Competition
Fair Play – University of Bergen (NOR)
MVP – David Kocsondi (Hungarian University of Sports Science)
Antonio Monteiro (University of Porto)
Top-scorer – Zalan Szalay (Hungarian University of Sports Science) – 142 points
Women’s Competition
Fair Play – University of Goettingen (GER)
MVP – Alba Díaz González (University of Malaga)
Best Goalkeeper – Sophie Amalie Mobius Lindaas (Norwegian Sport University)
Top-scorer – Bodza Buzsaki (Eszterhazy Karoly Catholic University) – 110 points
Final Rankings
Men’s Competition
1 Hungarian University of Sports Science (HUN)
2 University of Porto (POR)
3 University of Malaga (ESP)
4 University of Zagreb (CRO)
5 University of Granada (ESP)
6 Eszterhazy Karoly Catholic University (HUN)
7 Ozyegin University (TUR)
8 University of Bergen (NOR)
9 Dumlupinar University (TUR)
Women’s Competition
1 University of Granada (ESP)
2 University of Malaga (ESP)
3 Eszterhazy Karoly Catholic University (HUN)
4 University of Zagreb (CRO)
5 Polytechnic Institute of Porto (POR)
6 Norwegian School of Sports Sciences (NOR)
7 University of Goettingen (GER)
8 Gazi University (TUR)
9 University of Hamburg (GER)
Photo Credit: EUSA – European University Sports Association