Georgia

Georgia wrote handball history in 2023 when they qualified for an EHF EURO for the first time since gaining independency as a country three decades ago. At the Men’s EHF EURO 2024, they will rub shoulders with some of the world’s best teams.

Things all came down to one goal, though, as Georgia sensationally beat Hungary 31:30 in the last round of the EHF EURO 2024 Qualifiers, thanks to a last-second goal from Giorgi Tskhovrebadze. It marked their second win in the qualifiers and earned them a spot among the four best-ranked third-placed teams, securing them a ticket to Germany.

This qualification has not come out of nowhere, though, as Georgia have been making steady progresses in the last few years. They won the Men’s IHF/EHF Trophy or the first time when hosting the tournament in 2021, when some of their talents arrived in the international spotlight.

Giorgi Tskhovrebadze is the best-known player in the Georgian roster, having played for two-time EHF Champions League winners Montpellier HB in France and, on loan, for Pfadi Winterthur in Switzerland before moving VfL Gummersbach in the German in the summer of 2023.

Unfortunately, Georgia will arrive in Germany without another prominent name: left back Nikoloz Kalandadze, playing for Chambéry Savoie Mont Blanc in France, will miss the tournament injured.

Even if Georgia’s squad hardly features any players over 30, they have been playing together for many years, also in the under-19 and under-21 national teams.

In a group with titleholders Sweden, Netherlands, and Bosnia Herzegovina, the main goal for Georgia will be to gather experience in their efforts to become a regular appearance at EHF EURO events in the future.