Faroe Islands (FAR)

The Faroe Islands women’s team are set to make history at the Women's EHF EURO 2024, just ten months after the men's team did the same at the Men's EHF EURO 2024. Not only are they participating in their first-ever European championship, but also their maiden appearance at a major international competition. Some 5,000 Faroese fans travelled to support the men in Germany in January — almost 10 per cent of the country’s population — and the women will hope for similar support.

Under the leadership of Claus Mogensen, the Faroe Islands secured their spot at the Women's EHF EURO 2024 by finishing as one of the top four third-ranked teams in the qualification phase. Their journey to Basel and group D saw them display moments of resilience.

They faced strong opponents, starting with a 20:37 defeat by Sweden. Later on, they showed progress and had two closer losses against Iceland (23:28, 20:24) and showed fighting spirit in the return leg against Sweden, losing 27:31. To book a ticket for the European championship they beat Luxembourg 34:16 and 39:21.

A key player in that quest was Jana Mittún, who emerged as a driving force for the team, scoring 38 goals. The centre back's impressive performance and good game reading were instrumental for the Faroe Islands — no surprise, given her pedigree. Mittún comes from a handball-mad family: her older brother Pauli and more famous younger brother Óli are both handball players and they are cousins to star centre back Elias Ellefsen á Skipagøtu. All three participated at the Men’s EHF EURO 2024.

Mittún is one of a handful of players currently playing outside the Faroe Islands, for Viborg HK in Denmark; there are a few others also in Denmark or Iceland, but the majority are still playing at home, notably for H71.

The Faroe Islands’ debut at the Women's EHF EURO 2024 is not only a milestone for the team but also for Faroese handball as a whole. They will look to bring their unyielding ambition to the tournament, aiming to make a lasting impression and inspire future generations of handball players back home.