North Macedonia women's national handball team

North Macedonia
Information
Nickname	Lionesses
Association	Macedonian Handball Federation
Coach	Kristijan Grchevski
Assistant coach	Julijana Damchevska
Most caps	Valentina Radulovic (230)
Most goals	Valentina Radulovic (813)
Colours
1st 2nd 3rd
Results
World Championship
Appearances	5 (First in 1997 )
Best result	7th (1997)
European Championship
Appearances	6 (First in 1998 )
Best result	7th (2008)
Last updated on Unknown.

The North Macedonia women's national handball team is the women's national handball team of North Macedonia. It is governed by the Macedonian Handball Federation and takes part in international team handball competitions.

History

The first women's handball teams in Macedonia emerged in the second half of the 1940s. Soon, the Macedonian Handball federation started to organize national championships in big handball -11 players on a soccer field size. By the 1960s it was transformed into small handball or indoor handball. Macedonian champions were qualified for the federal Yugoslav Championship instead of European cup competitions. The best Macedonian players played for the Federal Team of Yugoslavia. In the time of the federation 6 of the constitutional republics were sending one federal team to compete at the Olympics and World cup. Macedonia was participating within the federal team from 1950 till 1991. After the split of the federation, as a single republic from 1992 till 1994 Macedonia didn't manage to enter the qualifications for EC, WC and OG. Since 1995, Macedonia participates as a single Republic to all qualifications and Championship tournaments. At the 1992 Olympics, the Yugoslavia team was banned to participate. At the World Cup 1993 only teams from the Olympics qualified so the Macedonian team did not have a chance to qualify. For the first European Championship 1994 team Macedonia didn't enter the qualifications. For the World Cup 1995, only teams from EURO 1994 qualified so again team Macedonian didn't get a chance to participate. Since EURO 1996 team Macedonia is regular in the qualifications. It entered 5 European Championships first one in 1998 then in 2000, 2006, 2008 and 2012. Most successful was the 2008 when they finished 7th as a host. The Macedonia team qualified for the Euro 2022 as a host nation again. For the World Cup's they entered five times (1997, 1999, 2001, 2005 and 2007). The most successful was in 1997 when they finished in 7th place. For the Olympic tournament, they had the best chance in 1999 World Cup when first they lost the 1/4 final game. Then after in the classification games for the 5th place – last spot that qualifies for the Olympics finished 8th and did not qualify.

Home ground

The BTSC - Boris Trajkovski Sports Center (Macedonian : Спортски центар Борис Трајковски, Sportski centar Boris Trajkovski) in Skopje is a multi-functional indoor sports arena. It is located in the Karpoš Municipality of Skopje, North Macedonia. It is named after the former president, Boris Trajkovski. Its capacity is 10,000. There is an Olympic size Swimming Pool and 5 Star Hotel Alexander Palace within the complex. Additional Water Land Fun Park and Ice Skating Rink next to it.

The arena is a home-ground of the Macedonian handball team (men and women). The venue also contains four restaurants and a sports bar. It was one of two venues for the 2008 European Women's Handball Championship.It was a venue again for the 2022 European Women's Handball Championship

Home Ground

Home ground

Results

During the period 1957 till 1991 Macedonia was within the Federation of SFRJ. It was represented internationally within the team Yugoslavia as part of the Federation of 6 Republics. Macedonia is not a successor of the results of team Yugoslavia it was just part of it. During that time was present at the 3 Olympics and 10 World cup tournaments within the successful team Yugoslavia. After the split Macedonian team started to compete representing the single independent Republic.

World Championship

Year	Pos.	Pld	W	D	L
1957 1993	1957,1962,1965,1971,1973 1975,1978,1982,1986,1990 Within Yugoslavia team 3,4,2,2,1,5,5,3,6,2
1995	Couldn't participate
1997	7th	9	5	1	3
1999	8th	9	4	0	5
2001	21st	5	0	1	4
2003	Did not qualify
2005	15th	5	2	1	2
2007	12th	8	2	1	5
2009	Did not qualify
2011
2013
2015
2017
2019
2021
2023
2025	To be determined
2027
2029
2031
Total	5/14	36	13	4	19

European Championship

Year	Pos.	Pld	W	D	L
1994	couldn't participate
1996
1998	8th	6	2	0	4
2000	8th	6	1	2	3
2002
2004
2006	12th	6	1	0	5
2008	7th	6	3	0	3
2010
2012	16th	3	0	0	3
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022	16th	3	0	0	3
2024	18th	3	0	1	2
2026	TBD
2028	TBD
Total	7/15	33	7	3	23

Summer Olympics

Year	Round	Position	GP	W	D	L	GS	GA
1976 1992	1980,1984,1988 Within Yugoslavia team 2,1,4
1996	Did not enter World Cup and European Championship served as qualifiers
2000	Did not qualify
2004	Did not Enter World Cup and European Championship served as qualifiers
2008	Did not qualify
2012	Did not enter World Cup and European Championship served as qualifiers
2016
2020
2024	Did not qualify
Total	0/3	–	0	0	0	0	0	0

Performance in other tournaments

• Carpathian Trophy 1993 – 3rd
• Carpathian Trophy 1999 – 3rd
• Carpathian Trophy 2000 – 4th
• Carpathian Trophy 2001 – 6th
• Carpathian Trophy 2006 – 3rd
• Carpathian Trophy 2010 – 4th
• Carpathian Trophy 2011 – 4th
• Carpathian Trophy 2017 – 4th

Mediterranean Games

• 2013: 9th
• 2018: 4th
• 2022: 7th

Team

Current squad

Roster for the 2024 European Women's Handball Championship. ^[1]

Head coach: Kristijan Grchevski

No. Pos. Name Date of birth (age) Height App. Goals Club 1 GK Matea Churlinovska (2005-12-06) 6 December 2005 (age 19) 1.74 m 1 0 WHC Despina 9 CB Nena Nestoroska (2005-05-18) 18 May 2005 (age 19) 1.74 m 0 0 ŽRK Kumanovo 10 LB Ana Marija Kolarovska (2002-08-18) 18 August 2002 (age 22) 1.73 m 3 8 WHC Gjorche Petrov 12 GK Dragana Petkovska (1996-06-12) 12 June 1996 (age 28) 1.75 m 7 0 PDO Handball Team Salerno 13 P Ivana Djatevska (2003-04-13) 13 April 2003 (age 21) 1.78 m 23 10 Kisvárdai KC 15 LB Marija Jankulovska (2005-11-02) 2 November 2005 (age 19) 1.75 m 5 2 ŽRK Metalurg 17 RW Teodora Dukoska (2004-06-10) 10 June 2004 (age 20) 1.70 m 5 0 WHC CHAIR 18 LB Elena Gjeorgjievska (1990-03-27) 27 March 1990 (age 34) 1.80 m 53 188 MKS Kalisz 19 RB Iva Mladenovska (2007-01-14) 14 January 2007 (age 17) 1.80 m 9 12 Brest Bretagne Handball 22 CB Bojana Dinevska (2000-10-07) 7 October 2000 (age 24) 1.63 m 2 2 WHC CHAIR 26 GK Jovana Micevska (2000-07-26) 26 July 2000 (age 24) 1.76 m 21 1 CSM Slatina 30 RB Jovana Kiprijanovska (2001-12-30) 30 December 2001 (age 23) 1.84 m 20 17 Sambre Avesnois Handball 31 LB Andrea Sedloska (2003-03-06) 6 March 2003 (age 21) 1.83 m 14 22 RK Lokomotiva Zagreb 32 CB Ivana Arsenievska (2003-12-08) 8 December 2003 (age 21) 1.75 m 12 5 AHCM Slobozia 33 RW Sara Ristovska (1996-09-09) 9 September 1996 (age 28) 1.69 m 56 272 CS Rapid Bucuresti 41 LB Sara Stefanoska (2005-01-11) 11 January 2005 (age 20) 1.78 m 1 1 ŽORK Jagodina 58 LB Simona Madjovska (1993-11-02) 2 November 1993 (age 31) 1.81 m 37 68 BSV Sachsen Zwickau 71 LW Jovana Sazdovska (1993-06-25) 25 June 1993 (age 31) 1.77 m 45 124 CSM Slatina 93 P Katerina Damjanoska (2003-05-19) 19 May 2003 (age 21) 1.73 m 4 3 WHC Gjorche Petrov

Notable players

All-Star Team

• Indira Kastratović, 1999 World Women's Handball Championship
• Larisa Ferzalieva, 2000 European Women's Handball Championship

Top scorer

• Indira Kastratović, 1997 World Women's Handball Championship

Others

• Gordana Naceva
• Marina Abramova
• Biljana Naumovska
• Valentina Radulovic
• Klara Boeva
• Dana Filipovska
• Natalija Todorovska, she scored 21 goals against Cameroon ^[2] at the 2005 World Championship which is still a record in 2021
• Mileva Velkova
• Anzela Platon
• Mirjana Cupic
• Dragana Pecevska
• Olga Bujanova
• Julija Nikolić
• Mirjeta Bajramoska

See also

• North Macedonia men's national handball team
• Macedonian Handball Federation

References

1. "North Macedonia roaster". ehfeuro.eurohandball.com. 30 November 2024. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
2. "2005 World Championship - Match report Cameroon-Macedonia" (PDF). European Handball Federation . Retrieved 2018-11-16.

External links

• Official website
• IHF provile