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Women's handball worlds opens in Denmark

Xinhua, December 5, 2015 Adjust font size:

The 2015 Women's Handball World Championship opened on Saturday in Denmark with the participation of 24teams.

The tournament, now in its 22nd edition, takes place from December 5-20 in Denmark's cities of Herning, Naestved, Kolding and Frederikshavn.

Defending champions Brazil claimed their title in 2013, which was not only the first time the South American team were crowned, but also just the second time after South Korea's victory in 1995 that a non-European team topped the podium at a women's world championship.

The 24 teams have been divided in four groups where 13 European teams are out to take back the throne.

Hosts Denmark face some truly tough opponents in Group A as they have been drawn together with EHF EURO 2012 champions Montenegro, EHF EURO 2012 bronze medalists Hungary and 2013 world championship runners-up Serbia, Japan and Tunisia.

Besides EHF EURO 2014 bronze medalists Sweden, China will meet the Netherlands, Poland as well as Angola and Cuba in Group B.

Group C involves Brazil, France, Argentina, South Korea, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Germany, while Group D is comprised of the two EHF EURO 2014 finalists, Norway and Spain, alongside Romania, Russia, Kazakhstan and Puerto Rico.

The first four teams of each group qualify for the last-16 stage. Endi