Polish Women's Handball Team Defeated by World Champions in Lubin: Norway Too Strong

The match played on March 5, 2026, at the RCS hall in Lubin ended with a 32:24 victory for the Norwegian national team. The Polish handball players put up a tough fight against the favorites only in the first part of the match, going into halftime with a four-goal deficit at 12:16. The Norwegians, playing as the current world champions and Olympic gold medalists, confirmed their class in the second half, building a safe lead through a series of fast breaks. Coach Arne Senstadt rotated the squad, giving substitutes a chance, but the class gap between the two teams was particularly evident in shooting efficiency and defensive organization. Norwegian women's handball has dominated the international stage since the 1980s, winning over 30 medals in total at the Olympic Games, World Championships, and European Championships since then. The training system in Scandinavia is considered a model example of combining mass sports development with professionalism. In the Polish team, Magda Balsam (6 goals) and Monika Kobylińska (4 goals) deserved recognition for trying to break down the opponents' tight defense. On the Norwegian side, Henny Reistad (7 goals) and Nora Mørk (5 goals from penalties and open play) were unstoppable. The visitors' goalkeeper, Katrine Lunde, recorded a 40% save rate, which significantly hindered the hosts' attempts to close the point gap in the final stages of the match. Although the defeat was heavy on the scoreboard, it provides the coaching staff with valuable analytical material ahead of the upcoming World Championship qualifiers. The white-and-reds showed several interesting plays in positional attack, but their own mistakes and ball losses were immediately punished by Norway's extremely fast wing players. The match in Lubin was a sell-out, confirming the high popularity of handball in Lower Silesia, which is the cradle of many national team players. The EHF Euro Cup competition is a key element of the international calendar, allowing the national team to regularly compete against the world's strongest teams. Despite the loss, facing a decorated opponent like Norway is considered a necessary step in the process of building a team capable of fighting for top positions in Europe. The next matches in this cycle are scheduled for April, when the Polish team will face Romania in a doubleheader. Coach Arne Senstadt emphasized after the match that such confrontations expose lapses in concentration, which must be avoided in high-stakes games.