The 2003
World Women's Handball Championship
The IHF Women's Handball World Championship has been organized by the International Handball Federation since 1957. European teams have won every time except 1995 where South Korea won as the first team outside Europe and 2013 where Brazil won ...
, the 16th
handball
Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...
world championship
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...
for
women
A woman is an adult female human. Before adulthood, a female child or adolescent is referred to as a girl.
Typically, women are of the female sex and inherit a pair of X chromosomes, one from each parent, and women with functional u ...
, was played in
Croatia
Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
between 2 and 14 December 2003.
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
won their first ever title, beating Hungary in the final.
Qualification
The following nations were qualified:
Preliminary round
Group A in
Split
Split(s) or The Split may refer to:
Places
* Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia
* Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay
* Split Island, Falkland Islands
* Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua
Arts, enter ...
*''Tuesday, 2 December:''
** 41 - 18
** 32 - 25
** 28 - 25
*''Wednesday, 3 December:''
** 33 - 27
** 12 - 38
** 15 - 33
*''Thursday, 4 December:''
** 27 - 25
** 28 - 24
** 33 - 13
*''Saturday, 6 December:''
** 12 - 36
** 20 - 28
** 44 - 41
*''Sunday, 7 December:''
** 30 - 19
** 28 - 29
** 27 - 25
Group B in
Poreč
Poreč (; known also by several alternative names) is a town and municipality on the western coast of the Istrian peninsula, in Istria County, west Croatia. Its major landmark is the 6th-century Euphrasian Basilica, which was designated a UN ...
*''Tuesday, 2 December:''
** 28 - 27
** 46 - 16
** 29 - 19
*''Wednesday, 3 December:''
** 31 - 18
** 22 - 26
** 20 - 47
*''Thursday, 4 December:''
** 27 - 21
** 22 - 29
** 38 - 15
*''Saturday, 6 December:''
** 24 - 18
** 26 - 30
** 12 - 41
*''Sunday, 7 December:''
** 31 - 16
** 34 - 39
** 39 - 14
Group C in
Karlovac
Karlovac () is a city in central Croatia. In the 2021 census, its population was 49,377.
Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County. The city is located southwest of Zagreb and northeast of Rijeka, and is connected to them via the ...
*''Tuesday, 2 December:''
** 30 - 24
** 29 - 30
** 43 - 13
*''Wednesday, 3 December:''
** 28 - 28
** 25 - 27
** 16 - 24
*''Thursday, 4 December:''
** 33 - 15
** 45 - 13
** 41 - 30
*''Saturday, 6 December:''
** 14 - 28
** 19 - 33
** 25 - 23
*''Sunday, 7 December:''
** 30 - 39
** 29 - 21
** 31 - 18
Group D in
Čakovec
Čakovec (; ; ; ) is a city in Northern Croatia, located around north of Zagreb, the Croatian capital, and close to the borders with Slovenia and Hungary. Čakovec is both the county seat and the largest city of Međimurje County, the northernmo ...
*''Tuesday, 2 December:''
** 43 - 25
** 34 - 26
** 20 - 20
*''Wednesday, 3 December:''
** 28 - 32
** 30 - 27
** 20 - 29
*''Thursday, 4 December:''
** 38 - 25
** 30 - 28
** 24 - 21
*''Saturday, 6 December:''
** 17 - 36
** 34 - 30
** 29 - 21
*''Sunday, 7 December:''
** 31 - 26
** 29 - 28
** 19 - 29
Main Round
Top two teams from each group advanced to the Semifinals. The third placed teams from each group competed in the 5th/6th placement match.
Group I
*''Tuesday, 9 December:''
** 27 - 26
** 31 - 27
** 25 - 27
*''Wednesday, 10 December:''
** 25 - 25
** 25 - 28
** 33 - 35
*''Thursday, 11 December:''
** 27 - 38
** 29 - 32
** 20 - 19
Group II in
Rijeka
Rijeka (;
Fiume ( fjuːme in Italian and in Fiuman dialect, Fiuman Venetian) is the principal seaport and the List of cities and towns in Croatia, third-largest city in Croatia. It is located in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County on Kvarner Ba ...
*''Tuesday, 9 December:''
** 31 - 30
** 27 - 30
** 26 - 25
*''Wednesday, 10 December:''
** 24 - 24
** 23 - 25
** 30 - 28
*''Thursday, 11 December:''
** 31 - 23
** 29 - 28
** 23 - 35
Final round
In
Zagreb
Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...
Ranking and statistics
Final ranking
All Star Team
*Goalkeeper:
*Left wing:
*Left back:
*Pivot:
*Centre back:
*Right back:
*Right wing:
Top Goalkeepers
Top goalscorers
Statistics
The total average number of shots and throws taken in the preliminary round was 51.79 with a shot efficacy of 52.46%. The greatest efficacy was acquired by shots at the goal line (70%). Teams won on average 4.58 penalty (7m) throws. The winning teams took on average 3.55 shots more that the defeated teams. Defeated teams were also 17.98% less efficient than the winning ones, not only in goal-scoring but also in number and efficacy of the fast breaks and assists.
Medalists
Literature
*
References
*
{{World Handball Championship
W
2003
2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater.
In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War.
Demographic ...
W
Women's handball in Croatia
World Women's Handball Championship
The IHF Women's Handball World Championship has been organized by the International Handball Federation since 1957. European teams have won every time except 1995 where South Korea won as the first team outside Europe and 2013 where Brazil won ...
December 2003 sports events in Europe
Sports competitions in Zagreb
2000s in Zagreb
Sports competitions in Split, Croatia
Sport in Karlovac
Sport in Čakovec
Sport in Rijeka
Sports competitions in Poreč
History of Čakovec
21st century in Split, Croatia