European Championship day 2: the Netherlands and Belgium comfortable, Czech Republic and Slovakia narrow
The Netherlands and Belgium won comfortably on the second day of the European Korfball Championship. Oranje beat Catalonia 48‑3 in Pool A, Belgium beat Portugal 29‑10 in Pool B. The Czech Republic won the top match of Pool D 18‑17 against England, Slovakia were narrowly too strong for Serbia at 19‑17. In the evening Germany and Wales won.
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Automatically translated from Dutch. Read the Dutch original.
- The Netherlands and Belgium lead their pools unbeaten.
- The Czech Republic beat England 18-17, Slovakia beat Serbia 19-17.
- Poland, Hungary and Wales recorded their first win.
The Netherlands steamrolled Catalonia 48‑3 in Prostějov. Within four minutes it was 6‑0, at half-time 20‑2. Catalonia, fifth in the world ranking, scored only once after the break, at 36‑2. Bo Oppe, Jorien Jordaan and Alwin Out scored seven each; all thirteen Dutch players who played got on the scoresheet. With two wins Oranje are sure of a top-eight place. Also read the analysis of the Netherlands - Catalonia.
Poland only pull away after the break
Poland beat Switzerland 18‑11 in Prostějov, but it stayed tense for a half. Switzerland went 0‑2 up and were only 7‑5 behind at half-time.
In the third quarter Poland pulled away. That quarter went 7‑2 to the Poles, who extended their lead to 14‑7.
Read more: Kiera Wilcox broke Wales' scoring record at the European Championship: "The record is a bonus"
Katarzyna Tomczyk, Natalia Klimczyk, captain Tamara Siemieniuk and Lukasz Krzemienowski scored three each. Siemieniuk scored one of her goals from almost the halfway line. Rainier Gfeller scored three for Switzerland.
It was only the second meeting between the two countries. At the European Championship B of 2020 Switzerland won 18‑9.
Poland thus keep the top eight in sight: the numbers one and two of each pool go through. On Sunday Poland play Catalonia.
Results Korfball EC 2026 · Group A, speelronde 2
| # | Club | Pld | W | G | V | For | Against | DS | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 131 | 18 | +113 | 9 |
| 2 | Catalonia | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 50 | 68 | −18 | 6 |
| 3 | Poland | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 36 | 69 | −33 | 3 |
| 4 | Switzerland | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 28 | 90 | −62 | 0 |
Belgium comfortably past Portugal after the break
Belgium beat Portugal 29‑10 in Otrokovice. After six minutes it was 6‑0; Portugal only scored after just over seven minutes through Catarina Frade. The second quarter went narrowly to Belgium, 7‑6, and at half-time it was 13‑7. Belgium missed two penalties in that first half.
After the break Belgium raised the tempo and applied more physical pressure. In the third quarter they pulled away from 13‑7 to 22‑9. Lisa Pauwels scored five times, Glenn Pauwels four times. Arne van Damme scored his first goal of the European Championship.
Hungary too strong for Scotland
Hungary beat Scotland 17‑6 in Otrokovice. After the first quarter it was already 6‑1, at half-time 8‑4.
Zsolt Ferenc Majer was top scorer with five goals, three of them in the first quarter. Majer was injured on Friday, but was simply in the line-up this time.
Szabolcs Csernák scored four, Noémi Tóth three. Ellise Anderson scored three times for Scotland. Scotland got more into the game in the second quarter: Scotland won that quarter 3‑2.
It was the fourth meeting between the two countries, the previous one was in 2022.
Results Korfball EC 2026 · Group B, speelronde 2
| # | Club | Pld | W | G | V | For | Against | DS | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belgium | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 90 | 27 | +63 | 9 |
| 2 | Portugal | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 59 | 44 | +15 | 6 |
| 3 | Hungary | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 32 | 57 | −25 | 3 |
| 4 | Scotland | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 76 | −53 | 0 |
Bušíková decides it in the final minute
Slovakia beat Serbia 19‑17 in Otrokovice, after a match that was level until the last minute. The scores were level nine times, the last time at 17‑17 with just over a minute to play. Zuzana Bušíková then scored the last two goals.
Serbia, 25th in the world ranking against 18th for Slovakia, led 5‑7 in the second quarter. At half-time it was 8‑8. After the break Slovakia went 12‑10 up through Ema Ondrejcova and Oliver Ondrejec, but Nemanja Stojevic still put Serbia 14‑15 ahead in the final quarter.
Ondrejcova scored six times, Bušíková five times. For Serbia Stojevic scored four times. Boris Grolmus dropped out for Slovakia in the final quarter after a fall when jumping for the ball.
Germany decide it in the final quarter
Germany beat Turkey 22‑15 in Otrokovice, but had to work hard for it for a long time. The number three of the world ranking were 2‑3 behind against the number ten after four minutes, and it was level up to 4‑4.
In the second quarter Germany pulled away to 9‑4, at half-time it was 9‑6. It was a physical match with many duels around the basket. In the first half four penalties were missed, three of them by Turkey.
After the break Turkey came back to 10‑9 through Ali Furkan Çetin, Erva Duman and Oral Arslan. In the final quarter Germany still pulled away, from 14‑11 to 20‑13. Lea Witthaus scored twice from distance in that quarter.
Anna Orth, Lea Witthaus and Madeline Gust scored four each. Erva Duman, Gülsah Güner Dalar and Oral Arslan scored three each for Turkey.
On Sunday Germany play Serbia, Turkey play Slovakia.
Results Korfball EC 2026 · Group C, speelronde 2
| # | Club | Pld | W | G | V | For | Against | DS | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 77 | 31 | +46 | 9 |
| 2 | Türkiye | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 53 | 48 | +5 | 6 |
| 3 | Slovakia | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 39 | 62 | −23 | 3 |
| 4 | Serbia | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 39 | 67 | −28 | 0 |
Galicek decides the top match against England
The Czech Republic beat England 18‑17 in Prostějov. Both countries had won comfortably on Friday. The hall was full.
England started stronger and led up to 4‑6; Shane Buckland scored the first two goals. In the second quarter the Czech Republic scored four in a row, from 4‑6 to 8‑6. England then took a time-out, at half-time it was 8‑6.
After the break the Czech Republic pulled away to 13‑10, but England kept coming back. In the final quarter Ashley Warner made it 16‑16 and Billy Ashby 17‑17 with a penalty. A minute before time Petr Galicek decided it at 18‑17.
Galicek scored eight. Ashby scored all five of his goals after the break, Blake Palfreyman scored three.
It was the seventh meeting between the two countries; of the first six each country won three. At the European Championship of 2024 the Czech Republic won 19‑10.
Wales too strong for Ireland after the break
Wales beat Ireland 18‑10 in Prostějov, after a first half that ended level. Wales pulled away to 3‑8, but Ireland then scored five goals in a row: 8‑8 at half-time.
After the break Wales scored the first five goals, up to 8‑13. Ireland only scored again after just over ten minutes of the second half.
Kiera Wilcox scored four and is now the all-time top scorer among the women of Wales. Helen Davies converted three penalties, Kristopher Banham also scored three times. Wales were without Sean Edwards, who was injured two weeks ago.
On Sunday the Czech Republic play Wales, England play Ireland.
Results Korfball EC 2026 · Group D, speelronde 2
| # | Club | Pld | W | G | V | For | Against | DS | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Czechia | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 66 | 26 | +40 | 9 |
| 2 | England | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 66 | 30 | +36 | 6 |
| 3 | Wales | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 26 | 58 | −32 | 3 |
| 4 | Ireland | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 67 | −44 | 0 |
Sunday
On Sunday the third round is on the programme, with Switzerland - the Netherlands and Scotland - Belgium at 15:45.