Final four set to ignite women's handball championship

Dortmund, Blomberg-Lippe, Bensheim/Auerbach, and Thüringer HC will battle for the DHB-Pokal title at the Final Four this weekend, promising a high-stakes showdown between seven former silver medalists.

Four teams, one trophy: a clash of handball titans

The women's handball championship final tournament in Stuttgart’s Porsche Arena features the Bundesliga’s top four teams vying for the coveted DHB-Pokal. Notably, over a third of the competitors boast experience as silver medalists from the recent World Championship. This year’s tournament is shaping up to be the most evenly matched in recent memory, with predictions proving difficult to make.

The field is particularly intriguing given the recent collapse of HB Ludwigsburg, a former powerhouse. For HSG Bensheim/Auerbach and Blomberg-Lippe, this represents their first-ever shot at the trophy, while Thüringer HC (2011, 2013, 2019) and Borussia Dortmund (1997) have previously lifted the cup.

The semifinals pit Bundesliga third-placed HSG Bensheim/Auerbach against fourth-placed Thüringer HC (16:15). The other semifinal features league leaders Borussia Dortmund facing HSG Blomberg-Lippe (18:45). Blomberg’s national player, Nieke Kühne, acknowledged Dortmund’s slight edge but emphasized the importance of on-the-day performance. “Both teams will give everything,” she stated.

The final will crown a new champion on Sunday (16:15). Before that, a third-place match will determine the remaining podium positions. The competition’s outcome is particularly significant, given the recent shifts in the Bundesliga landscape.

The tournament’s blend of established contenders and hungry upstarts guarantees an electrifying weekend of handball.