Ekaterinodar live up to expectations, Kongsberg struggle on Day 1

The defending men's champions BHC SKKM-Ekaterinodar have made their mark on the first day of the EHF Beach Handball Champions Cup 2015, as they won their first two matches without losing a set.

In the women's event the two teams from Hungary, OVB-Beach Girls and Multichem Szentendrei NKE, were the dominating forces and hence top Groups A and B respectively.

On the other hand the defending women's champions, Skrim Kongsberg from Norway, sit on second position in Group A with one win and one loss, similar to three other teams in this evenly balanced group.

Zagreb and Malga with two from two

In Group A of the men's event, Ekaterinodar opened the competition with a 2:0 win against Lloret Beach Espana from Switzerland and followed up with another 2:0 win against BHT Auto Forum Petra Plock from Poland.

Also on two wins from two matches in Group A are Danish side HEI Skaering who first beat Pallamano Grosseto from Italy 2:0 and then Dutch team Paksoft Camelot with the same result.

In Group B multiple ebt Finals champions, Detono Zagreb, and Club BM Playa Ciudad de Malaga lead the way with two wins each, but the former had to fight hard in their second match, as OS Gordos / Aposta Ganha forced them into the shoot-out which they only lost 11:12.

Each team will play another two matches tomorrow before the group phase comes to a close on Saturday, the day on which also the quarter-finals will be played. The first four teams of each group qualify for the knockout stages.

Three teams without a point

In the women's event it was the day of the two Hungarian participants. The OVB-Beach Girls are the only team in Group A that has not lost a match yet, as they first beat BHC Dubrava and then 100 Ondas / N.Belchior.

In the same group the defending champions Skrim Kongsberg learned that a successful title defence will be anything but easy. They started the tournament with a 2:0 win against Strandgeflüster Minden, but then lost to BHC Dubrava in three sets.

In Group B the wheat has been seperated from the chaff already, as Multichem Szentendrei NKE, Voorwaarts and BHT Piotrkowianin Juko Piotrkow Trybunalski all won their first two matches, while Detono Zagreb, Cubas Llopis BM Playa Sevilla and Brüder Ismaning all still wait for their first point.