PREVIEW: There is a new chapter being opened in the history of the EHF's younger age category events as the first EHF Championships throw off in Bulgaria, Lithuania and Georgia on 15 August
Men's 18 EHF Championships throw off in Bulgaria, Georgia and Lithuania
The younger category events under the auspices of the European Handball Federation enter a new era as the first Men's 18 EHF Champiionships throw off in Bulgaria, Georgia and Lithuania on 15 August.
After the Men's 18 EHF EURO in Croatia already started on Thursday, the competition in the corresponding Championships gets underway on Monday.
For the European Handball Federation these are the first tournaments that will be played since a new system for the younger age categories was introduced.
This means that at the end of the Men's 18 EHF EURO 2016 the three lowest ranked teams will be downgraded to the Men's 20 EHF Championships 2018, while the three winners of the Men's 18 EHF Championships (all 15 to 21 August) will be promoted to the Men's 20 EHF EURO 2018.
There are 11 teams (one group of five and one of six teams) competing in Bulgaria and eight each (two groups of four) in Georgia and Lithuania.
After the completion of the preliminary round in Bulgaria, the first ranked teams of Groups A and B will play the final. In Lithuania and Georgia, the first two teams of each group qualify for the semi-finals while the remaining ones will play the placement matches.
Matches from all three tournaments will be streamed live. The streams can accessed via the respective official website for each event.
The preliminary round in Bulgaria will be played from 15 to 20 August, with a rest day on 18 August. The final takes place on 21 August.
The preliminary round in Georgia and Lithuania is played on 15, 16 and 18 August. The semi-finals take place on 20 and the final on 21 August.
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EHF / ts