Israel's Youth Handball Team Beats Austria 31-22, Secures Fourth Straight Win at European Championship

Israel's youth handball team continued its impressive run at the European Championship on Friday, securing a fourth consecutive victory by defeating Austria 31-22. Coached by Dor Russo and Asaf Siton, the team has already qualified for the Under-19 World Championship next summer and will face North Macedonia on Sunday for ninth place in Europe. This match will cap off a remarkable summer for Israeli handball, with both youth teams qualifying for the World Championship and the youth squad ranking among Europe's top ten.

The Israeli team started strong, quickly taking a 5-0 lead with goalkeeper Ruben Ouanounou delivering an outstanding performance. Austria scored their first goal after seven minutes, but Israel extended their lead to 9-3, largely thanks to Jonathan Pelech, who is on track to become the tournament's top scorer. Rom Tobis also had a standout first half, scoring five goals and helping Israel lead 16-10 at halftime.

The second half began with a scoring drought for Israel lasting over seven minutes, allowing Austria to narrow the gap to 16-14. Coach Russo called a timeout, which proved decisive. Tobis earned a penalty, Pelech scored, and Israel regained control. Contributions from Itai Ornstein, who had limited playtime until this match, were crucial with important and beautiful goals. Ouanounou maintained his excellent form, and Ornstein's goal pushed the lead to 22-15. Israel finished the game confidently, ending the day with a big smile.

Top scorers for Israel were Jonathan Pelech with 15 goals, Rom Tobis with 6, Itai Ornstein with 4, Nevo Masika with 3, Tomer Michalis with 2, and Dor Zayden with 1.