Leonardo Puñales wants to qualify Uruguay to the World Championship 2025. The coach of the women’s national team said that they are working with a pre-selection group with a very good projection for the South Central American Senior Handball Championship to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Uruguayan women participated five times in world championships, in 1997 (24th), in 2001 (23rd), 2003 (24th), 2005 (23rd) and the last time was in 2011 where they placed 20th. Leonardo Puñales wants to qualify Uruguay.
Preparation
The charrúa team will seek to qualify for the World Cup in Germany/Netherlands 2025. Leonardo Puñales, coach of the Uruguayan women’s national team, proposes a squad with a mix of young and experienced players.
- How is the Uruguayan national team preparing for the South Central Senior Handball Championship to be held in Rio de Janeiro?
The preparation in Uruguay began in August, on Mondays and Wednesdays and the rest of the week they train with their clubs.
The physical preparation is done in a gym where the physical trainers of the women’s national team work.
- At the Pan American Games in Santiago 2023, Uruguay had the incorporation of several young players into the squad, have they had continuity?
We have a pre-selection group in the squad working with very good projection. Some of the players who were in the Pan American Games last year have not been taken into account because of injuries.
Other young players are being incorporated.
- How many players do you have, do they all play in the local league or abroad?
There are currently about 25 players and almost all of them play in the local league, except for two, one plays in Italy and the other in Portugal.
- How do you study the other teams you will face in the South Central?
The study of the rivals in general is with the previous matches of tournament situation, the most recent for us is the Pan American Games.
With trajectory
- What is the composition of the technical staff?
It is a stable technical staff, we have been working since 2021 in South Central Paraguay.
As assistant coach and analyst is Ignacio Cabrera, Dr. Sofia Gonzalez, the physical trainer is Diego Dominguez and in addition to being the coach I also coordinate the Uruguayan women’s national teams.
- Undoubtedly, the main objective will be the South Central American Senior Handball Championship in Rio de Janeiro.
As a sporting objective, the most important thing is this Rio tournament, because our selection teams are not stable and do not work throughout the year, but only in per-competitive periods in preparation for the tournaments.
Regarding what’s next for the rest of this 2024 and planning for 2025 Puñales expressed: “We will see how we do in South Central Rio and in case we get the World qualification we will plan the best way of preparation. In case we don’t achieve it we will see other alternatives to have some level of follow-up with the team”. If you liked Leonardo Puñales wants to qualify Uruguayyou can also read Cristiano Rocha, coach of Brazil’s women’s national team
Photos: CoSCABal / Germán Paez
By Loly Coria
