One of the disciplines that started even before the official start of the 3rd European Games Krakow-Malopolska 2023 was beach handball. Its debut at an event of this stature went extremely well.

Beach handball has appeared on the schedule of the European Games for the first time. It had been absent in the previous two editions – in Baku in 2015 and Minsk in 2019. Its introduction was another step in the bid to join the ranks of Olympic disciplines.
A total of 16 teams – eight each in the men’s and women’s competitions – entered the contest at the Beach Arena in Tarnow. In addition to the host Polish national team, the best teams from the recent European Championships in Nazare, Portugal, took part in the competition. This made for a top-level tournament.
There were no surprises in the men’s tournament. The semi-finals were reached by Hungary, Denmark, Portugal and Spain, the first, third, fourth and fifth teams in Nazare. The result from the Portuguese beaches was not repeated only by the vice-champions of that event, Germany, who came to Tarnow in a much changed line-up.