Despite losing against Japan 23-31 in Group B yesterday, Lebanon’s women junior handball team has qualified for the 2020 world championship to be held next July in Romania, based on goal differences with Uzbekistan.

This marks the first time the country has reached this stage, after paving its way to the semifinals (they’re not done yet!) of the 15th Asian women’s junior championship, the 2020 world championship qualification tournament organized for the first time in Lebanon between July 20 and 29.

Along the way, the team, many of which are non-Lebanese women, beat India 37-27 on July 20, tied with Uzbekistan 25-25 on the same day as well, then went on to lose against Japan 23-31 on July 24.

In the semifinals, Lebanon will play against the winner of group A (South Korea or China) to be decided after the match’s result between them on July 25.