Women's Handball World Championship Held the draw ceremony and other events

At the start of the draw ceremony held at the Kanze Noh Theater within the same venue, the climax of the Noh play "Takasago" was performed as an opening attraction.
Governor Ikuo Kamashima of Kumamoto Prefecture, the host location, said, "Preparations for the tournament are steadily progressing. We expect all the players to give their best performances and play in a way that conveys the appeal of handball. The tournament will be a great hope for creative recovery from the major damage caused by the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake. I pray that it will be a tournament that will remain in the hearts of many people."

IHF President Hassan Mustafa expressed his expectations, saying, "I am grateful to be able to hold the draw in this wonderful place. The Men's World Championship held in Kumamoto in 1997 was of very high quality. With the cooperation of the people of Kumamoto Prefecture and all those involved, I believe we will see record attendance this time as well."
Japan Handball Association President Hirohito Watanabe said, "It has been 81 years since our association was founded, but handball is still not considered a major sport in Japan. This tournament is a great opportunity to boost the popularity of the sport. The Japanese national team (Orihime Japan) is also training hard with the aim of winning a medal. We want to make this tournament a success and contribute to the development of handball worldwide."

For the draw, six pairs of pots were prepared. One pot contained capsules with the names of four pre-selected countries, while the other held capsules labeled Groups A through D. A presenter drew one capsule from each pot in sequence—first a country name, then a group—to determine each nation's group assignment.
The presenters included singer Aki Yashiro, who performs the tournament's official song "Hand in Hand ~Connecting Hearts~"; actress Miyako Miyazaki, originally from Kumamoto; and Daichi Suzuki, Commissioner of the Japan Sports Agency, among six others.
Host nation Japan was granted the right to choose its group. Coach Ulrik Kirkegaard of Team Japan selected Group D, which included Russia, Sweden, and China.

■ Press Conference

Left: Captain Hara, Center: Coach Kirkpatrick, Right: Vice-Captain Nagata

The championship trophy was crafted by sculptor Shoichi Ishihara, a resident of Aso City. The award medals feature Higo Zogan, a traditional craft representing Kumamoto.

Regarding his choice of Group D, Coach Kilkery stated, "Overall, I believed we could compete well. The preliminary round will be intense, but our primary goal is to advance to the final round."
Japan captain Nozomi Hara stated, "If Japan plays to its full potential, I believe we can beat even the strongest teams. Our defense is improving, but our biggest challenge is the large gap between our good and bad performances. We want to play matches that will carry us through to 2020." Vice-captain Shiori Nagata added, "The Japanese team has become physically stronger, but we need more finishing power and mental toughness," and smiled as she said, "We ask the media and everyone to help promote the games so many people will come to Kumamoto to watch."

Tickets for the tournament will go on sale to the general public on a first-come, first-served basis starting July 7th, in reference to "Orihime Japan."

Official tournament website:
https://japanhandball2019.com/