BEL-TPE | IKF #U21WKC 2026 (GP2)

NILAI, Malaysia – 13 August 2026 – Belgium U21 held their nerve to claim a dramatic 21–20 victory over Chinese Taipei U21 in one of the closest encounters of the second group stage at the IKF U21 World Korfball Championship 2026.

The result was a significant test of Belgium’s ability to manage pressure against a Chinese Taipei side that had arrived in the match in excellent form. Chinese Taipei had won their previous three matches at the tournament, including a convincing 20–15 victory over Catalonia on Wednesday.

Belgium, meanwhile, entered the contest as one of the tournament’s standout attacking teams. Their earlier 44–10 victory over Japan and 34–10 success against Portugal had underlined the depth and efficiency of their attack.

This time, however, there was little between the teams. Belgium’s ability to maintain their attacking composure against Chinese Taipei’s disciplined defence proved decisive, with the European side eventually emerging by the narrowest possible margin.

The 21–20 scoreline also reflects how much the match changed from Belgium’s earlier high-scoring victories. Rather than running away from their opponents, Belgium had to find solutions in a contest where every possession and every goal carried considerably more weight.

For Chinese Taipei, the defeat will be a painful one after another strong performance against a leading European opponent. They had already demonstrated their attacking quality throughout the tournament, with their victory over Catalonia featuring seven goals from Tzu-Yen Ho and six from Pei-Yun Wu.

Belgium’s victory gives them another important result as the battle for the top positions intensifies. Chinese Taipei, despite the narrow defeat, remain a formidable contender and will take confidence from having pushed one of the tournament favourites all the way to the final whistle.

With the margins between the leading teams becoming increasingly fine, this was exactly the kind of pressure-filled contest that can prove decisive when the championship reaches its knockout stages.