Scheduled for May 18-19, the events will take place at Dantestadion in Munich, Germany, and Henryk Reyman’s Municipal Stadium in Krakow, Poland, for the men’s and women’s tournaments respectively.
The pool draw, held at Hong Kong Stadium, unveiled some exciting matchups. In the men’s event, leaders Uruguay find themselves in Pool A alongside hosts Germany, Georgia, and Papua New Guinea.
Pool B features Hong Kong China, Uganda, Tonga, and Mexico. Pool C promises tough competition with Kenya, Chile, Portugal, and Japan.
On the women’s side, China lead Pool A, competing against Thailand, Hong Kong China, and Czechia. Pool B sees Argentina, Uganda, Paraguay, and Papua New Guinea. Pool C comprise Belgium, Poland, Kenya, and Mexico.
Shujaa 7s are pooled in group C ahead of HSBC Challenger series in Munich #RadullKE #Shujaa7s pic.twitter.com/yaLifo8JR4
— Carol Radull (@CarolRadull) April 4, 2024
Teams earned qualification for the Challenger 2024 through regional competitions. Notably, three men’s teams—Kenya, Japan, and Uruguay—will also compete at the Olympic Games in Paris starting on July 24, 2024.
The Challenger tournament acts as a pathway to the HSBC SVNS in 2025. The top four men’s and women’s teams from the 2024 Challenger, based on cumulative series points, will compete in a promotion and relegation playoff at the SVNS Grand Final in Madrid. The top four from this playoff will secure spots in HSBC SVNS 2025.
Uruguay and China currently lead the Challenger standings after victories in Montevideo and Dubai. In the men’s competition, Uruguay and Kenya are tied at the top, while China dominates the women’s category.
The Challenger tournaments mirror the Olympic format, with 12 teams divided into three pools. The top two from each pool, along with the two best third-placed teams, advance to the knockout stages, culminating in quarter-finals and semi-finals leading to the medal matches.
