# Latvia men's national handball team

The Latvia national handball team is the national handball team of Latvia and is controlled by the Latvian Handball Federation. It has competed since 1993, playing its opening match in the 1994 European Championship qualifiers against Cyprus on 15 April 1993 in Nicosia, winning 32:28.
In 2019 the team qualified for the 2020 European Championships for the first time in their history, previously reaching the qualification play-off stage in 2005. The team has not yet qualified for neither the Olympic Games nor World Championships, with their best results so far being participation in the world qualifiers play-offs in 2004 and 2016.
To this date Andris Gulbis has had the longest stint managing the team, working in 1998 and from 2005 to 2010. From 2017 til the end of Euro 2020 the team was managed by former player Armands Uščins. The current head coach is Sandris Veršakovs.

## Competitive record
### European Championship

European Championship record :
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1994 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 1996 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 1998 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2000 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2002 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2004 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2006 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2008 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2010 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2012 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2014 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2016 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2018 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| // 2020 | Preliminary round | 24 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 73 | 93 |
| 2022 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2024 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2026 | to be determined | to be determined | to be determined | to be determined | to be determined | to be determined | to be determined | to be determined |
| 2028 | to be determined | to be determined | to be determined | to be determined | to be determined | to be determined | to be determined | to be determined |
| Total | 1/18 | – | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 73 | 93 |

### IHF Emerging Nations Championship

* 2015 – 1st place

## Team
### Current squad

Squad for the 2020 European Men's Handball Championship.
Head coach: Armands Uščins
* No.
* Pos.
* Name
* Date of birth (age)
* Height
* App.
* Goals
* Club
* 5
* CB
* Māris Veršakovs
* (1986-01-13) 13 January 1986 (age 39)
* 1.92 m
* 93
* 249
* ZRHK Tenax Dobele
* 6
* RW
* Uvis Stazdiņš
* (1999-10-05) 5 October 1999 (age 25)
* 1.80 m
* 16
* 22
* HC Kehra
* 7
* LB
* Aivis Jurdžs
* (1983-08-24) 24 August 1983 (age 41)
* 1.97 m
* 87
* 330
* ZRHK Tenax Dobele
* 10
* RB
* Dainis Krištopāns
* (1990-09-27) 27 September 1990 (age 34)
* 2.14 m
* 77
* 346
* Vardar
* 12
* GK
* Edgars Kukša
* (1990-01-26) 26 January 1990 (age 35)
* 1.91 m
* 80
* 0
* OHV Aurich
* 14
* LW
* Oskars Arājs
* (1990-08-04) 4 August 1990 (age 34)
* 1.88 m
* 42
* 44
* ZRHK Tenax Dobele
* 16
* GK
* Raitis Puriņš
* (1988-05-20) 20 May 1988 (age 36)
* 1.90 m
* 41
* 0
* Celtnieks Rīga
* 17
* LB
* Nils Kreicbergs
* (1996-05-23) 23 May 1996 (age 28)
* 1.92 m
* 48
* 93
* Riihimäki Cocks
* 19
* RW
* Andis Ērmanis
* (1990-05-21) 21 May 1990 (age 34)
* 1.68 m
* 54
* 19
* ZRHK Tenax Dobele
* 27
* P
* Ingars Dude
* (1987-01-01) 1 January 1987 (age 38)
* 1.95 m
* 73
* 152
* Limoges Hand 87
* 33
* RB
* Ģirts Lilienfelds
* (1982-12-04) 4 December 1982 (age 42)
* 1.89 m
* 84
* 215
* HSC 2000 Coburg
* 35
* P
* Egils Politers
* (1990-02-18) 18 February 1990 (age 35)
* 1.95 m
* 41
* 54
* ZRHK Tenax Dobele
* 44
* RB
* Evars Klešniks
* (1980-05-18) 18 May 1980 (age 44)
* 1.99 m
* 73
* 241
* LiT Tribe Germania
* 71
* LW
* Rihards Leja
* (1992-07-28) 28 July 1992 (age 32)
* 1.87 m
* 27
* 30
* Celtnieks Rīga
* 76
* CB
* Austris Tuminskis
* (1990-06-07) 7 June 1990 (age 34)
* 1.98 m
* 58
* 119
* EHV Aue
* 77
* RW
* Jānis Pavlovičs
* (1984-09-16) 16 September 1984 (age 40)
* 1.84 m
* 101
* 297
* Sandefjord TIF

### Notable players

* Aivis Jurdžs
* Evars Klešniks
* Dainis Krištopāns
* Ēriks Velde – a member of the 1964 World Men's Handball Championship All-Star Team