The Latvian handball team is currently competing in Poland as part of their effort to qualify for the 2027 World Championship. The team has started the match against the clear favorites, Poland. Although the Polish team initially gained an early lead, the Latvians managed to turn the tide after six minutes, largely thanks to the performance of goalkeeper Ritvars Putra and fouls provoked by Valdis Kalniņš, leading Latvia to briefly take the lead 8-7.

Significantly, the Latvian team is missing some of its key players due to injuries, including the best handball player in Latvia's history, Dainis Krištopāns, and captain Jānis Pāvels Valkovskis. As a result, Jevgeņijs Rogonovs has been entrusted with the captaincy for the matches against Poland. The lack of crucial players has put additional pressure on the squad, especially since other team members could not join due to personal circumstances.

Previously, in the first round of the World Championship qualification, the Latvian handball players secured two victories against Luxembourg with scores of 28:20 and 34:33. The current match against Poland is critical for their future in the qualifiers, and it illustrates the challenges faced by the team as they aim to qualify for the World Championship amidst a backdrop of injuries and team adjustments.