Kosovo’s handball team | Photo: Kosovo Handball Federation

Serbia’s women’s under-20 handball team has been excluded from the handball World Cup qualifiers by the European Handball Federation, EHF, after it cancelled a match with Kosovo due to security reasons.

“Under the circumstances of the match cancellation and the failure of Serbia to play the game, the EHF has decided that the Serbian national team will be excluded from further participation,” the European Handball Federation said.

Serbia’s Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic pulled the match, saying that he wanted to avoid any violent clashes between Serbian fans and police.

“Could we arrange for this match to be held? For sure. But what would be the price? Conflicts between our people and police over things we do not believe in [and] are contrary to our interests. So we aren’t ready for the police to beat people to ensure a match goes ahead that is contrary to all our stances,” he told Serba’s Tanjug news agency on Friday.

The government called off the match after videos showed Serbian fans heading to Kovilovo, near Belgrade, where the match was supposed to take place, singing nationalist songs.

While Serbia’s team has ended its journey, Kosovo’s team is scheduled to continue with other qualifying matches.

“Based on the information available to the EHF, the remaining matches between Norway, Slovakia and Kosovo are expected to be played without any further issues,” the statement of the EHF reads.

Kosovo’s government blamed Serbian state institutions for the debacle.

It said “the irresponsibility of the Serbian state and the institutions of Serbian rule and security” had created a fearful situation.

“Nationalistic acts that are impeding the development of international coercion matches are to be condemned, just as efforts are being made to ease relations between our states and Euro-Atlantic integration processes,” the Kosovo government stated.

Previously it was agreed that the match would be played in Serbia without fans or media present, and without national anthems or the display of national symbols.

For security reasons, the game was also moved to the small town of Kovilovo from the city of Kragujevac.

Tensions were already running high over the match against the team from Kosovo, whose independence from Serbia is fiercely resented by nationalist Serbs.

Read more:

Serbia Scraps Handball Match With Kosovo, Citing Security

Tensions Rise Ahead of Serbia-Kosovo Handball Match