Giampiero Masi, chairman of the IHF Beach Handball Working Group, has been delighted by the strong field at The World Games 2025.

The beach handball tournament of the Games kicked off here on Thursday and will run through to August 12, featuring eight men's teams and eight women's teams.

"This is the strongest line-up we've had," he said.

The men's tournament features five-time world champion Brazil, last year's World Championships gold medalist Croatia and bronze-winning Portugal. On the women's side, two-time world champion Germany will be a promising medal contender.

"The most critical element for a successful event is the audience," Masi stated. "You can build a fantastic venue, but without spectators, it loses its soul. My main concern now is ensuring the stands are full, which creates atmosphere and energy for the players and makes the event a true success for Chengdu."

Before the event started, the veteran official conducted an inspection of Chengdu's Xinglong Lake venue, where the matches would be held.

"The venue is essentially set up according to our specifications. What impressed me most was the strong cooperation and quick response from the operational staff. If something needed fixing, it was adjusted rapidly," he said.

Addressing Chengdu's heatwave, Masi acknowledged the extreme conditions could affect players' performance. "Beach handball is played in all weather, including rain. Managing these conditions will test both players' willpower and team's operations," he said.

"China is an important partner for us, serving as a model for developing beach handball," Masi said, as to the world, Asia is closing the gap with Europe and South America in competition level, but still needs more long-term planning," he said.