The IHF has already determined the list of reserve teams and the first on the line is Macedonia.
I do not see any official information that the Czech Republic or Sweden will not participate in this competition, data from the IHF from yesterday confirm their performance. In situations like this, it’s always good to have a backup option, as players can become positive on a daily basis.
I do not see how a smaller number of people who would respect all epidemiological measures would be a problem, but still the decision was made to play without spectators.
I find it ridiculous that someone refuses to play a competition like this because they are afraid of infection, but at the same time they play the domestic league and also the final four of the handball Champions League without any problems. Still, maybe this is an opportunity for some new players to show what they can do.
Then you are not at all familiar with handball, because this sport is very popular in these countries, as is the case with hockey, but of course football. Their leagues are certainly not as strong as the German or Spanish ones, but that is because their best players play in those leagues. At the last European Women's Handball Championship, Norway won first place which only shows that handball is a very important sport for them.