Author Archives: John Ryan

Why the Recent Downgrading of Greenland’s PATHF Membership Status is Wrong

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THN article on Greenland’s Status Change: https://teamhandballnews.com/2007/04/greenland-membership-in-pathf-downgraded/

I’m an American and I don’t care what the sport is I’m always going to root for the team with USA written on their jerseys. As someone who had the opportunity to wear one of those jerseys several years ago I’m even more passionate about USA Team Handball squads. But when Team USA isn’t playing I feel free to pick a side. This past January at the Handball World Championships , I had the opportunity to see several of the Handball “minnows” play in the President’s Cup and it didn’t take me long to pick a 2nd favourite team- the team from way up North where the sun doesn’t shine much in the winter and the names are unpronounceable.

I am, of course, talking about Greenland. And judging by the reactions of the German crowds I wasn’t alone in this respect. But, there are more reasons than just being a “feel good” story for keeping Greenland as a full member in the PATHF. Herewith are those reasons as I see it:

Reason #1: It was already decided in 1998.

They joined as a full member in 1998 and that couldn’t have happened without someone or some body deciding that they should be a full member. What’s happened since then to make that decision wrong now? A cynical person would conclude that maybe they’ve qualified for the World Championships one too many times. Certainly, if they were consistently finishing in last place at the PATHF its safe to say that the USA would not have asked for a clarification of their PATHF status. And let’s don’t be too hard on blaming the USA for asking the question. Trust me, some other nation would have asked the same question sooner or later.

Reason #2: This team is not a Danish mercenary squad, but a true Greenland team.

I can’t bear witness to earlier incarnations of the Greenland National Team, but the story I often heard was that the ethnic makeup of their team was more blue eyed blond than darked haired Inuit. The insinuation being that the Greenland National Team was simply just a bunch of 2nd and 3rd class Danish Handball players looking for an opportunity to play in the World Championships. That certainly wasn’t the case with the 2007 squad, which certainly in appearance was a homegrown squad.

Reason #3: There is precedent in other sports for Nations to participate in World Championship events, but not the Olympics.

There are several examples of this. Most relevant is probably the Faroe Islands, another nation with Danish passports. The Faroe Islands is a member of the EHF and soccer’s UEFA. In particular, they are competitors in European Championship and World Cup soccer competition. I’ve even seen the French side play at their stadium in Torshavn. And I’ll never forget a couple of German officers nervously following the score of a European Qualifier where the Faroe side took a 1-0 lead into the 2nd half before Germany rallied for a 2-1 win. The Faroe Islands, however, does not participate in the Olympics, and someone from there could only participate under the Danish flag.

Another example is the United Kingdom… of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Depending on the sport, the “nations” of the United Kingdom field separate or combined teams. For instance, they field separate teams for rugby, soccer, and handball. Of course, when it comes time for the Olympics they field a combined UK team. For Handball England and Scotland only recently decided to start fielding a UK team for International Competition.

Reason #4: They have real fans.

Of the Handball minnows participating in the World Championships Greenland had the most vocal and supportive fans in attendance. Certainly, it is safe to say that their contingent was much greater than the US has ever had for a World Championship. On top of that they had their own television crew broadcasting the games live back to Greenland. In the US, we’d be lucky to even have the scores listed in the newspaper.

Reason #5: It is a feel good story.

Handball certainly has its share of controversies whether it’s the officiating at the World Championships or the ongoing power struggle between the EHF, IHF and the major European Clubs. But, everyone (well, almost everyone) can get behind a nation of 57,000 people that has a rare turn in the spotlight on the world stage. And the fact that they have some good young talent playing only made the story better.

What’s really a shame is that several players on Greenland’s Senior Team, including their leading scorer, Angutimmarik Kreutzmann, could be playing right now at the PATHF Junior Championships. In my opinion, they would have contended for the title and would probably have qualified as 1 of the 2 PATHF representatives to go to the World Championships this summer.

Let’s hope that the PATHF and the IHF see the light and correct this injustice.

Earlier THN article on Greenland at the World Championship with Podcasts: https://teamhandballnews.com/2007/01/greenland-handball-a-national-passion/

British Handball Hires Dane to Coach Women’s Program

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British Handball has appointed Morten Arvidsson to coach their Women’s World Class Program. As is customary in many European programs, Arvidsson will coach the British team on a part-time basis, as he is also the head coach of the German club, HCL Leipzig. Notably, Leipzig won the German women’s club championship last year and is currently tied for first place this year.

British Federation Article: http://britishhandball.worldhandball.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?menuid=1093&itemid=1438
HCL Leipzig Club site: http://www.hc-leipzig.de/

Champions League Contest (Finals)

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The Finals for the EHF Champions League will be an all German derby between Flensburg and Kiel. Only 90 Km separate these two traditional Bundesliga powers and these two teams know each other well. Last year they met in the quarterfinals with the unusual outcome of both teams winning on the road. Flensburg beat Kiel 32-28 in the first match while Kiel won 34-32. Earlier this season Kiel beat Flensburg 36-34 at home and this past Saturday, Kiel beat Flensburg 34-33 on a neutral court in the Semifinals of the HAPSA Cup. Based on these results it looks like we should have another compelling final.

Game Schedule
Sunday, 22 April 1730 (Central European Time)
Kiel at Flensburg

Sunday, 29 April 1730 (Central European Time)
Flensburg at Kiel

For the Team Handball News contest the Finals will feature [b]2 chances to win[/b]. The ongoing contest for the Kempa Handball jersey will continue, but [b]newcomers will also get an opportunity to win. Most points accumulated in the Finals only will win an official Men’s 2007 World Championship program:[/b]

Current Overall Standings
1) Matt Van Houten, 45 points
2) David Bordeaux, 34
3) Volker Grizmek, 34
4) Fred Wallace, 31

To enter the contest click here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=674143696563

Note: Many of the Champions League matches have been available via web streaming at the Eurosport website: http://www.eurosport.com/handball/

Greenland Membership in PATHF Downgraded

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Team Handball News has learned that the Pan American Team Handball Federation (PATHF) has downgraded Greenland’s status from a full member to an associate member. This downgrade means that Greenland can participate in PATHF events, but can’t qualify for IHF World Championships. Matches that Greenland would play would be considered exhibition friendlies and would not count in standings for qualification.

Greenland has been a member of the PATHF since 1998 and has qualified three times for the Men’s World Championships, in 2001, 2003 and 2007 and the Women qualified in 2001. Following their loss to Greenland at the 2006 Pan American Championships, the USA requested that Greenland’s status as a full member be clarified by the PATHF for future competitions. In particular, it was noted that Greenland players had only Danish passports and that Greenland does not have a recognized Olympic Committee. This issue was then discussed at the PATHF congress in 2006, but according to a rough draft report of the Congress http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=73440975&blogID=200075136&MyToken=472d47d1-22ff-43ff-8a20-d16ff383523a , by USA attendee, Dennis Berkholtz, no decision on Greenland’s status was made. Perhaps this was a problem with translation, but there is currently no readily available documentation that demonstrates that a decision was made.

Greenland, in fact, only found out about their change in membership status, after repeated inquiries concerning the dates and location for the PATHF Men’s Junior Championship went unanswered. (A side note: Greenland was not the only nation to have communication problems with the PATHF as Canada also expressed frustration with the PATHF http://www.handballcanada.ca/Documents/Newsletter-004-07-en.pdf ) With no response from the PATHF and time running short to purchase airfare the Greenland Federation contacted the IHF for help. Shortly thereafter, the PATHF informed Greenland that the PATHF had in fact passed a resolution in November changing Greenland’s membership status and therefore they had not received an invitation. Greenland has since written the PATHF and indicated that they will take their case to the International Sports Judicial System.

It is also interesting to note that the Greenland Delegation met with PATHF President Manoel Olivera during the World Championships in January. During this brief meeting the PATHF President informed the Greenland Delegation that the Men’s Junior Championship might be moved from Chile in April to Brazil in May, but made no mention of Greenland’s new status and the fact that they wouldn’t be getting an invitation.

As matters currently stand Greenland will not participate in the PATHF Men’s Junior Championship even though, by the PATHF’s new rules they should be able to participate as an Associate member. And with only 7 teams participating, at 8th team would even out the tournament and not give any team an advantage due to a day off during pool play http://www.panamhandball.net/ResultadoSorteo.htm

Former USA Team Handball President Criticizes Athlete Dormitory Lease Deal

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The Dunwoody Crier, a weekly paper in the Atlanta suburb of Dunwoody, has reported that the $1/year lease deal for an Athlete’s Dormitory at Brook Run Park may be in jeopardy in light of the USA’s failure to qualify for the PANAM Games. In the article former USA Team Handball President, Mike Hurdle, is quoted as saying that Dekalb County has been swindled by the USOC and speculates that the USOC will pull any funding pledged towards training for the PANAM Games or Olympic games.

Dunwoody Crier Article (10 April 07): http://www.thecrier.net/articles/2007/04/10/front/brookrun.txt

Atlanta Journal Constitution Article (4 April 07): https://www.ajc.com/search/content/metro/dekalb/stories/2007/04/03/0404metdekalbb.html (Registration required)

PANAM 2nd Chance Tourney Final Results (Chile Qualifies)

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Chile defeated Venezuela 29-19 to win the tournament and the 8th and final spot for the PANAM games this summer in Rio.

Final Standings (W D L Points GF GA GD)
Chile 2 0 0 4pts 65 45 +20
USA 1 0 1 2pts 49 56 -7
Venezuela 0 0 2 0pts 39 52 -13

Chile Federation Website: http://www.balonmano.cl/
Pictures USA-Chile Match: http://www.balonmano.cl/rep_masc.html

PANAM 2nd Chance Tourney Results (Chile defeats USA)

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PANAM 2nd Chance Tourney Results (Chile defeats USA)

The host team Chile defeated the USA last night 36-26 and is now in good shape to take first place in the round robin tournament.
Chile jumped to a quick 5-0 lead to start the match while a cold US team was held scoreless to the 8th minute when a goal was scored by right wing Gill Bozeman, courtesy of a fastbreak pass from Darrick Heath. The US could never get started on offense, while the Chile offense was too strong for the US through out the whole game. The halftime score was 17-11.

The US came out in the 2nd half cutting the lead to 3 goals at different times in the 2nd half, but with 13 minutes to go Chile pulled ahead by 9 goals and never looked back. The US Men never gave up and fought hard to the last minute.

In the last min a fastbreak by Chile was broken up by Gary Hines and Patrick Oliver. Gary Hines was given an immediate red card for running into the Chile player at 6 meters. The Chile player then pushed US Goalie Danny Caparelli while in the 6 meter zone. The Chile bench, followed by the US bench ran onto the court and play was halted for 6 minutes. Danny Caparelli, US coach Chris Cappelmann and 2 Chile players received red cards Calm, however, was restored, the game was finished and both teams shook hands after the game. According to USA Coach Chris Cappelmann, the match was physical and the Brazilian refs had trouble controlling play throughout.

Gary Hines led US scoring with 6 goals, Gill Bozeman had 5, while Alex McGlynn and Troy Steffen each had 3 goals.

Standings (W D L Points GF GA GD)
Chile 1 0 0 2pts 36 26 +10
USA 1 0 1 2pts 49 56 -7
Venezuela 0 0 0pts 20 23 -3

To win the tournament Chile needs to win their final match against Venezuela or lose by 6 goals or less. Venezuela can advance with a 7 goal victory. The USA has been eliminated from contention since they have finished play and their goal differential is locked in at -7 goals.

(Note: The article was written from an email provided by US Coach Chris Cappelmann and may be further revised following his review.)
Chile Federation Website: http://www.balonmano.cl/

USA Defeats Venezuela 23-20 in Game 1

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The US Mens Team Handball National playing in the classification tournament for the final position at the 2007 Pan Am Games, beat the Venezuela National Team 23-20. It was the opening game in the 3 team tournament being held in Santiago Chile. The US Men were led by Danny Caparelli in goal (18 saves) and Gary Hines with 11 goals.

Venezuela took an early lead in the game, scoring some easy goals from the backcourt and with break through goals at 6 meters. The US defense, in particular, had problems with multiple backcourt crosses. The score at the half was 13-10 Venezuela.

In the 2nd half the US came out strong with Gary Hines scoring 3 in the first 5 min. Darrick Heath anchored the US defense and Danny Caparelli made several saves on fastbreaks and wing and circle shots.

With about 5 minutes to go and the US leading by 1 goal, Jeff Goss got his 3rd 2 minute penalty and the automatic red card. Venezuela was unable, however, to tie the score with the man advantage. Instead, the US extended their lead to two goals, courtesy of a Patrick Oliver circle shot. Oliver then stole a pass on the Venezuela throw in at half court and dribbled down and scored to insure the victory.

The US plays Chile at 6pm on Saturday night. If the US wins, they will clinch the tournament. A Chile win or draw, will put Chile in the driver's seat heading into the final match of the tournament against Venezuela

Standings (W D L Points GF GA GD)
USA 1 0 0 2pts 23 20 +3
Chile 0 0 0 0pts 0 0 0
Venezuela 0 0 0pts 20 23 -3

PANAM Game 2nd Chance Tournament Schedule

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The Men's 2nd Chance qualification tournament for the PANAM Games starts tomorrow in Santiago, Chile. Chile, Venezuela and the USA will play a round robin tournament with the winner securing the 8th and final spot for the PANAM Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil later this summer.

Friday, 6 April, 1800 USA vs. Venezuela
Saturday, 7 April, 1800 USA vs. Chile
Sunday, 8 April, TBD Venezuela vs. Chile
(Listed start times are US East Coast.)

We will post game results as soon as they become available.

April Fools’ Day and Reality Bites

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Well, if it wasn’t too obvious the, “Kretzschmar Signs Contract to Play in United States” article was an April Fools’ Day joke. Kretzsch has no plans to move to the USA and the LA Team Handball Club would be hard pressed to find $60 for salary compensation, let alone $6 Million. Still, if anybody had told me that David Beckham was going to sign a deal to play soccer in the US for $50 Million over 5 years I would have thought that was an April Fools’ day joke as well. Maybe some day the Handball World will try to wake the sleeping giant and make Handball something more than the blip on the radar screen it is now in the US, but I’m not holding my breath.

And maybe instead of saying blip on the radar screen, I should say blip on the heart monitor in the Emergency Room. With the recent losses to Mexico and Chile by the Women’s National team, the US has sunk to a new level in terms of performance on the court. In fact, not too long ago a 9 goal loss to Mexico would have simply been laughed off as another April Fools’ joke. This weekend the US Men’s team will seek to restore some measure of respectability for US Team Handball with their 2nd chance opportunity in Chile. Still, even with a win, a roster with several players in their late 30’s or early 40’s speaks volumes about the current state of US Handball.

Team Handball in the US is clearly on life support and in a total state of disarray. With the USOC’s decertification of USA Team Handball last year, the US doesn’t even have a Federation anymore. And while the USOC has continued to provide limited support to keep the National team programs running, this support can be described as lukewarm at best and contingent on achieving some positive results. With the continuing lack of success this lukewarm support could quickly turn very cold.

The US is staging their annual National Championship Tournament this weekend and traditionally a “Town Hall Meeting” is held to discuss the sport’s status. Hopefully, after this meeting we’ll know a little bit more about what the USOC's near, mid and long term plans for the sport are. As was the case last year, Bogdan Pasat will be on site at Nationals and we hope to make podcast recordings of the town hall meeting available on our site, as well as interviews with players and officials. Be sure to stop by and talk to Bogdan and let us know what you think about our site and what features you’d like to see added.

Kretzschmar Signs Contract to Play Handball in the United States.

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In a move that has shocked the entire Handball world, Stefan Kretzschmar has formally announced today that he is leaving his German Club, Madgeburg, and will play next year with the Los Angeles Team Handball Club. Details of the contract have not been revealed, but it is rumoured to be a 4 year deal, that with incentives and promotional opportunities will net the Left Winger close to $6 Million and make him the highest played Handball player in history. Known for his body piercings and tattoos as well as his handball skills, Kretzschmar is arguably, the most famous handball player in the world. The announcement has everyone in the Handball world talking and wondering whether this move is a stroke of genius or the craziest thing they’ve ever heard.

Below is a text of the press conference (translation courtesy of Bjoern Brembs)

Host: Thanks everyone; Stefan will now take a few questions.

Reporter: Stefan, Why the US? Why now?

Kretzschmar: Why the US? Why not? (laughter) But, in all seriousness, I’ve been a big fan of the NBA for years and I admire the way Americans present and promote their sports. I’ve also always been puzzled as to why Team Handball is not more popular in the US. I think that by playing in the US I can help raise the sports profile and the level of play in the US. If we can make the sport big in the US, it will help make the sport bigger world-wise. As to why now? I’m 34 years old and I think I have a few more good years left playing at a high level. I figured if I was to make this move, I needed to make it now.

Reporter: This sounds a lot like the David Beckham move to the US. Were you influenced at all by him?

Kretzschmar: Absolutely. In fact, as some of you might know, ‘Becks’ and I have been friends for years. When Claudia and I vacationed in LA over the winter break with Becks and Victoria we fell in love with the laid back LA lifestyle. The weather is great and everyone was so friendly. Becks at the time was contemplating his move and I was only joking then, but I said to Becks, “To bad there isn’t a Team Handball club in LA that I could play for. If there was then I could do the same thing for Team Handball that you are doing for Soccer.” It was only an off hand remark, but Becks talked with his agent and his agent contacted the LA Club, and one thing led to another, and well, here I am.

Reporter: Why do you keep saying ‘team handball’ instead of just ‘handball?’

Kretzschmar: That’s what the sport is called in the US, so that’s what I’m calling it now.

Reporter: I’m not an expert on handball on the US, but the level of play is at a very low compared to Germany. Aren’t you concerned that you’re new club won’t have other top flight players for you to play with?

Kretzschmar: Certainly, the level of play will be at a lower level, but the US has many talented athletes that can learn the sport. Also, we’re currently in discussion with DSF and ESPN, but there will likely be a couple of reality TV shows that will help. The German show will focus on my new life in LA, while the American show will focus on the club and the players. We will be recruiting talented athletes from basketball and other sports and the show will follow them as they learn how to play Team Handball. We’ll play games in the US, but we will also tour the world. We have plans to play games in Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Greenland, the Caribbean, Africa, Japan, Korea, and, of course, Europe as well. We’re also open to the idea of adding a few more handball veterans from Europe to the club, but this is still yet to be determined.

Reporter: Tell us a little bit more about the German Reality Show.

Kretzschmar: It’s going to be great. There will be some handball in it for sure, but it will also include my experiences on the LA scene. Trips and parties with Becks and Victoria, visits to the Playboy mansion, meetings with famous sports celebs like the LA Laker’s Kobe Bryant, etc.

Host: OK, thanks everyone. We’ll keep you posted as to future developments.

LA Team Handball: http://www.lateamhandball.com/
Stefan Kretzschmar Official Site: http://www.stefan-kretzschmar.de/