Alex Gavrilovic: a true fighter for the global progress of handball (Part 2 of 3)

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This is a continuation from an earlier installment. Here the focus is mostly on the current situation in Australia and Oceania.

It is then an interesting coincidence that the Australian women’s team is right now going through their final preparations for the women’s world championship in China. So before we get into today’s interview segment, you may want to try this link to an article on the Australian federation’s web site: http://www.handballaustralia.org.au/National%20Womens%20Team.html#Team Naturally, we wish our Aussie friends the very best of luck in this tough competition!

[i]CA: Having continued to play a key role both in your country and in the region, you took over as President of the Australian Handball Federation in 2006. You recently had to resign from that post, due to your upcoming engagement in London. From that perspective, how would you describe overall the current status of handball in Australia? [/i]

AG: As I noted earlier, the overall status of handball in Australia is still that of a “minor” sport. Participation levels have increased overall, particularly in schools, however, this is not translating into significant junior numbers outside the school system. Handball clubs around Australia remain small and composed of dedicated but under-resourced athletes. The State and National teams are remaining competitive but struggle to get financial support, therefore, athlete “burn-out” occurs, particularly in financial terms, with athletes being asked to contribute too much of their own money in support of their national and international competition

[i]CA: What are the stronger aspects and what are the ones that need particular attention?[/i]

AG: Our strongest aspect is that we have a small but dedicated AHF Board, which, although amateur, provides effective leadership for the sport. As a result, local club and State competition tends to be well run although it is low-budget and low profile. We have some excellent athletes competing but, again, the selection pool is small, therefore, it is difficult to send 16 high-quality athletes to international competition and therefore difficult to be truly competitive on the world scene.

Handball in Australia still needs to reach the “tipping point” to become an established broad participation sport. The link between school handball and club handball is still weak or missing. Proper funding of talent identification, elite athlete development, elite training facilities and access to sports science, “institute” programs, regular high level international competition, etc. are still elements that need attention. Australia organises regular international events which are well-run but remain low profile. In summary: more effort is required in broad participation development, elite athlete development and programs and achieving appropriate funding for the sport.

[i]CA: As in so many other sports, Australian handball is affected by its geographic isolation; are there any real ways of compensating for this handicap?[/i]

AG: Yes there is. Clearly the “major” sports of Rugby and Cricket, for example, are continuing to grow and attract teams from around the world. Their advantage is that they have the membership, profile and exposure which ensures sponsorship and funding levels that can sustain events for which the high cost of travel to and from Australia can be overcome. Ultimately, proper funding can compensate for the handicap.

In the meantime, attracting “major” handball nations to Australia for competition is still problematic due to the high cost of coming to Australia, related to our distance from the rest of the handball world. I don’t know that I can “blame” the IHF for that nor that we can expect the IHF to assist us to overcome this issue directly. However, I know that the IHF is keen for Australia to host a World Championship in due time, therefore, there will be another opportunity for the IHF to support the development of the sport in this way.

[i]CA: Also as in other sports, while struggling with its own development and resources, Australia tends to be needed as the ‘engine’ for other countries in Oceania; how do you see the overall development in recent time in Oceania and what can Australia do in this regard?[/i]

AG: I have already indicated that there has been a resurgence of international competition within Oceania and this has proven to be a real boost for us and the other nations in the region. However, issues related to the leadership of the Oceania Handball Federation have, in my opinion, held the development of the sport at a regional level back for many years. I am pleased to say that the Oceania Handball Federation has recently been restructured, new officials elected and a new Constitution adopted. The IHF have made an even stronger commitment to support international events as a result. The current AHF President, Paul Smith, has been elected to the Presidency of the Oceania Handball Federation, to use his words: “at the insistence of the other Oceania nations”, so you can see that Australia is seen very much in a leadership role.

[i]CA: In soccer, Australia decided to join Asia. (And now we have the effect that Australia has qualified for the 2010 World Cup as one of the Asian representatives, while New Zealand just qualified from Oceania.) Has the same idea ever come up in handball? [/i]

AG: Football in Australia is enjoying a great revival. (even to the common use of the name “football” rather than “soccer”!) It has for a long time been a major participation sports in Australia, but this was not reflected in the sport’s profile or international performance. The recent changes, including better structure at the peak, more funding, a new national competition, commitment to elite level performance etc., have been reflected in the national team’s improved results. This of course has re-invigorated public interest. It is still behind Rugby but getting stronger every year. The national team’s exposure to the Asian competition has significantly lifted performance.

There was an idea to emulate Australian football by having Australian handball join the Asian handball zone. This proposal was rejected by the Asian Handball Federation. I sense a fear that Australian handball will eventually improve like it has in many sports and result in a dominant Australia at the cost of other Asian teams in qualifiers for World Championships and so on. The advantage of not being a member of Asia is that there is a direct Oceania handball spot for World Championships which Australia can fill due to its dominance in the region. Whilst I understand the benefits of more competition via the Asian zone, the reality is that Australia would struggle to qualify for World and Olympic Championships via this zone and therefore, having an Oceania place remains very important and valuable to Australia at this time.

Egypt withdraws as African Championships host: Potential 2 year ban as penalty

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The Egyptian Handball Federation announced earlier this week that it was withdrawing from its responsibility to host the African Championships next February 10-21. The stated reason for the withdrawal is Egypt’s security concerns with hosting Algeria so soon after the controversial world cup soccer qualifying matches between the two nations. The two matches, one played in Egypt and the follow on tiebreaker in Sudan have heightened tensions and resulted in violence against Egyptians living in Algeria and vice versa.

The Egyptian Federation had first sought to delay the event until later in 2010, but this request was denied by the African Handball Federation, known by its French acronym (CAHB). With the CAHB refusing to delay the event, Egypt then withdrew as host. The CAHB is now reportedly considering Morocco as a new host for the event, and some sources are either calling for Egypt to be banned from competing for two years citing that CAHB’s own regulations require this punishment.

Reports in the Algerian daily, La Tribune, allege that Egypt’s decision not to host are not related to security concerns, but instead are related to insufficient funds to stage the event. Additionally, La Tribune also reported that the Egyptian team was not prepared and that delaying the event was simply a ploy to allow more time to get their team in order.

The African Nations Championship is the premier handball event in Africa and serves as the qualifier for the Men’s and Women’s 2011 World Championship. As the event serves as a World Championship qualifier the International Handball Federation (IHF) could potentially intervene in this dispute. Notably, the President of the IHF, Dr Hassan Moustafa is also a former President of the Egyptian Federation.

AFP: Egypt not to host handball tournament in Algeria spat: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iF7mx4nDAv4qFGnS_5SzZCStt3mg
Reuters Africa: Egypt opts out as handball host over Algeria tension: http://af.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idAFJOE5AT0BF20091130
La Tribune (Algeria) (26 Nov 09): Egyptian Maneuvers: http://www.latribune-online.com/evenement/26043.html
La Tribune (Algeria) (29 Nov 09): Egypt, up against the wall: http://www.latribune-online.com/suplements/sportsup/26071.html
DZ Blog (Algeria) (2 Dec 09): Morocco: Egypt must be sanctioned: http://www.dzhand.net/index.php?post/2009/12/02/Le-Maroc-exige-de-sanctionner-l%E2%80%99Egypte

More about ‘handball’ in football and about what football can learn from handball

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In the last couple of weeks, both John Ryan and I wrote about some twists to the unfortunate story where France appeared to qualify for the football World Cup at the expense of Ireland, following an undetected ‘handball’ in a critical moment. We noted the connections to some issues regarding handball, such as the usage of technology. Find our articles here: https://teamhandballnews.com/news.php?item.886 https://teamhandballnews.com/news.php?item.885

Now this issue and another one from the football qualifying have blossomed and have gained a direct to connection to handball. First, it is a bit laughable but not surprising, that suddenly FIFA President Blaetter has become a great friend of the UEFA idea to use extra ‘goal line judges’, something that he had previously ridiculed. Now this idea will suddenly be discussed for the 2010 World Cup. See one of the news stories on this:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1230290/Sepp-Blatter-calls-extraordinary-meeting-FIFA-chief-probes-fallout-Irelands-World-Cup-play-defeat.html

But some of you may also have observed that the qualifying fight (literally) between Egypt and Algeria, in the end won by the Algerians, had led to something close to a state of war between the two countries. And lo and behold: rather than letting sports serve as a way of patching things up, sports events are now being used as a weapon in the fight. As recently announced, see posting on the IHF web site, http://www.ihf.info/front_content.php?idcat=57&idart=2196 the draw was made for the men’s and women’s African Championship to be held precisely in Egypt in February. Now the Egyptians wanted at least a postponement, especially as Algeria is one of the participating countries, but the African Confederation refused this request and instead ordered that the event be held elsewhere! See news reports: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/091129/world/sports_egypt_algeria_diplomacy

John, and other self-proclaimed football haters, stop reading here! Going back to football rules and regulations while I am at it, I cannot refrain, as an old football referee, to make fun of two areas where old-fashioned thinking in football has left them with rules that fail to pick up on simple and successful ideas in handball!

I am talking about the well-known situation in football where a player’s injury causes the game to be stopped even though there was no foul or other reason for a stoppage. How does one then resume the game? Well, one ‘forces’ a team to kick the ball out-of-bounds, after which the opponents voluntarily, and accompanied by thunderous applauds, throw the ball in to the opponents to restore the order. Such eminent sportsmanship!? No, utter nonsense! Introduce the handball principle whereby the team that was in possession gets to restart with a free-throw. Of course, a direct free-kick in football can be somewhat more dangerous and advantageous in football, but an [u]indirect[/u] free-kick is surely a safe and innocent way of getting underway again. But, no, says, FIFA, ‘it is unconscionable’ to use a free-kick when there has been no rules violation. Does this ‘terrible breach of principles’ bother us in handball? Certainly not: the restart with a free-throw is perfectly natural and simple.

Another area where football can learn from us: when the referee whistles for a free-throw against the team with the ball, a handball player knows he has to drop the ball immediately and move away from it. Or else he is out for 2 minutes. There were some faint protests against this ‘bureaucratic’ rule when it was introduced many years ago, but now people are happy about the discipline that it has achieved, precisely the discipline that is so totally lacking in football in the corresponding situation. Players routinely kick or throw the ball away some distance, to get more time to set up before the opponents can take the free-kick. Of course it is a violation, but the established praxis is for the referees, also at the elite level, to close their eyes and accept this unsportsmanlike and irritating feature. So do not tell me that ‘little’ handball cannot be a forerunner in dealing with rules situation. And many football fans (and referees!) envy us for this firm rule. Too bad only that the mighty FIFA is too important to follow our good lead…

IHF By-Laws: Friends of handball, demand to know what is going on!

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As indicated earlier, in connection with my articles about the type of changes that are needed in the IHF By-Laws, https://teamhandballnews.com/news.php?item.857 https://teamhandballnews.com/news.php?item.868 https://teamhandballnews.com/news.php?item.877 the IHF hastily put together a ‘working group’ http://www.ihf.info/front_content.php?idcat=285&idart=2136to review and discuss all the relevant issues. The group already met, and it seems it miraculously managed to cover all aspects in a meeting during the course of a day. This gives a rather clear indication of how superficial the treatment of the issues was or, more likely, how narrow the focus of the discussions was. Clearly, there are a few, very few, issues that the current regime really finds interesting. One can guess that they involve primarily the Executive itself.

But these are merely assumptions, because transparency exists in IHF only when it is convenient. It is clear that proposals from the working group, which presumably now will quickly cease to exist, will go directly to the IHF Council members, without any opportunity for all the people around the handball world, who elected these Council members, to have a chance to know what is being proposed and to attempt to influence their representatives in the Council. This is likely to serve as a good illustration of what kind of By-Law changes could be anticipated…

Friends of handball in all the continental and national federations: surely you are not content with this kind of process, where you will not even know what the issues are, let alone what the proposals will be, until they are placed in front of you for the ‘extraordinary’ IHF Congress in Rome. Surely you will want all the time from now on to review and form your own opinions about what the working group has discussed and proposed, and perhaps even more important: what it has failed to discuss and propose. Everyone knows that, at the time of the Congress, there is little hope for an individual national federation to bring up successfully its own ideas and/or to resist the ideas that are presented as the opinion of the Council. Act now! Demand to know!

IHF By-Laws: Desirable Changes (Part 1): https://teamhandballnews.com/news.php?item.857
IHF By-Laws: Desirable Changes (Part 2): https://teamhandballnews.com/news.php?item.868
IHF By-Laws: Desirable Changes (Part 3): https://teamhandballnews.com/news.php?item.877

IHF By-Laws: http://www.ihf.info/upload/Manual/IHF_STATUTS_CHAP_01_GB.pdf
IHF By-Law Working Group Members: http://www.ihf.info/front_content.php?idcat=285&idart=2136to
IHF: Meeting Days at the IHF Office: http://www.ihf.info/front_content.php?idcat=57&idart=2308

New York City Team Handball to play Bundesliga All Star Team

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The defending U.S. National Club champions, New York City Team Handball will take on a Bundesliga All Star team featuring Stefan Lovgren, Ljubomir Vranjes, Peter Gentzel, Henning Fritz and others. The match will take place on 3 January, 2010 as part of the first ever Big Apple Handball Tournament. This match will be a one off event separate from the tournament itself which will take place from 2-3 January. Participating in the actual tournament will be NY City and 5 teams from Germany. The 6 teams will be divided into two pools of 3 teams. Round robin games will be played on the 2nd and semifinal/placement games, as well as the all star game, will be played on the 3rd.

As to why this New York City tournament will, with the exception of the host, essentially be a transplanted German event, Shkumbin Mustafa, President of New York City THC, indicated that the German travel company, TR Travel, was the principal sponsor of the event while NYCTH was responsible for organizing the tournament. Due to time constraints and the space limitations of the gym facility two additional German teams even had to be turned away. Mustafa also emphasized that the New York City THC focus for this event will be to expose Handball to their developing youth programs. He also noted that they have tentative plans to host a tournament for American and Canadian clubs later this year.

NYC Team Handball Big Apple: http://www.newyorkcityteamhandball.com/bigapple.php

Collaboration towards a good sportsmanship and a positive image

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One of the areas where I had hoped to be able to continue to work in the IHF towards further improvement is the collaboration between match officials and team officials in the pursuit of good sportsmanship and a positive image.

Here the [u]two aspects[/u] that come together, or sometimes clash, are the need for the [u]coaches and team officials to carry out their function without unnecessary constraints[/u] and the need for [u]our sport to project a favorable image[/u] at our major event. The coaches have a job to do, and this inevitable involves emotions, physical (re)actions, acts of self-interest, and even some ‘gamesmanship’.

[u]The match officials[/u], both the referees and those ‘at the table’, have the job of contributing to a [u]good atmosphere[/u], enabling the players to display their skills, reducing the risks to the players, providing a ‘level playing field’ by [u]applying the rules in an even-handed manner[/u], and generally helping create a [i]positive image[/i] of our sport. I think it is fair to say that problems, when they do arise, are generally [u]initiated by the teams and the coaches[/u], while the match officials tend to have more of a preventive and enforcing role. But it still makes sense to me look at the issue from both perspectives.

If one listens to the [u]coaches[/u], they attach a lot of importance to seeing the match officials do their job in a pragmatic, common-sense fashion, [u]without undue bureaucracy[/u], and without hiding behind rules and regulations. They want to see real reasons for any constraints placed on them when they are trying to do their job in a tough situation.

A [u]coach[/u] will also, quite reasonably, expect that the match officials have a good deal of [u]understanding for the circumstances[/u] under which the coaches work. The coach expects appreciation for the fact that it is not a like a desk job where one calmly tackles one task after another. In the match, the coach is under great pressure, gets many reasons to react strongly, and finds it natural and inevitable to express the emotions in a verbal or physical manner. The match officials must be able to [u]distinguish[/u] what is natural and spontaneous from what is calculated and unsportsmanlike.

From the standpoint of the [u]coaches[/u], it is also vital that the match officials are absolutely [u]consistent[/u] in their dealings with the ‘benches’, just as they expect consistency in the referee decisions on the court. Credibility and respect will quickly be lost, if one team is admonished or punished for its bench behavior, while the other team is allowed to ‘get away with’ things that are just as conspicuous. This is compounded, if the clamp-down is on ‘bureaucratic’ aspects, while unsportsmanlike actions are ignored.

The [u]match officials[/u] also tend to have their ‘pet peeves’. Nothing becomes more irritating than a coach or team official who is constantly acting in a [u]provocative[/u] manner, for instance trying to ‘help’ the referees discover an offensive foul or a passive play. These [u]calculated[/u] ways of influencing are resented more than a spontaneous reaction after a referee decision. Coaches somehow do not want to appreciate that and, conversely, match officials are often [u]letting it go too far[/u]. Somehow it does not seem so easy to deal with it…

A major dilemma arises for the [u]match officials[/u], when an otherwise well-behaved coach [u]ignores or loses control of the behavior of his/her players[/u] on the bench. Perhaps it is understandable if the ‘head coach’ gets too caught up in what happens on the court; and this may be why some coaches delegate the ‘letter A’ (the designation for the ‘responsible team official’ under the rules) to someone else. But there can be no excuse if [u]none[/u] of the officials realizes that things have gotten out of hand, so that instead the match officials have to step in with punishments, a situation that is guaranteed to cause further irritation. But the fact is that one [u]cannot ignore[/u] a bench with players who do not just spontaneously celebrate a goal but constantly jump up and down, protesting referee decisions with words and gestures, or even ’egging on’ the spectators.

A third cause for friction is when the [u]table officials[/u] encounter a coach who thinks so highly of himself/herself that [u]arrogance[/u] becomes the main attitude displayed towards the ‘lowly’ table officials. There are many gimmicks involved, such as ‘playing games’ with the ‘green card’, constantly and knowingly blocking the view of the ‘table’ despite reminders, ignoring requests for common courtesies, such as attending to some minor but important formality. Dismissive gestures also tend to part of the ‘arsenal’. Again, ‘strange’ behavior caused by stress and emotions is understandable, but deliberate disrespect has no place in the game.

In other words, there are [u]aspects that need and can be improved from both sides[/u]. Part of the problem is that the overall issue of collaboration, sportsmanship and image tends to be ignored. Contacts between federations and teams/coaches rarely focus on such matters in anticipation of a major event. It seems that [u]much could be achieved by simply starting and maintaining a dialog [/u]about the importance and benefits of avoiding irritation and controversy during matches and instead keeping the need for a positive image in mind.

Clearly it would be of great help if [u]coaches[/u] came to accept that their job is not just to lead their team in a determined and partisan manner towards victory. They are key representatives for our sport and highly visible. They must realize and accept that they do [u]have a responsibility for the image[/u] and the future success of our sport.

The same goes for those who nominate [u]‘table officials’ [/u]and those who serve in that capacity. These functions should not be filled on a ‘political’ basis, as rewards, or on the basis of positions held in a federation’s hierarchy. Instead, these are positions which require suitability, training and experience. I suspect that federations tend to make the double mistake of not establishing a specialized group of officials and, moreover, of finding it awkward to question the competence and the need for training on the part of those whom they do nominate. This is not fair to the teams, and it is not good for [u]our image[/u].

Views on this issue would be appreciated!

Another PATHF Tournament in Costa Rica: Where are the Americans?

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The Pan American Team Handball Federation’s (PATHF) Junior Women’s Division 1 Championship are currently taking place in San Jose, Costa Rica. Through 2 match days, Mexico and the Dominican Republic look to be the class of this (Under 20) competition, while relative newcomers Colombia, Costa Rica and Guatemala appear to be at least one step down in class. Barring a major change in performance Mexico and the Dominican Republic should advance to the PATHF Junior Championship next year where they will take on Brazil, Argentina, Greenland, Uruguay, Puerto Rico and Chile. The top 3 teams from that tournament will then advance to the Junior World Championships next summer in South Korea.

Meanwhile, a U.S. Women’s team consisting of players ranging in ages from 14-25 traveled to Poland where they took on the Polish Women’s National Team and participated in an under 21 tournament against Norway, the Czech Republic and Poland. Predictably, for a very inexperienced team taking on quality competition, the scores ranged from ugly (33-12 against the Poland Jrs) to downright brutal (59-11 to Norway). While, some might argue that those scores indicate that the trip was a waste of time, I don’t fall into that camp. As I wrote back in 2006 https://teamhandballnews.com/news142.html, even the worst blowout is a valuable learning experience for the players of the losing team and nations also get a very clear benchmark of where they stand and how far they need to go.

That being said, however, when the gap becomes too great there are diminishing returns for the losing side. Ideally, a trip will include a match or two against top sides, as well as matches against comparative foes. This is why I’m a big fan of the current World Championships format which gives sides like Australia a “lesson” during group play, but then gives them an opportunity to compete on a more equal footing in the President’s Cup.

Arguably, the ongoing PATHF tournament in Costa Rica would have been just such a tournament for the U.S. In all likelihood, the U.S. would have been smoked by Mexico and the Dominican Republic, but they would have been competitive against the other 3 sides. These tournaments would also have given the U.S. players a taste of what competition is like in Latin America. On down the line as the U.S. improves one can also hope that the U.S. will qualify for World Junior and Youth championships where players get great exposure to scouts for professional clubs.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s pretty well documented that I’m not a big fan of PATHF. But, I still have the same questions that I raised last month when the U.S. didn’t participate in the Men’s senior Div 1 Championships. Except in this case an even stronger argument could be made that the ongoing “youth movement” would have been served pretty well by this tournament.

USA Team Handball is expected to release some of its planning documentation in the near future. Here’s hoping it clearly explains what the grand strategy is in terms of which teams will play where and why?

Canadian side note: According to the Canadian Federation Facebook page, Canada didn’t even get an invite to this tournament. It should also be noted, though, that they probably wouldn’t have participated anyway due to their current focus on the Sr. Programs.

USA Team Handball: Dipping Toes in International Waters: http://usateamhandball.org/news/2009/11/22/dipping-toes-in-international-waters/29259
THN (Sep 2006): Is it Better to Get Blown Out or to Just Stay Home?: https://teamhandballnews.com/news142.html
THN (Oct 2008): Analyzing the US decision to not participate in PATHF: https://teamhandballnews.com/news.php?item.854
PATHF Div 1 Juniors Results: http://www.panamhandball.org/index.php?option=com_joomleague&func=showResultsRank&p=8&Itemid=26
Canadian Federation Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Canadian-Team-Handball-Federation/165918018883

Alex Gavrilovic: a true fighter for the global progress of handball (Part 1)

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Alex Gavrilovic is not just well-known at home in Australia and Oceania. Many persons around the globe know Alex as the guy who made the handball event in the Sydney Olympics so successful through all his skills and determination, and they are now likely to feel reassured that he will have the same responsibilities in London 2012.

I first met Alex at the pre-Olympic handball event in Sydney in 1999, where my special task was to help train and select the timekeepers and scorekeepers for the Olympics, and from then on I have always liked his positive attitude, his pragmatism and his ability to get things done also in difficult circumstances. Alex was the Competition Manager in 2000, and he is now about to make the transition to a residency and full-time work in London in preparation for the same role in 2012. But he was still very nice about making himself available for a chat about Sydney, London and everything in between. In fact, Alex was so generous with his time that I have decided to divide my chat with him into three installments: first a segment on the experience related to the Sydney Olympics and the impact on the handball situation in Australia, then a broader view of the struggles of Australia and Oceania, and then finally his views on the 2012 Olympics.

[i]CA: I think it was obvious that the Sydney Olympics meant a major lift in terms of getting PR for handball, getting people involved and trained etc; but was it possible to maintain the momentum afterwards and did the Olympics turn out be of great help for handball for the longer term?[/i]

AG: There is no doubt that the one major thing the Sydney 2000 Olympics achieved (and subsequently the coverage provided of the handball event at both Athens and Beijing continued) was the general knowledge of the population about the sport. Before 2000 it would have been hard to meet someone who would immediately know what handball is and confusion with a tennis-ball game played in Australian schoolyards was common. After the Olympics, and to this day, people that I meet generally know the sport and I commonly get the response: “I saw it at the Olympics”, “what a great game” when I tell people that I am involved in handball. This general knowledge about the sport remains the greatest legacy from Sydney 2000 and subsequent Olympics. However, it has not led to dramatic increases in participation in the sport.

[i]CA: In all honesty, I think it is fair to say that the same frustrations were felt in the United States in the aftermath of both the 1984 and the 1996 Olympics; it is really a tough task to counter the lack of traditions and to make headway in the competition against all the established team sports![/i]

AG: Sadly, during the years 1997 – 2006, when handball in Australia received an enormous boost and enjoyed the interest of major sporting and government organisations in Australia, including TV, the Australian Olympic Committee, The Australian Sports Commission, etc, the then leadership of the Federation did not, in my opinion, take full advantage of the circumstances to set up the sport for the participation and development gains that would be achieved as a result of the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

Handball in Australia (similar to the experience in the USA and the UK) finds it hard to compete for athletes, government support, media exposure and sponsorship against the well-established (primarily non-Olympic sports) which are prevalent in English-speaking countries (e.g. Netball, Rugby [league and Union], AFL, Gridiron, cricket, etc).
[i]
(to see the remainder of this article, click on ‘read the rest’!)[/i]

[i]CA: What about the large number of volunteers in the Olympics, many with old handball background from other parts of the world, combined with a great deal of enthusiasm; were they not able to keep it going and also to recruit others?[/i]

AG: As a result of the Olympic experience, referee and official training is structured, however, numbers here remain low. Broad-based social and club handball competitions are still missing and therefore exposure to the greater population remains low. The sport enjoys interest surrounding major events like the Olympic Games but this “spike” does not translate into sustained growth. Also, in terms of our referees and officials, the great gains made leading up to Sydney 2000 were not sustained because the IHF did not commit to inviting our referees and officials to continue to be involved in major events such as World Championships. This was an opportunity lost and I still can’t understand why the IHF did not support it.

[i]CA: More generally, how do you view the assistance being provided by the IHF and other bodies, in connection with the Olympics and afterwards?[/i]

AG: The IHF provided great assistance to the sport in the lead up to the Sydney 2000 Olympics, particularly in the preparation of our referees and technical officials. I enjoyed a great working relationship with many key persons in IHF, including some Competition Managers from previous Olympics, which ensured that the planning for and conduct of the Olympic event was smooth and effective. I felt supported and this helped me a lot in my efforts to do my job in a way that led to accolades from the IHF.

Since the 2000 Olympics, the IHF have offered Australia modest support in the way of development resources which has been gratefully received and effectively utilised. The greatest support has been in the support for Oceania international events. I believe that the recent proliferation of events in Oceania (organised by the French-speaking nations) has come as a result of the initiative shown by Australia (as supported by the IHF) since 2004 in particular. I think that the IHF have shown good support for the sport but have been somewhat held back by the situation related to the Oceania Handball Federation. Since this has now been resolved, I expect even more support will flow from the IHF. Australia and the IHF have continued to enjoy an excellent relationship and I know that the IHF sees Australia very much in a leadership role for the region.

to be continued

Apropos ‘handball’ in football (and ‘football’ with the hands)

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First I want to thank John for not pointing out that the referee and linesman who missed the conspicuous ‘handball’ were from my country of origin. There is now even some absurd debate raging as to who was the main culprit: the player who intentionally committed a ‘handball’ or the referee who did not catch it…

But it brings up an issue that has an interest also in ‘real’ handball. An ironic twist to the whole story is that UEFA President Michel Platini, a former star player from France(!), has pushed UEFA to experiment in the 2009-10 edition of the ‘Europa League’ with the utilization of two ‘goal judges’ in addition to the normal complement of referee and ‘linesmen’. These judges are supposed to help determine with greater certainty if a ball actually crossed the goal line, but they are also expected to intervene in the case of any type of violations near the goal, precisely such as Thierry Henry’s handball, if the referee somehow fails to see it.

One can be almost certain that if FIFA had adopted Platini’s idea for the World Cup qualifying matches, the deciding ‘handball’ would have been detected, and France would have been out! Now FIFA has to deal with the embarrassment. Both UEFA and FIFA, just like the IHF, have experimented with new, emerging equipment that is intended to determine electronically if a ball has fully crossed the line. However, it is apparent that this type of equipment has not yet been sufficiently developed to be trusted in major events. This is one reason why Platini, who in any case has stated that he is generally against drawing too much on technology, went for the ‘human’ solution.

Handball has its goal-line referee position, so the only part that is interesting for handball is the goal-line sensor, determining ‘goal or no goal’ in those situations, for instance a fast-break, where the referee cannot yet be in a goal-line position when the shot is taken. It is unclear when sufficient technological progress will have been made on this point. But handball also needs to deal with the broader issue of using modern technology, especially in the form of video review. Before I left the IHF, I left behind a draft for an initial policy in this area. I can only hope that it will not collect dust for too long. Handball may not be able to use video reviews as extensively as some other sports do, but some suitable situations can clearly be identified. Let’s hope action will be coming, and perhaps I will offer some concrete ideas in a future posting.

Finally, returning to John’s point about the different types of ‘handball’, including the one that is illegal in football/soccer. The Australians have just decided to dump the name ‘soccer’ in favor of football. It is too bad that we Americans cannot do the same, just because someone in our country stupidly decided to put the label ‘football’ on a game that cannot possibly do justice to that name, considering that it is nearly all about hands…

French “Handball” in the news

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No, this isn’t a story about the defending World Champions getting ready for the European Championships or Montpellier’s total domination of the Ligue Nationale de Handball. While those items are noteworthy in the niche world of our little sport, the most famous French Handball ever occurred last week when soccer player Thierry Henry’s ‘handball’ allowed France to squeak into the World Cup

Google has a news feature which allows you to plug in a word to see what news stories have cropped up recently with that word in the story. This feature makes it relatively easy to see what if anything the mainstream media has to say about Handball or Team Handball depending on what you want to call the sport.

Google News search, however, is also a humbling reminder of just how low handball is in terms of name recognition. Even on a slow news day the most common mention of Handball in news reports is almost always the “handball” rules violation in soccer. Thierry Henry’s infraction caused a record in handball mentions on Google with literally thousands of stories about the “hand of frog.’ I guess that’s to be expected from the most popular sport in the world, but the 7 a side Handball version also usually falls second to the 4 wall variety with a plethora of stories frequently reported from both Ireland and the U.S. But, at least Handball (7 a side) normally beats out the Australian Rules Football ‘handball’, which is the little pass that players make when they hit their fist on the ball.

Finally, this phenomenon isn’t just limited to the English language as even French Handball fans probably recognize the irony that this French “Handball” has gotten more play in the media than their National team winning the World or Olympic Championship. This video shows that they at least have a sense of humor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kee-kCQAZs8&feature=related

The Scotsman: Ireland cries foul over the 'Hand of Frog': http://news.scotsman.com/world/Ireland-cries-foul-over-the.5842597.jp

Ciudad Real – Hamburg Audio Commentary

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A battle for Group C supremacy between two Champions League titans that know each other very well. Ciudad Real is in first place with a 5-0 record and Hamburg is in 2nd place with their only loss being against 32-26. These two sides also have met in the semifinals the past two seasons with Ciudad Real advancing both times.

Sunday 22 November, Hamburg at Ciudad Real:
Video Link: http://www.ehftv.com/ec/cl/men/2009-10/video/000724
Audio Commentary: https://teamhandballnews.com/request63.html (Left click to listen on your computer/right click to download)

– The audio commentary needs to be synched with the efhtv.com video. I provide an audio countdown at the beginning of each half to help you perform the synching. Depending on your computer's setup, you may be able to play both the audio and video simultaneously. Alternatively, you can download the audio file to an MP3 player.

Prokop – making a mockery of EHF punishment, reveals Hypo player

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Today’s Norwegian newspapers offer some interesting revelations. http://www.dagbladet.no/2009/11/20/sport/handball/handballjentene/vm_i_kina/gunnar_prokop/9120791/ http://www.vg.no/sport/haandball/artikkel.php?artid=592528 In preparation for the upcoming World Championship, one of the key players on the Norwegian team, goalkeeper Terese Pedersen, is back in Norway from her employment with Prokop’s club Hypo. She takes the risk of revealing a few things, something which she realizes is likely to make her less than welcome back in Austria after the World Championship. But she also indicates that the current season is likely to be both her first and last one in Hypo in any event. The situation there is “too turbulent for her taste”.

Pedersen’s key revelation is that [u]Prokop has essentially ignored the suspension he was given by the EHF[/u]. “He is at the [u]training sessions[/u] in his usual manner. During last week’s return game against Metz, he stayed at home watching on television but was in constant phone contact with his daughter, who was at the game and relayed [u]his instructions down to the ‘marionette’ coach on the bench[/u]”. I assume EHF President Lian reads the Norwegian newspapers; what will he think, what will he do??

Pedersen also comments that Prokop’s actions that got him suspended for 3 years “was the most shocking thing she had ever experienced”. She especially was taken aback by his disgraceful behavior immediately after the game, when she herself “would have liked to disappear through a hole in the ground.” Rather than regretting his behavior, when he met with the team afterwards, he blamed his actions on them: they had played too poorly!

She also notes that Hypo has declared that they will stop salary payments if the team does not qualify for the next round in the Champions League. And the December salaries are being withheld for players like Pedersen who, against the wishes of Hypo, have accepted to play in the World Championship. Pedersen says she will fight this action. But Hypo’s coercion has caused three Brazilian star players to decline to play for their national team, as they cannot afford to deprive their families of the money they would stand to lose.

(VIDEO) Gary Hines Profile on German Television

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USA National Team player, Gary Hines, is featured in a four minute profile on German television station TVtouring. The feature includes interviews with Gary, his coach and footage of recent matches. Hines is the top player for his club, DJK Waldbüttelbrunn, and has been frequently scoring in the double digits this season. His club is currently 2-4 and in 13th place in the 4th division Bayernliga. In the interview, Gary indicates that his dream is to play in the Bundesliga and judging by the athleticism in some of the highlights it shouldn’t be long before he moves on to one of the higher divisions in Germany.

Gary Hines Profile (video): http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=199840224253
DJK Waldbüttelbrunn website: http://www.djk-waldbuettelbrunn.de/index.cfm
Bayern Liga Standings: http://www.bliga.info/bl2_spiel/tabelle.php
THN (27 Nov 2008): Gary Hines Signs Contract with German Club: https://teamhandballnews.com/news.php?item.641
Wikispace translation of video: http://teamhandball.wikispaces.com/Gary+Hines+Interview
(Note: German speakers, we need your help. If you have time to translate even a small portion of the interview please do so at this wikispace site. Anyone can edit this wiki. Just click on “edit this page” and start typing.)

Partial Translation (Thanks for those who've helped)

Announcer: In German we say high, higher, highest. Well, in Waldbüttelbrunn it's in english and slightly different. High, higher, Hines. Waldbüttelbrunn' crowd favorite Gary Hynes is the "jumping wonder" of the Bayernliga and he wants to reach higher levels. Therefore, we've met with him at altitudes he can't reach with his jumping abiliites. At Würzburg Climbing hall we did an interview at 20 feet above the ground.

Announcer: Does it feel for you here like doing a jump shot?

Hines: If I look down it is quite similar. If I jump I am used to looking down at the other players.

Announcer: Since november 2008, Hynes wears the jersey of DJK. He is not only convincing by his jumping ability, but also by a lot of goals. 18 in a single match is his personal best, regularly he scores more than ten times a match. Of course such a player has high ambitions.

Hines: I know that I am one of the top players of the US. Here, I have to prove my skills because nobody knows me. And if I can improve myself than I think that I will be seen as a very good player. My dream is to play in the Bundesliga and I hope to reach this soon.

Announcer: It is quite possible that he can reach this aim because he learns quickly and can quickly adopt different circumstances, as we can see during the climbing. Within a short time he is at 14 meter altitude. But, before the 25 year old player will move on in the "world of handball" he wants to reach high aims with his current club.

Hines: We want to avoid relegation and win next saturday. When I came here last year I didn't know what they call a "derby" here, but I know that we call it a "match between rivals". I'm looking forward to it and I know that we have to win and therefore we'll get out and win.

Announcer: The player from Georgia is feeling very well in Waldbüttelbrunn.

Hines: I didn't know what I should expect when I came here. When I first entered the hall I saw a banner with "heartly welcome, Gary and we wish you much success" and since then everything is great. I love to play at home, because our fan support is fantastic. Then it's fun to play.

Announcer: And therefore there will be some more matches of the player with the high jumpping skills at his "chosen hometown" of Waldbüttelbrunn.

——————————————————————————–

Interviewer: What role does Gary Hines play for your team?

Bernd Becker (DJK Waldbuttelbrunn Trainer): He is an exceptional player with a good feeling with the ball and a good feeling for game situations. He is a player who, through his spectacular goals, motivates the whole team and the fans. Therefore, he is indispensable for our team.

Interviewer: How dificult is it to keep Gary Hines in Waldbüttelbrunn?

Becker: At the moment Gary Hines is here. As long he is still here, we do not know if he has the possibility to play the higher category, he use it he wants it we hope that he stays long in Waldbüttelbrunn because it just makes fun with him. DJK is very satisfied with Gary and we hope he is too with DJK. I think he feels very comfortable here, therefore, we hope that he stays for a long time……