BY DENZIL PINTO
DOHA: Newly-announced co-hosts of the Men’s 2019 World Handball Championship Germany and Denmark have vowed to learn from the Qatar 2015 edition when the two European nations stage the event in six years time, top officials said yesterday.
Shortly after Germany and Denmark won the right to host the high-profile event after beating rivals Poland and a joint-bid from Hungary and Slovakia, Bernhard Bauer, President of German Handball Federation said: “We will look at different countries. We will look at countries like Qatar, who will be hosting the Championship in 2015, to see what they do. We want to work together with Qatar and can learn a lot from them and other countries, who have been hosts of the world championships.”
His colleague Per Bertelsen, President of Danish Handball Federation said: “I think we can learn from everybody from like Qatar and Argentina. If you have the will to do it, you can achieve it I’m sure.”
Bertelsen and Bauer both agree the two handball mad nations want to develop the sport worldwide with the opportunity to teach the sport to young children at schools.
Bauer said: “There are a lot of young people playing handball in our part of the world (Europe). We will bring in children into the sport through other ways. It is important for us to develop, not just by us in northern Europe but all over the world. Our experts will travel the world to develop small kids.”
Excerpts from a detailed chat Bertelsen and Bauer had with The Peninsula at the Ritz-Carlton in Doha.
Question: How does it feel to win the race to host the 2019 World Handball Championship?
Answer: Bauer: I am very proud and impressed that the hosts of the International Handball Federation (IHF) 2019 World Handball Championship will be Germany and Denmark. It is a very good thing for our two handball nations.
Bertelsen: We had to fight hard to host this Championship. I think this time we had a very very strong bid and I am very glad we won this bid. I am very glad that we can work together not just for the two countries but what we can do to the sport around the whole world.
Question: With this winning bid, what will Denmark and Germany now do to promote the sport?
Answer: Bauer: We have two aims. Firstly, I think we have the big aim to develop the sport outright. This means we can send our experts to other countries so we can invite players, coaches and other people to help them build a handball nation. The other aim is to know that handball is a fantastic game and we have the infrastructure and facilities to do this and show the world what a wonderful sport handball is.
Question: A lot of nations pulled out of the race to host this Championship. Do you think this boosted your chances of hosting the event?
Answer: Bauer: We had two strong countries to compete against. We did a lot of hard work and had to work hard to impress the members of the IHF Council. Our duty was to show handball is a fun sport not only to the spectators but also to the television companies and media worldwide. We have to thank our competitors because it is of them the reason why we did the hard work.
Question: What do you think stood out in the Germany/Denmark bid that impressed the IHF members?
Answer: Bauer: It is difficult to say but I think we had a very good concept to develop handball and we have shown that during our presentations of the handball facilities in Germany and Denmark. We don’t know what the main reason was to give us the opportunity to organise the World Championship in 2019 but we are happy.
Bertelsen: I think it is also important to know that we will be organising this Championship together. Normally nations would go alone on hosting a Championship. Now we will be able to exchange ideas and work together. I think it is a new way to do it. It is the first time in the men’s handball Championship that big handball nations will work together. We will exchange hands (shakes hands with Bauer with a smile) together, but we will also exchange hands with other countries, and I think this is the new way to bring handball forward.
Question: Will you learn from previous events that have hosted or will host the Championship?
Answer: Bauer: For me, I have learnt from countries of many things. We don’t know everything. We are interested in learning from other countries not only in handball but in organisations for example that offers good hospitality. So we will look at different countries. We will look at countries like Qatar, who will be hosting the Championship in 2015 to see what they do. We want to work together with Qatar and we can learn a lot from them and other countries who have been hosts of the World Championships.
Bertelsen: I think we can learn from everybody from Qatar to Argentina. If you have the will to do it, you can achieve it I’m sure.
Question: How difficult will it be to ensure that the 2019 Championship will be a success.
Answer: Bauer: I think it is a big challenge to bring handball forward. One way to bring handball forward is to organise the World Championship. We have the will to organise a very good Championship with the countries who have been hosts of World Championships, like Qatar in 2015 and France in 2017. We can develop the sport very well. We have learnt from the hospitality here in Qatar that the IHF Congress was wonderful. Qatar were very good hosts for all nations in the world.
Question: Do you think this winning bid will bring in more people (of the two nations and worldwide) into the sport?
Answer: Bertelsen: For sure yes. I hope we can be part of this. There are a lot of young people playing handball in our part of the world (Europe). We will bring in children into the sport through other ways. It is important for us to develop, not just by us in northern Europe but all over the world. Our experts will travel the world to develop small kids.
Bauer: Handball is a fantastic sport and we want kids to be interested in playing the sport. So in schools or kinder gardens we want to build co-operations and relationships so that we can invest in the sport and attract the future young stars to the sport.
THE PENINSULA
