Burundi sports minister outraged
Ten junior handball players disappeared at the World Cup
08/16/2023 12:04 p.m
They come from the poorest country in the world and are now considered missing: Burundi’s handball players clearly lose their first three games at the U19 World Cup in Croatia. Before the fourth game there are only three players left. The sports minister is angry.
Ten junior handball players from Burundi disappeared at the U19 World Cup in Croatia. This was confirmed by Dauphin Nikobamye, President of the Handball Federation in Burundi. Nikobamye said he didn’t know which country the players were in. The young handball players from the East African landlocked country have presumably left to apply for asylum in another European country. Burundi is the poorest country in the world in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. According to data from 2022, each inhabitant has a GDP of just 309.11 dollars (around 283 euros).
The handball players from Burundi arrived in the Croatian city of Rijeka on August 2nd. They clearly lost the first three games against Sweden, Iran and the USA. The team was then scheduled to play a placement game against Bahrain last Thursday, but there were only three players left. “The day before that fourth game, after lunch, the coaches realized that ten of the 13 players weren’t in their rooms,” said Sport Minister Remy Barampama. “We have not yet been informed of where they might be at the moment.” In order to find them, one is in exchange with the World Handball Federation (IHF) and the authorities.
The game against Bahrain, like the following match against New Zealand, was rated 10-0 for the opponent. The team has since been banned from the tournament. The disappearance harms the image of Burundi and the reputation of the Burundian players. “This tarnishing of Burundi’s image is undoubtedly compounded by the unbelievable reasons these lost sheep give to justify their behavior. Our pride has been eroded by this unworthy behavior by some players,” Barampama said.
In order to prevent these “unwelcome scenes” from being repeated in future international competitions, measures are now to be taken. In addition to strengthening the “patriotic spirit” of the athletes, for example, declarations of commitment could be signed before the squad is named and visas are issued. You have to contain this “scourge in its early stages,” said Barampama.