World champions in 2017, Olympic champions in 2020, whether for girls or boys, the French handball prize list is one of the richest in all sports. A winning culture that has endured for 30 years now with “Les Bronzés”, nickname given to the French team at the time (1992-1995) then bronze medalist at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 and vice-champion of the world the following year.
But behind this success, in reality, hides a guideline smoothly carried out by the governing bodies of this sport, with the leitmotif “transmission between generations”, according to Philippe Bana, president of the French Handball Federation since November 2020. transmit the culture of this sport to young people, they transmit our history of handball”, welcomes the former PE teacher who has continued to climb the ladder.
A sport close to the French
But what is above all the strength of this sport in France is its popularity. “Handball has been a popular sport for years, close to the French”, assures Philippe Bana at the microphone of the Sports decision makers in Europe 1 Sport, before continuing: “There is an incredible communion between the athletes and the public”.
Going into the territories is the priority of the leaders of French handball. “We want to focus on territories for internationalization. Le Mans, Poitiers, Rennes or Nantes, we want to get closer to people”, justifies the president of the FFHB. A paid choice.
The number of licensed players is reaching new heights. With more than 350,000 licenses at present, handball is doing wonderfully in France. The number of licensees has exceeded the pre-pandemic 2018 level and the French authorities are counting on a target of more than half a million players playing in a club by the end of the year.
To new heights
The French teams will also need an audience in the coming months. With a very busy schedule, the women’s and men’s teams “will have to continue to be at the level”, warns Philippe Bana. And this from next month with the Women’s Handball Euro which begins on November 4 in North Macedonia. Finalists of the last competition, the Blue hope this time to win gold.
But it is above all the two world championships of 2023 which will be the major events to come. First in January on the boys’ side, who will try to bring down the Danish defending champions. The women’s worlds will take place in a little over a year, in December 2023. The president of the Handball Federation, Philippe Bana, hopes that, as usual, the public will be there to support and lead the French teams on the roof of the world.