Stars, chances, TV times
This is how the Handball World Championship works
01/11/2023, 3:45 p.m
The handball players play the first world championship of the year. Germany is also there in Poland and Sweden, but is not one of the top favourites. The team of national coach Gislason wants to surprise. Everything you need to know about the tournament mode, the stars and where you can watch the games.
What’s up?
The 28th Handball World Championship in Poland and Sweden will take place from January 11th to 29th as the second final round in the 85-year World Championship history with 32 teams. The world association IHF had increased the number of participants for the last tournament in Egypt. Also for the second time there are two co-hosts (for the first time Germany and Denmark 2019). It’s a first for Poland, and Sweden is hosting a World Cup for the fifth time. The greatest successes of the selection of the German Handball Federation (DHB) are the World Cup titles in 1938, 1978 and 2007. There was silver in 1954 and 2003, third place was achieved in 1958. The record world champion is France with six titles. Denmark is the defending champion.
Where are the games played?
With Poland and Sweden there are two World Cup hosts for the second time after 2019 – at that time Germany and Denmark organized the tournament together. Venues in Sweden are Jönköping, Malmö, Kristianstad, Gothenburg and Stockholm, where the new world champion will be determined on January 29th. Venues in Poland are Plock, Kraków, Gdansk and Katowice. There, the DHB selection wears their preliminary round games and, if they progress, all games in the main round.
How is the World Cup mode?
There are eight preliminary round groups with four teams each. The top three from each group qualify for the main round, in which four groups of six teams each continue to play. The first and second place finishers in each main round group advance to the quarterfinals, with the winners fighting for the medals. The losers will play out places five through eight, which are relevant in terms of qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Who does the German team meet?
The DHB selection has to deal with Asian champions Qatar, Serbia and Algeria in the preliminary round group E. “We want to win the group and take the maximum number of points into the main round. If you make a mistake in the preliminary round, you can hardly make up for it,” says national coach Alfred Gislason. If they advance in the second phase of the tournament, the potential opponents of the German team are Norway, the Netherlands, North Macedonia and Argentina.
What speaks for Germany?
Not too much on paper. With a view to the European Championships at home next year, the team has been significantly rejuvenated. At the last World Cup, twelfth place was the worst result in German World Cup history, at the European Championship last year, which was accompanied by corona chaos, Germany only finished seventh. A look at the last tournament on Polish soil is encouraging: Germany under Dagur Sigurdsson also went into the tournament at the EM 2016 with a lot of personnel worries and as a clear outsider, in the end they won the European Championship title. Five European champions from back then are still there this year.
The first World Cup test against Iceland on Saturday was narrowly lost (30:31) despite a good performance, things went better in the revenge just one day later with a 33:31 victory. The team sees itself as more of an outsider. “We’re not in a position to aim for a medal because we’re not among the favourites. We can’t dream, we have to remain realistic and concentrate on the preliminary round games,” says the national coach.
Who is the star in the German team?
For national coach Gislason, the answer to this question was: the team. Figureheads like Uwe Gensheimer or Patrick Wiencek have meanwhile said goodbye to the team. Now the main focus is on Golla and Wolff. The fans can also hope for great deeds from the in-form playmaker Juri Knorr, who is playing his second World Cup after his absence from the European Championships last year due to corona, or the refreshing youngster Julian Köster.
Who do you need to watch out for internationally?
Internationally, the main focus is on the Danes, who are peppered with stars. Mathias Gidsel from Füchsen Berlin and goalkeeper Niklas Landin from THW Kiel stand out, as does Mikkel Hansen, now 34 years old, who was slowed down by a pulmonary embolism after routine surgery last year. Nikola Karabatic is four years older and still the driving force in France. The Paris professional has been playing for the national team since 2002. Sander Sagosen, who is twelve years his junior, also plays in the same position – backcourt left. The Norwegian is still active at THW Kiel, but will switch to the up-and-coming Norwegian club Kolstad IL in the summer.
Who are the World Cup favorites?
Several teams can hope for the title. First and foremost are world champions Denmark, Olympic champions France and European champions Sweden. Spain, Norway and Iceland are among the extended group of medal contenders.
How much does the corona pandemic affect the World Cup?
Less than two years ago, but restrictions still exist. The Handball World Championship in Egypt was the first team sport event to be held on this scale since the outbreak of the pandemic. The teams and everyone closely involved found themselves in a bubble during the tournament, with regular tests being the order of the day. In Poland and Sweden, a PCR test is required before arrival, Germany completes this on Tuesday. All players must be considered fully vaccinated or recovered. In addition, the teams have to undergo another quick test before the main round and before the quarter-finals, and isolation for at least five days is mandatory if the test is positive. This upsets some participants. “The tournament rules are stricter than the existing laws of the respective countries,” Iceland’s national goalkeeper Björgvin Pall Gustavsson mocked in an open letter to the IHF. However, they stuck to their strict regulations.
Where can you watch the World Cup games?
All German performances can be seen live on traditional television on the public broadcasters. ZDF shows the preliminary round games against Qatar and Algeria, ARD broadcasts the game against Serbia. In the main round, ARD is on the ball twice, ZDF once. Mainz would also broadcast a quarter-final and a final with German participation. A semi-final with the DHB selection would be shown on ARD. In addition, the Internet provider “sportdeutschland.tv” shows all games of the final round – but for a fee. At Eurosport there are 15 World Cup games without German participation.