Did you like the Rugby World Cup and its high scores? Ah Romania which takes a small 84-0, oh Namibia which eats a 96-0, oula Uruguay which is spanked 73-0… Well, you will like, also, if not more, the world championships of handball which starts this Wednesday. And, from this evening, we could witness a first big loss, with Norway, who play at home and who act as favorites, against Greenland. Yes, you read correctly, Greenland, which is returning to the Worlds after more than twenty years of absence.
So, we will surely be far from the 79-0 suffered by the Maldives against Japan during the Asian Games in 2014, but the gap should still be immense. “It’s a huge dream to face Norway, even if they are the best team in the world and it will really be a super difficult match,” explains Ivalu Bjerge, Greenland international. I’ve watched this team so many times, it will be a great experience. »
A World Cup of 32 for more influence
The Greenlanders do not have too many illusions, and their main objective, during this World Cup, is to “fight and make the country proud”, says Bjerge. Same thing, surely, for the majority of teams from hat 4, like Iran, Chile or Kazakhstan, who will not make the grade. These nations owe their presence at these Worlds, in part, to the extension of the number of participants (32). A measure already taken during the previous edition, two years ago.
But, as during the Rugby World Cup, doesn’t seeing so many disparities between nations do handball a disservice? “I understand, on the one hand, that some nations find it boring to play against “small” teams,” analyzes Carsten Olsen, president of the Greenlandic Handball Federation. But, we must also understand that, for handball to become a global sport, these nations must participate in big events. Countries like the United States or Canada [éliminé par le Groenland] aren’t even there. These Worlds are a way to raise awareness of the sport, which remains very small on a global scale. »
Necessary to stay at the Olympics
Behind this desire to open these world championships to the “smallest”, there is also an assumed strategy on the part of the International Federation (IHF) so that handball remains an Olympic sport. Because yes, if a discipline is, let’s put it briefly, only practiced by you and your neighbor, it is difficult for the IOC to be interested in you. And given the desire of the Organizing Committee to highlight “fun” and “youth” sports, handball, and its closed circle of practicing countries, could cause concern in the long term.
“We have to succeed in finding teams in Asia, Africa, America, to be able to develop our sport,” concedes Pablo Morel, the Brest coach. It’s a bit strategic/political to stay in Olympic sports, but it’s necessary to go through it. » And this, then, is how four Asian countries (China, South Korea, Japan, Kazakhstan), four African countries (Cameroon, Senegal, Congo, Angola) and four South American countries (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Chile) are found at these Worlds.
A structural problem?
“The first round can be boring for some fans because the heterogeneity is really in overdrive,” concedes Yacine Messaoudi, the Senegal coach. Afterwards, it is not at the same level as the Rugby World Cup, where the group stage lasted a long time. » There, in a short week, in a sort of aperitif, all the matches of the first phase will have been liquidated, and the first three (out of four) of each group will be qualified for the main round. Boring, a bit.
“There may be a structural problem, and there should be a World Cup A, B and C, I don’t know,” asks Carsten Olsen. But, in any case, if you want everyone to play handball, you have to play with the best. » But does taking dips during three matches really make kids want to take up a sport? The Netherlands and Brazil started from very low a few years ago and are among the nations that count in women’s handball today. Same thing for the French team which, in the 1990s, was still playing in World Cup B before winning everything, or almost, ten years later.
A real repercussion?
More recently, other nations from far away are starting to get involved. “Japan [qui a organisé les Mondiaux en 2019] just beat Spain and had a very good preparation, recalls Pablo Morel. Angola [qui est dans le groupe de l’équipe de France] has always tried to rise to the very highest level. And then there are nations which have very good generations, which are handball nations, but masculine, like Germany, which is developing more and more. »
“I am convinced that this can have an impact in Senegal,” concludes Yacine Messaoudi. Here, they don’t call it the world championships, they say they are participating in the World Cup and, in the media, participating in an international competition outside Africa allows visibility and notoriety, and an interesting development phase. There is a breeding ground that is starting to develop in the hand. » We must not be confused when the Senegalese women will be Olympic champions in 2028. By beating Greenland in the final.