Handball News
Issue 110 March 3 2010
GB Winger Prieto Signs up with Top Hungarian Club GREAT Britain right winger Seb Prieto has signed up to play for top Hungarian club Kesckemet for the rest of the season. The 23-year-old from London has moved in search of more regular competitive handball as he works towards helping GB through the qualification stages of the 2012 European Championships. Top-scorer with six goals in GB’s opening game of the 2011 World Championships in Finland earlier this year, Prieto said: “It was a perfect opportunity to move to a club where I was going to get game time, because with my old club in Denmark, Holstebro, although the
training and club was great I needed game experience. “I will be able to get game time here in Kesckemet. There are only six games left this season, but hopefully it will be worth it.” GB Head Coach Dragan Djukic coaches domestic handball in Hungary, so when he heard about the opening at Kesckemet he helped Prieto move swiftly to secure the spot in one of the top leagues in Europe. Lorraine Brown, British Handball’s Performance Director, added: “His move to Kecskemet in Hungary is
a great opportunity for the remaining three months of the season and allows him to gain some top class experience before our spring preparations for the 2012 European Qualification tournament.” Prieto and the rest of the GB men’s squad will come to London next month for a two-game series, and then in May will travel to Galicia for a fourteam tournament.
Gracemount Salford Edge Past Rivals Nottingham University March On SCOTTISH League leaders Gracemount maintained their good form with a 45-22 victory over East Kilbride in week ten of the league on Saturday. Former Great Britain player Allan Stokes was top-scorer with 16 goals as Gracemount built up a 22-8 half time lead and went on to take a confident victory. The day’s other match was a much closer affair, with Tryst beating Liberton 35-31. Despite having only seven players because of injuries and unavailability, Tryst’s fitness saw them through in a match which was played at a fast pace throughout. Nine goals from Gary McCafferty and eight from Campbell McFadden helped Tryst to the win.
THE race for the final play-off spot in the English League (North) continues to provide some thrilling handball, with Salford beating rivals Nottingham 26-24 last Sunday. Salford led by eight goals late in the game, but a valiant fightback from Nottingham saw them close the gap to just two before Salford held on which leaves them second with two games outstanding. There were close games throughout the Northern Section, with Wirral beating
Then after trials and tests back in the UK, the team will prepare for the five-day Euro 2012 qualification tournament at Crystal Palace against Cyprus, Estonia and Bulgaria.
Results, Feb 27-28
Men’s Scottish League: Gracemount 45 EK82 22, Tryst Liverpool Speke Garston 22-21, 35 Liberton 31. while Manchester edged past Men’s English Lge (North): Liverpool 20-17. In the Southern Section Wirral 22 Speke Garston 21, 26 Nottingham Great Dane continued to be Salford unbeaten, but had to battle University 24, Manchester 20 before recording a 34-31 win Liverpool 17. over Olympia, while Ruislip Men’s English Lge (South): Eagles beat Thames 28-16. Ruislip Eagles 28 Thames 16, This Sunday, second-placed Great Dane 34 Olympia 31 Cambridge will play their rearranged match against Ruislip Eagles, and they will be aiming to get back to winning ways Men’s Scottish League: Ayr v following their loss to Great Tryst, Liberton v Cumbernauld, Dane last weekend. EK82 v Glasgow.
Fixtures, March 6
ARE you a handball fan who can speak English and German? Would you like to work in the sport in Central Europe? If you like the idea of working full time in handball, focusing Men’s English League (South) mainly on translation and administrative tasks, please drop (Leyton): Cambridge v Ruislip Paul Goodwin a line on paul.goodwin@britishhandball.com Eagles.
Fixtures, March 7
Handball News is produced by Snowdon Sports Media Partners Ltd for the British Handball Association For more details please contact 0845 230 0803 or log on to BritishHandball.com or EnglandHandball.com
Handball News
Issue 110 March 3 2010
Stars of the Future Chase International Handball Dreams MORE than 100 young handball players with dreams of making it into the Great Britain team took part in the first England Youth Squad talent ID camp in Wolverhampton last month. Great Britain men’s team captain Ciaran Williams and Assistant coach Bill Baillie gave the players a presentation about what it takes to make it as a Worldclass handball player, before the youngster got their chance to show what they can do. New England youth coaches Miriam Pupalova
and Jose Benavides presided over the trials, while Deva HC coach Gary Kelsall was also in attendance. After the trials, Benavides said: “With this talent pool, hard work and passionate support we now receive from every corner of the handball community in England, the only way is up. “With proper support from
the different agencies and partners I am confident that England Handball will take a massive quantum leap over the next few years in the international arena.” And Pupalova was equally positive, adding: “It was fantastic day for all of us who have been involved with Girls selection. “All invited players had chance to show their talent in
physical test, defensive and attacking skills and how well they know handball game. We had a total 25 girls and still more talented players at under16 level will be invited for the next camps. “Most players were from the North of England and I would like to see more players coming from the South. I am looking forward to the next camps and see the future of England Handball to grow and grow!”
Ashford Welcome French Friends ASHFORD Handball Club in Kent played host to French outfit Sotteville in a mini tournament last month, aimed at improving handball skills and international relations. The club, from Rouen, first came to Ashford in 2008 and the two clubs have built up a strong friendship which will see Ashford make a return visit to France in May to take part in an invitational tournament. Soteville brought a large contingent and fielded two teams which made for an exciting event.
The first of the three 20 minute matches went Ashford's way 13-11, but Sotteville stamped their authority on the next two matches which they won 2119 and 33-28, though Ashford were very pleased with the performance of their relatively new team. To round off the day the players made up mixed Ashford/Sotteville teams and put on a wonderful display of sportsmanship. Ashford now look forward to travelling to France in May and taking on more French teams.
Ashford coach Etienne Ster is from Rouen and has been supported by Ashford Leisure Trust and Mid-Kent and Ashford School Sports partnership to the develop handball in Ashford.
He said “I am really pleased with the progress that the team has made. We certainly need more depth in the squad but we will improve by playing more teams like this.”
Handball News is produced by Snowdon Sports Media Partners Ltd for the British Handball Association For more details please contact 0845 230 0803 or log on to BritishHandball.com or EnglandHandball.com