Dortmund. In 100 days, women’s handball World Cup begins in Germany and the Netherlands. Scandal around Ludwigsburg overshadows anticipation.
Alina Grijsels stands next to him. Once she laughs, once she looks focused. Once the handball national player is very real in the parking lot at the Dortmund Westfalenhalle, once her huge portrait on pink blue underground adorns a bus. Slowly it should be visible in the cityscape: the women’s handball World Cup, which is held in Dortmund in winter. And in order to stir the advertising drum properly, the BVB player Grijseels and her colleagues like to let their counterfei drive through the city.
It is still 100 days this Monday afternoon when the sun slams on the asphalt and the eternal noise of the B1 blows over. 100 days, then on November 26th for Germany as a co-host next to the Netherlands, the tournament in Stuttgart against Iceland. Other preliminary round opponents are Serbia and Uruguay. The main round and quarter -finals will be played in Dortmund from December 2 to 9. The desired path is clear: With the loud support of a “Pickpacket Westfalenhalle, we want to deliver the best performance and beat one of the big ones,” says national coach Markus Gaugisch.
Continue a big story in the Westfalenhalle
For him, the Westfalenhalle is “tradition, a myth”. The 51-year-old remembers big games that have taken place here in the past. However, from the men’s area: Great European Cup of VfL Gummersbach, the home World Cup 2007. “We want to continue this story,” says Gaugisch. Driven by a mood that can be transferred one to one to the field. “There is no too loud.” If the fans in the back are able to release the necessary extra percentages, the German team in Rotterdam has been about the first German World Cup medal in 18 years. “This is our dream to get there and end the tournament there.” Rückraum-Ace Alina Grijseels (29) from Duisburg already knows the mood of the Westfalenhalle from appearances with the national team and BVB. “I know how cool it can be.” But: “It is up to us to inspire people for us.”
Handball coach Markus Gaugisch.
© FEERDO GAMBARIN / DPA | Federico gambaries
But there is still a lot of work until the start: sporty in various courses and test games and also organizational. 35 percent of the tickets have already been sold. “But we know that 80 are always bought three months before the tournament begins,” says DHB CEO Marc Schober. So exactly now. The task of the association is now to draw attention to the World Cup. Advertising campaigns are to help – but also the “Hands Up for More” campaign, a movement for sustainable development in women’s handball.
Ludwigsburg-in makes preparation difficult
The recent events around the German champions HB Ludwigsburg show how necessary a further professionalization is. Due to the bankruptcy of the Champions League participant, a number of international players such as DHB captain Antje Döll (sports union Neckarsulm) or leader Xenia Smits (HB Metz) suddenly forced new clubs. “A disaster for the players” calls it Gaugisch. But this also makes preparation more difficult for him: up to six international players came from Ludwigsburg. A block -coated block is “luxury” for a national coach.
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“This is bad in terms of sport,” says Schober. He would certainly have liked to do without this kind of attention, he very much regret the players. However, he wanted to use this setback to bring about improvements to “further professionalize women’s sport”. A first point is said to be tightening the licensing process in the league.
And the players also see themselves in the duty to set up their colleagues again: “We will try to catch this in a team, so that the national team has no consequences as possible,” says ex-captain Grijseels. So the view should quickly look forward to the World Cup.
