DAY 2 REVIEW: Some good maths was needed in Thessaloniki on Saturday, as it was not always easy to determine the semi-finalists at the ebt Finals - in particular in the men's event
Semi-finalists confirmed at ebt Finals 2016
It was a telltale sign of the high level of beach handball that is currently being played in Thessaloniki that literally a calculator was necessary to determine the semi-finalists - in particular in the men's event.
By the end of the preliminary round there was a first ranked team - defending champions Detono Zagreb in Group A and Dutch side Paksoft Camelot in Group B - but behind them there were three teams with four points each vying for that one second place that would qualify them for the semi-final.
The direct encounters needed to decide, and in the end 2015 EHF Champions Cup winners BHC SKKM-EKATERINODAR in Group A and local Greek club G.A.S. Kilkis Akropolis were the lucky ones.
This means that in Sunday's semi-finals the 'Detonators', a nickname the Zagreb team likes to give himself, face the Kilkis Akropolis, while Ekaterinodar play against Paksoft Camelot. Both games are played at 11:00 hrs local time and are streamed live on Youtube.
It was all the harder for the second Croatian club in the competition, BHC Sesvete. They would have needed a win in their last game against BHT Auto Forum Petra Plock, but eventually showed some nerves in the shoot-out and lost 1:2.
Things were a bit easier to calculate in the women's event. In Group A defending champions Agenta Girls from Hungary did not lose a game at all on Friday and Saturday and convincingly topped Group A.
And looks as if a potential final is shaping up here as AC Spartacus Goalbet from Greece finished Group B also in unbeaten fashion. Second ranked in Groups A and B are the two Dutch sides in the competition, of which Westsite will face Spartacus while Paksoft Camelot meet Agenta Girls on Sunday.
The semi-finals will be played at 10:00 hrs local time tomorrow and will also be streamed on Youtube.
Extensive coverage
All matches from Court 1 and Court 2 will be streamed live on the ehfTV Youtube channel.
Furthermore the European Handball Federation has sent a mobile reporter to the event who will provide exclusive behind the scenes coverage as well the very action from the courts on Twitter, Snapchat (add ehf_live to your friends) and Instagram.
TEXT:
EHF / ts