Spain and Croatia win gold at YAC 17 Beach Handball EURO
The final day of the YAC 17 Beach Handball EURO had everything a beach handball fan can wish for. Great matches, some drama – and eventually two cheerful winners.
Hungary was going for double gold, being the one federation with a team in both finals, but they had to settle for silver twice.
In the women’s final, Spain produced a stellar team performance to hold Hungary at bay by exactly one point in both sets. The first one was won 27:26 and also the second ended in Spain’s favour, 23:22. Earlier in the day, Germany had claimed bronze with a 2:0 win against the Netherlands.
Everything was on the edge until the very last minute in the men’s final. Hungary won the first set in relative ease, 25:20, but Croatia bounced back to claim the second set, 20:19.
In the subsequent shoot-out, the first couple of players on both ends of the court showed nerves of steel, before Hungary's last two players failed to score and a final one-point goal was enough for Croatia to win gold.
Spain won bronze with a 2:0 victory over the Netherlands.
All-star Teams awarded
The winners’ ceremony, which concluded the YAC 17 Beach was also the moment to award the event’s All-star Teams. In the women’s competition Hungary’s Zita Szalma was named best goalkeeper; Mireta Rutyte from Lithuania received the award as best defender.
Poland’s Setia Szulc bagged the top scorer trophy with 113 points to her name, while the prestigious MVP award was given to Germany’s Michelle Köbrich.
In the men’s competition Hungary’s Balasz Nagy became best goalkeeper. Croatia’s Jan Kovacec was was awarded best defender. No player netted more successful than German top scorer Matthew Wollin (127 points), while Silas Speckman from the Netherlands received the MVP award.
The award for the ‘Fair Play Team’ was given to Ukraine in the women’s and to Switzerland in the men’s event.
The Beach Handball EURO 2019, featuring 40 men’s and women’ senior teams, will start in Stare Jablonki on 2 July.
All matches will be streamed live on ehfTV.
Photo: Grzegorz Trzpil
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EHF / ts