05.07.2013, 11:08
Sweden's women's team considers winning one half a success

The Scandinavian squad is realistic about its chances at the 2013 European Beach Handball Championship in Randers

Sweden's women's team considers winning one half a success

Sweden's six opponents in Group B should not get many sleepless nights fearing the Swedish women's team at the 2013 European Beach Handball Championship.

"If we can win one half, it will be a success," their coach Bengt Jönsson admitted to eurohandball.com ahead of the final tournament's throw off on 9 July.

He says that Sweden's women´s team comes to Randers with modest expectations.

"Our preparations have been okay, considering the conditions we have had to prepare under," said national coach Bengt Jönsson who travels to Denmark with a team consisting entirely of players from one club – Swedish champions Ov Helsingborg.

This might seem peculiar to some, but there is a completely simple explanation to this fact.

"We have no women´s national beach handball team in Sweden, so the national champions from the year before simply get to take part in the European Championship or World Championship the following year," Jönsson explains.

This should mean though, that the team is well integrated and used to playing together.

“Well, it should, but as there is not really much beach handball being played in Sweden, we do not get that big a chance to benefit from this.

"Therefore, our expectations ahead of this European Championship aren't very high.

"If we can win just one half on the way and get to a shoot-out in one match, it will be a success for us us.

We do not have the same budget as for instance our Scandinavian neighbours Denmark and Norway, so you can definitely say that we come to the championship to learn,” Jönsson told eurohandball.com.

Sweden did not participate at the 2011 Women's European Beach Handball Championship in Umag, Croatia.

Information about the European Championship

The 2013 European Beach Handball Championship throws off in Randers, Denmark, from 9 to 14 July 2013.

Entry to the event area for spectators is free. There are no tickets necessary.

Defending champions in both the men's and the women's event are the teams from Croatia.

Matches from the main court are streamed live via www.kanalsport.dk/livestream

For more information and to keep up to date visit also the event's official website and become a fan of the EHF's beach handball Facebook page.

The Swedish squad for the final tournament in Randers:

Louise Hansson, Matilda Skarhammar, Emmy Kopfinger, Hanna Forsberg, Sara Månsson, Katja Cedergren, Gabriella Persson, Emma Lindqvist, Rebecka Nilsson, Josefin Thulin – all Ov Helsingborg

TEXT: Peter Bruun / ts