25.06.2015, 11:07
Ukraine dream about a medal

FEATURE: The first women’s European beach handball champions Ukraine are always taking matters seriously and aim for a podium finish – and the upcoming championship in Lloret de Mar makes no difference

Ukraine dream about a medal

At the first European Beach Handball Championships in 2000 in Italy, Ukraine women’s team won gold.

Ever since further medals have eluded the team and four times it stopped just one step shy of the podium, finishing fourth at the European Championships 2009 and 2013 as well as at the World Championships in 2010 and 2014.

However, according to head coach Valentyn Vakula, things are going to change when the European Beach Handball Championships take place in Lloret de Mar from 30 June to 5 July.

"For Spain we have milestone plan," says the 54-year-old Vakula.

"Step by step we want get into the main round, and then in the semi-final, which would mean that we have qualified for the World Championship 2016 in Hungary.

"All teams in our group can advance in the next stage. Only from Montenegro I don't know what expect. This team is an unknown factor for us. 

"Of course, we are thinking that we finally want to bring home a medal after so many fourth place results."

While Ukraine’s women have to cope with the absence of experienced players such as Alla Sheiko, Viktoriya Belmas, Kateryna Chumak and Iryna Glibko, they can still count on the prowess of indoor-experienced Alexandra Krebs, Valeriya Zorya, Olga Laiuk and Yuliya Andriychuk – all four participated in the World Championship play-off matches against Poland in June. 

Ukrainian’s captain Olga Laiuk has been playing for the national beach handball team for more than ten years and expects place on podium.

"How many bronze medal matches did we lose? Four? It is time to break this streak and finally catch the medal,” she says.

"No doubt, Norway are our main rivals and one of the tournament's favourites. Furthermore in our group Croatia and Spain look strong, and Sweden, Netherlands and Montenegro are dark horses.

"In general  Norway, Hungary, Russia and Ukraine are the main gold seekers at the beach handball Euro this year," she adds with a smile.

Ukrainian men wait for their chance to come

The Ukrainian men’s team enjoyed their biggest success when they won silver at the World Championships 2012 in Oman, but it has been a complicated affair since to repeat such a feat.

52-year-old head coach Oleg Sych has been working with beach handball national team since 2004, and it was not easy this time around to nominate the team for Lloret 2015.

"World Championship 2012 runners-up Igor Chupryna, Artem Kozakevich, Zakhar Denysov and Oleg Kumogorodskyi as well as Viacheslav Sadovyi  for sure will not participate at the EURO 2015," sighs Sych.

"In addition Alexandr Poltoratskyi, the top scorer at the 2013 championships in Denmark, has only just recovered from an injury.

"Our group in the preliminary round is tough, but at the same time all teams are approximately equal."

In Group A Ukraine will face against Poland, Germany (30 June), Spain, Croatia (1 July) and Sweden (2 July) in a battle for a top-four finish to reach the main round.

TEXT: Igor Grachov / ts