Hello, please introduce yourself as a player and tell us something about your
function in European Handball Federation. On which championships you participated
with your team and as a delegate? What do you consider as your biggest success in
your career?
I have been playing handball for many-many years, in different teams, countries,
levels. I started to play handball when I was 8 years old, in Alcoa FKC. I played
my first senior league-match when I was 14. I was also playing for the under-age
national teams. After playing some years in the Hungarian League I went to Denmark
for trying something new. Due to injuries, study and work I had to take a little
break. But then I met beach handball in 2003, and it was quite like a love at first
sight. Strangely beach handball drove me back to indoor handball again. Ever
since I met beach handball I would have not missed playing or taking part at tournaments
during summer. I have been playing in different teams, and I took part in the Hungarian
National Team too. I participated in a World Championship in 2004.
With my beach handball club I always compete in EBT tournaments. Each year
we work very hard to reach a position, which allows us to take part in the EBT Masters
Final.
In 2005 I participated in a course, for becoming an EHF delegate. Since then
I have been in 3 European Championships, and I enjoy this work very much.
How
long have you been active in beach handball? Please describe us development of beach
handball since that time.
I have been playing beach handball since 2003. The development of the sport
is very rapid, and it is very difficult to describe it in a couple of sentences.
When I started to play, pirouette and in-flight was something the best team’s
best players could do. Furthermore most teams were playing rather: “indoor handball
on the sand”. The teams were Society of Friends. But then little by
little – in my opinion because of EBT tournaments, and better organized national
competitions – some teams became more engaged to beach handball. Players started
to take it more seriously, trained more, and searched for sponsors. Moreover, more
and more countries established national teams, and took part in global competitions.
The development is very visible on the player’s technical skills and on the side
of management too. In the past few years the media interest increased a lot too.
In your opinion-What are the plans and goals for beach handball in the future?
What improvements in beach handball do you expect in the future?
The goals and plans for beach handball is very a complex question and I am
afraid I cannot answer this question. But I would be very happy if this
rapid development continued. I am sure that the support from the responsible bodies
will be there.
From the technical side, I would like to see some young and creative players
inventing other spectacular way of scoring than in-flight and pirouette.
Which handball do you prefer, indoor or beach handball and why?
Both sports have their own beauty and I love them very much. Handball is a
very complex sport in which individual skills like strength, overview, technique,
are very important. But beside there are uncountable tactical solutions for defense
and attack too. And then beach handball…. It has got them all as well,
plus the beach and the sun. Well… I am very happy that at the moment I do not need
to make a choice which one to play.
What do you think should indoor and beach handball become totally separated
sports? (Meaning that some players play indoor handball and the others play beach
handball) or is it too early for that?
Let me answer this question totally from the player’s point of view. For the
moment beach handball season is very short. We are only active for 2 – if lucky
-3 month a year in the summer-break of indoor handball. So at the moment from my
point of view it is perfect. The basics of the two sports are very similar. Of course
if this massive development continues, a separation might be possible. But in my
opinion it is not the time yet.
What do you think about beach handball as an Olympic sport? Rio de Janeiro
got the OG 2016. By your opinion-is it possible for beach handball to be invitational
sport in Rio or is it too early for that?
It has already been announced in many forums, that the goal for Beach Handball
is to become an Olympic sport. Many people are working on the development of the
sport all around the world. Rio seems very far at the moment and our beloved sport
is developing very fast. But to predict its appearance in Rio would be a very brave
thing, I think it is very unlikely.
By your opinion, as a delegate, is European beach tour well organized competition?
What do you think what is the best way to rise EBT tournaments on higher level?
EBT tournaments were a great idea from EHF. And in my opinion
it helped the development of the sport very much. Fortunately by now many teams
have joined the competition, and it was necessary to change the regulations.
As I know now the responsible commission already took steps to make it even better
and clearer.
What do you think about registration system of beach handball players-because
now it is possible to play for different team on every tournament? What are your
suggestions how to resolve this problem?
In my opinion it is not a big problem. The clubs are covering all the expenses
(travel, clothing, accommodation etc.), and many teams do not have sponsors. That
means that the players are spending a lot of money on playing beach handball. Besides,
most of us is working too. Because of it in some cases it is necessary
to substitute some of the players for the clubs to be able to participate in one
or another tournament. I believe that if it will become a problem, the responsible
commission will solve it, by a procedure of registration.
In Hungary there are few tournaments which are on high level (Zalaegerszeg,
Palatinus), which fulfill all criteria what they say before tournament, but it is
obvious that some tournament organizers all over Europe lye about tournament quality
(they register too much EBT points). What do you think what is the solution of this
problem?
EHF has already solved this problem. From the next season the regulation will
be different. And the tournaments will be observed.
What do you think about new dress code in beach handball? Could you predict
will it be the successful marketing move?
Well…. Fortunately beach handball has reached a level, where it is necessary
to handle this kind of things too, and create a corporate image for the sport. From
the marketing point of view, it could be a very good move. However we are not used
to it, so I will be able to answer this question after I’ve tried it. At the moment
I think a short would be more comfortable. Anyway, this
rule was unanimously voted by the IHF Congress last July in Cairo and consists now
an integral part of our Rules of the Game and we will all have to comply with it.
As I pointed previously, it is a matter of getting used to.
Your team (OVB Beach girls) will participate on Masters (congratulations).
Can you predict where it will be? Only one novice team qualified for Masters (Bumblebee
from Germany) and the rest of the teams have some experience on Masters. Do you
think that quality of the game will be better and what teams do you consider as
the favorites for winning the Masters?
Thank You, we did our best to qualify to it. I would not like to predict where
it will be. I hope it will be in a very nice place as usual. I believe the quality
will be as good as possible. However EBT Masters Final is normally very early in
the season. For non-Mediterranean teams it is very difficult to train on sand before
the tournament.
About the chances: The defending champion is always among the favorites. Croatia
has a big tradition in beach handball too. But in beach handball anything can happen,
maybe even more than in other sports. So let’s hope for a very exciting tournament
with high quality beach handball. And I can promise that my team will do the best
to win our first title.
Tell us something about your team: Do you have professional players in your
team? What league do they play in indoor handball? Do you have younger categories
(juniors?) How much trainings do you have when seasons begins?
Our team is built up on friendship gained in indoor and beach handballs. However
we work a lot to improve our team, gaining sponsors in every year. There are some
professional and semi-professional indoor handball players too. Most of us are playing
in the second and third level in the indoor championships. During the winter we
all concentrate more on the indoor activities, but we are working a lot on the basics,
gaining sponsors, and planning the upcoming summer. Or biggest goal is always to
reach a position in the EBT Masters Final, and to win the national championship.
To reach our goals we need to cover a lot of journeys. But fortunately we have a
big company behind us (OVB) , and so we do not have to pay everything by ourselves.
So far we do not have younger age category team. During the beach handball season
we train1-2 times a week. And in order to practice we try to attend as many competitions
as possible.
What beach handball national teams (except Hungarian, of course) are your
favorite and why?
As an EHF delegate I would not answer this question. Let me just say that
I sympathize with teams which are playing creative beach handball.
What do you think of Croatian men and women beach handball national selection?
Croatia is well known as one of the strongest nations in beach handball. Both
national teams are very well prepared, and have a lot of experienced excellent players.
They are always among the favorites, and Croatia is one of the most successful (if
not the most) nation in beach handball.
Once again-thank you for time you spend for answering on these questions and
please send us your picture(s) and we will publish it together with the interview.