One day before the start of the Handball World Cup in Egypt (January 13th to 31st), the corona virus broke out in the USA team. As national coach Robert Hedin confirmed to the Norwegian newspaper “Aftenposten”, 18 players have Covid-19. He was also infected.
“It’s incredibly tough,” said Hedin, and added: “We’re sending twelve players to Egypt on Wednesday, but we have no defense.” The US handball players are preparing for the tournament in Norway. The team nominated before the outbreak also includes seven players active in Germany, but none of them is under contract with a first division club.
On Monday there had already been a stir about corona cases in the Czech team. According to a report by the Sportschau, more than ten people in the supervisory staff and in the team have been infected with the virus, including head coaches Jan Filip and Daniel Kubes.
How the corona outbreak came about in the handball team in the USA, Hedin could not clearly answer. “We were tested all along. On Monday we did a quick test that was negative, ”said the Swede. There is a presumption that a player who came from the USA brought the virus with him.
There will be a security concept at the World Cup in Egypt. It means: Every 48 to 72 hours, professionals and other people involved in the tournament are tested for Corona. It is compulsory to wear a mask, if you do not have to play a game or training or to eat, you have to isolate yourself in your single room. The organizer has reserved four hotels in Egypt that will accommodate all the teams as well as journalists and officials. Critics of the concept fear that the individual bubbles are too large and that larger outbreaks could occur.
The USA are taking part in a World Cup finals for the first time in 20 years and are considered a blatant outsider. In Group E, the US handball players are scheduled to play their first preliminary round against Austria on Thursday, while other opponents are co-favorites Norway and record title holders France.
