After the disappointing Olympic tournament, captain Uwe Gensheimer has announced his resignation from the national handball team. In addition, national coach Alfred Gíslason will have to do without other veterans in the future, as the German Handball Federation (DHB) announced on Thursday.
In addition to the 34-year-old Gensheimer, backcourt player Steffen Weinhold (THW Kiel) is no longer available, defense chief Hendrik Pekeler (THW Kiel) wants to take a longer break from the national team and leaves future missions for the DHB selection open. The 38-year-old goalkeeper Johannes Bitter (HSV Hamburg) only wants to step in in an emergency after missing the Olympic medal in Japan.
“I look back with pride and gratitude on a long time at the German Handball Federation and I will never forget the experiences that came with it,” said Gensheimer. DHB President Andreas Michelmann thanked all players. “All four are faces of our sport, have thrilled the audience and motivated many children,” he said.
The national team is facing a personnel change. Gensheimer last played only a minor role at the tournament in Tokyo, but before that he was one of the pillars of the team. After his international debut in November 2005, he celebrated his greatest success in the DHB jersey in 2016 when he won bronze with the team at the Olympics in Rio.
For Gislason, however, the loss of world-class defender Pekeler (30) and backcourt specialist Weinhold (35) weighs heavier on Gislason, and Bitter is still one of the best German goalkeepers.
