The bitter World Cup knockout of our handball players against Olympic champions France (28:35) set a new record. 7.49 million viewers (26.5% market share) watched the handball classic. But what hardly anyone understands: unlike in football, the team around captain Johannes Golla (25) does not fly home, but from Gdansk to Stockholm. There are two placement games (places 5 – 8): the small tournament of the frustrated!
The DHB selection meets Egypt on Friday (3.30 p.m., ARD), followed by Norway and Hungary (6 p.m.). The winners then fight for 5th place on Sunday, the losers for 7th place.
Why all that?
Qualifying for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris requires this procedure.
The International Handball Federation (IHF) is looking for twelve teams in addition to the six who have qualified directly for Paris (hosts, world, European, Asia, Africa and Pan-America champions) that can compete in three four-man tournaments (March 2024) for the remaining six Olympic playing places.
Six tickets will be awarded at the World Cup. Normally the World Championship places two to seven. Due to France’s participation in the quarter-finals (qualified as host), the eighth place also slips into the qualifying tournament.
Handball-Titan
Germany despairs of France goalkeeper
Source: Sportfive
The composition of the qualifying groups is already laid down in the IHF statutes.
Tournament 1: The World Cup second and seventh form a tournament – with one representative each from Asia and Pan America.
tournament 2: The World Cup third and sixth form a tournament – with one representative each from Africa and Europe (qualifying at the EM 2024).
tournament 3: The World Cup fourth and fifth form a tournament – with one representative each from Africa and Europe (qualifying at the EM 2024).
Sounds complicated – it’s not that easy either! Because participants (and exact groups) will not be known until the end of January 2024. After the parallel European and African championships. This also applies to the three organizers. The DHB will certainly apply if it does not become European champion.
Our handball players want to say goodbye with two wins and 5th place. “Now we’re in shit for a day,” explained Christoph Steinert (32) after the knockout in the quarter-finals, “then we’ll get up again. We want to finish fifth.” Goalkeeper Andreas Wolff (32) adds: “We have to finish fifth, aim for and achieve the position in the extended world class.”
