Handball
Austria’s men finished qualifying for the European Championships in January 2024 in Germany on Sunday with a flawless record. The sovereign 38:33 (24:16) victory over the Faroe Islands in Bregenz was the sixth game in six. Mykola Bilyk and company finished group four first ahead of Romania and the Faroe Islands, who secured their first-ever ticket to the finals as one of the top four in third place.
In contrast to the first leg in the Faroe Islands, when Austria struggled to a 30:28, Ales Pajovic’s men were unstoppable from the start this time. The Faroe Islands, eyeing their slim chance of qualifying for the finals for the first time, offered no significant resistance.
Pajovic was able to give players from the second row minutes to play before the break, and after the restart there were numerous players without much experience in the national team – each of them signed the list of marksmen. Captain Bilyk was rested over large parts.
Impeccable record
Austria’s handball players manage a historic European Championship qualification. With six wins from six games, they finish the qualification for the first time with the maximum number of points in first place.
“Incredible Qualification”
“An incredible qualification. I was a bit afraid of this game, but the lads showed from the first minute that they want to win this game too,” said Pajovic. Bilyk added: “It’s a very, very nice feeling. It was our goal to finish first in this group.”
Two games before the end of qualifying, Austria had already confirmed as a participant in the European Championship and is now looking forward to the draw on May 10 in Düsseldorf. Thanks to first place, the ÖHB selection will be drawn from pot two there, possible venues are Berlin, Düsseldorf, Mannheim and Munich.
In addition to the Faroe Islands, two other teams, Georgia and Greece, celebrated their first-ever qualification for the European Championship. The Georgians cheered on Sunday after a sensational and dramatic 31:30 victory in Hungary with a converted seven-metre throw in the final second.
2023-04-30 18:00:35
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