The 2021 IHF Super Globe is now just 10 days away.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the city of Jeddah eagerly await the arrival of the respective continental champions for a handball event unlike any other. On Tuesday October 5, our team will face the host, Al Wehda, a multi-sports club from Mecca with one of the richest traditions in the Middle East. Without a single doubt, this will be the most challenging obstacle our boys have faced in their history. In 2019, Al Wehda finished in the 4th place, losing only by a small margin to RK Vardar Skopje (30:26). The odds are all on the host’s side, but who knows, we are allowed to dream.
In the event of a win, our team would then have the ultimate privilege to play the runner-up of the last EHF Champions League and Danish Champion, Aalborg Handbold. In the event of a loss, they would face the losers of Al Duhail (Qatar, Asian Champion) vs. SC Magdeburg (EHF Cup winner), and Al Nuur (Saudi Arabia, wild card) vs. E.C. Pinheiros (Brazil, South American Champion). Needless to say, we can not wait to be meeting all these prestigious teams. This experience will only make us stronger and expose us to the world of professional handball.
“This is the greatest moment in the history of our club”, says Martin Bilello (Youth Development Director at SF CalHeat). It is surely a memorable moment in our club’s history, an experience we should and will cherish. “We have worked very hard all these years, and, even though we want to do our best to be competitive, we should not forget to enjoy the moment”, says the captain of our team, Slave Jovanovski. Our club has decided to provide the team with the best conditions to prepare for the event, and they will be conducting a training camp from September 29 until October 3 in Bern, Switzerland.
In the meantime, we are doubling down on our efforts to meet the high demands and expectations that come with the participation in such an event. “I’m very proud of our organization and we are learning every day to become a more organized structure. There are significant challenges, logistically and financially, but we adapt quickly and we ultimately want to leave a good impression to the handball community, as well as best represent USA Team Handball & North America at the event”, says a very enthusiastic Jean-Marc Junique (President of SF CalHeat).
The climb will be steep, that is for sure, but we are ready for it. Stay tuned for more news in the days to come.