World Handball Champs 2011: Killing the Golden Goose

Here in Sweden right now, not even Robin Söderling cruising into the second week at Melbourne Park is sufficient news to make the back page, where handball is the game on everyone’s lips.

Twenty-four nations with a combined population of 885 million are represented at this year’s World Championships (Russia, which missed qualification by a solitary goal, would have tipped the billion), and the tournament for one of the world’s most popular ball sports has entered its business end.

For Australia, business is over.

Yesterday, Australia suffered the last of seven consecutive defeats, consigning it to 24th place overall. On the way, it lost to two tournament debutants in Chile and Bahrain, and finished with a goal differential of minus 121.

There were small ‘victories’ along the way. After a second up loss to Serbia, Australian player Tommy Fletcher let slip that Australia would consider it a victory if in any one game they:

• scored more than 15 goals
• conceded less than 40 goals, and
• lost by less than 25 goals.

This leaves two ‘victories’ in main pool play, and another couple as they battled with other lesser lights to determine positions 21 to 24. Something to be proud of no doubt, but the seven losses take to some 25 the number of consecutive losses for Australia at the biennial World Championships, a run which began after a solitary victory over Greenland in 2003.

So, is it time for Australia (or technically Oceania) to give back its Golden Wonka Ticket of direct passage to the World Championships chocolate factory?

The answer is clearly yes, but not simply because Australia is losing.

As in so many aspects of life, the future is Asia, and this is where the Australian Handball Federation, with the help of their friends in Oceania and the International Handball Federation, should be aiming.

But just like football, Australia’s passage to Asia is not likely to be a simple one.

There is history there, though arguably not as politically charged as that associated with the world game. Rather, as Australian handball rose from nothing in the late 1980s and 1990s, early overtures to join Asia were rebuffed, with Asia not willing to put at risk one of its few qualifying places. The result was the creation of the Oceania Handball Federation, and within 10 years, the OHF had its own seat at the table. It may not wish to give it up easily.

Football’s entry into Asia is not the only precedent worth considering. Perhaps more relevant is the position of volleyball, another ball sport popular around the world which barely rates a mention in the Australian sporting vernacular – except in its beach-based variant.

Australian volleyball has been tied to Asia for more than a generation, and has competed both successfully and unsuccessfully in the region for world cup and Olympic berths. When Australia is good enough, it makes the grade and is well-prepared for international competition. When it’s not, it at least has regular strong competition and a good indication of how far off the international pace it is.

Australian handball can only benefit from an Asia-Oceania merger/takeover.

Such a move would provide quality continental competition for both men and women at the junior and senior level, as well as a potential shop window for young Australian players to the semi-professional leagues of Japan, Korea and beyond. And should Australia, with the international federation’s backing, go once again with cap in hand to Asia, this time it would have something to bargain with – an additional place in at the World Championships.

Judging by recent results, this could only be a good result for Asia in the short run. In the longer run, it just might be that everyone benefits, not least the reputation of international handball.

Congratulations to the Australian team for doing the nation proud on the world stage this last week, and good luck to the Women’s National Team that has its chance at the end of the year. Here’s hoping that next time we see you performing proudly on the international stage, it is at the 2012 Asian Championships.

Placement Match 21-24:
Australia 21
Chile 29

23/24 Play-off:
Australia 23
Bahrain 33

The World Championship medals should be fought out between France, Spain, Germany, Denmark and Sweden, with the Final scheduled for 30 January 2011.