1 Letter from , Issue 36th 2 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th President El-Sisi Meets with Minister of Youth and Sports and Financial Advisor to the President 6

Egyptian Leadership of International 15 Federation 19

In This Issue

• Editorial: In , Hands of the World Compete & Fraternize 4

• Modern Sports Arenas Hosting Egypt 2021 13

• 21st Century Witnessed Increase in Handball’s Growth & Popularity 16

• Most Important International Sports Tournaments Hosted by Egypt 21

• Countries Participating in IHF Handball World Championship .. Egypt 2021 28

3 4 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th In Egypt, Hands of the World Compete & Fraternize

In 2021, handball teams of 32 countries meet in hospitable Egypt from 13 to 31 January to vie for the title of world champions at the 27th IHF World Men’s Handball Championship. There is no doubt that Egypt’s hosting of this major sporting event has im- portant implications for Egypt, its people and the world. This is the largest global sporting event ever held anywhere in the world since the covid-19 pandemic, a year ago. The organization of this competi- tion in such circumstances reflects the extent of Egyptian capabilities in all areas of health, logistics, security and sports under these exceptional cir- cumstances. Undoubtedly, the international consensus to convene the championship at this time, despite all the current realities around the world, confirms confi- dence in Egypt’s success in dealing with the pandemic at all levels, and in the ability of the State, Egyptian people and the youth of the world participating in the championship, to come up with the 2021 edition in the best form, to the enjoyment of hundreds of millions of handball fans at a time when all the peoples of the world need moments of hope, pleasure and fair competi- tion after a very difficult year for everyone. The meeting of youth teams from 32 countries from all over the world on the land of Egypt at a time when everyone is struggling with the pandemic and resisting the idea of closure and shutdown, reveals how the world sees Egypt as an oasis of peace, stability and security and its ability to overcome all difficulties. Egypt has previously organized dozens of continental and international sporting events with great success. Egypt will once again confirm this suc- cess and welcome the peoples of the world, as it has always been. It’s here in Cairo where hands compete for the ball and also achieve the bigger targets, i.e. solidarity, fraternity, peace and global harmony; and to conquer and triumph in all circumstances, confirming that the peoples of world in Egypt are one hand.

5 On 5 September 2020 during the draw ceremony of the World Handball Championship 2021 in Egypt, the offi- cial mascot Horus was first revealed. Horus is the sun god of the ancient Egyptians and is the first living entity worshipped by them. With the drawing ceremony conducted in the shadows of the Giza Pyramids, it was fitting that Egypt chose a mascot to reflect its ancient roots and the qualities it hopes to emphasize for the competition. The double crown of ancient Egypt sits atop Horus’ head and a golden handball rests inside the crown. Horus Got Moves Horus, the mascot, can remove this ball for photos with fans or to play with. The face mask is designed to be friendly yet powerful. Mascot Horus’s collar is made of red metal and golden beads, representing the Egyp- tian national team jersey.

6 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th Egypt Keen on Rendering World Handball Championship a Success

President El-Sisi Meets with Minister of Youth and Sports and Financial Advisor to the President On 13 September 2020, Presi- Dr. Sobhy confirmed that 1100 updates. “We have set special dent Abdel Fattah El-Sisi was youth volunteers were selected tough and strict medical mea- updated on final preparations to participate in the organiza- sures and precautions for the for the organization of the 27th tion of the championship. The Covid-19, to be followed during Men’s Handball World Cham- selected volunteers attended the Championship and there pionship, hosted by Egypt in an intensive course where they will be no place for those who January 2021. In his meeting were trained on how to deal don’t follow these measures”, with Minister of Youth and with the participating delega- said the IHF President. “We are Sports Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, Pres- tions and also on emergency lucky as the European Champi- ident Sisi had given immediate first aid. Dr. Sobhy also demon- onships qualifications are cur- instructions for the government strated the different aspects of rently being held, where we will to mobilize all capabilities and the ongoing preparations set by take the chance to evaluate that provide all facilities required the Supreme Organizing Com- experience. Meanwhile, we are for delivering an astounding mittee of the World Champi- working on ensuring that every and successful event being the onship including upgrading visitor returning back home first world-class major sports and refurbishing the efficiency after the event is an ambassa- festival to be held on Egyptian of the sports infrastructure, dor of Egypt abroad”, he added. soil, since the outbreak of the hosting the Championship. “The International Olympic coronavirus, also witnessing Committee has delayed The spectators’ attendance. Tazkarti is the creator of the 2020 for a year Dr. Sobhy gave a brief on the Fan ID for the first time in and now the IOC President capacity of sports infrastruc- Egypt under the trademark has confirmed attending Egypt ture included in the champion- Tazkarti Fan ID. The company 2021 to witness the Egyptian ship. He noted that for the first offers a ticket marketplace for organization of the event amid time in its history, 32 countries different types of events across the current challenges”, Mosta- will participate in the champi- Egypt, including the current fa affirmed. onship, adding that 108 match- tournament. Minister of Health, Hala Zayed es are held in four various halls IHF President Dr. Hassan Mo- emphasized the importance of in three governorates, in ad- stafa met on 14 December 2020 the regular update of data to dition to 10 other sports halls with the Ministers of Sports guarantee accurate PCR tests hosting the teams’ trainings. and Health to discuss the latest and evaluation of the health

7 care and prevention measures. Dr. Zayed also announced that the visiting spectators coming from abroad follow different routes than home fans to en- sure no contact. The Minister added that those violating any of the precautionary measures in the venues are immediately fined. On the other hand, Minister of Sports, Dr. Ashraf Sobhy re- vealed that every hotel hosting any of the event’s teams, partic- Press Conference held at SIS Headquarters in collaboration with Ministry of ipants or organizers is entirely Youth & Sports closed on those inside it. He added that there have been co- the Medical Committee. pionship is being held amid a ordination plans and agreement IHF President said “We have healthy and safe environment with the Minister of Civil Avia- many challenges ahead of us re- to all participants”. tion Mohamed Manar to allow garding the Covid-19 pandemic. The Minister concluded by re- all planes carrying participating The Egyptian government has vealing that the preventive plan teams to land at the seasonal efficiently been handling these has been designed by the Egypt terminal of the Cairo Interna- changes for this major event”, 2021 Medical Commission, in tional Airport to ensure no con- stressing that the IHF has tak- coordination with the Ministry tact. The Sports Minister ex- en some measures including of Health and the Prevention plained that a simulation of the forming special task forces to Task Force of the IHF. whole organizational process combat the virus and that the Head of the Medical Commis- is conducted for participants champion Medical Commis- sion Dr. Hazem Khamis ex- upon their arrival until their sion comprises representatives plained that the commission departure amid precautionary of the WHO. Dr. Mostafa ex- has exerted huge effort to raise measures taking place before plained that a covid-19 preven- awareness of the covid-19 vi- the tournament throws-off. tive plan has been set since Oc- rus and the measures to taken On 3 December 2020, the State tober and is regularly updated. during the Championship, not- Information Service (SIS) host- Minister of Youth and Sports ing that this effort is the result ed a press conference to reveal Dr. Ashraf Sobhy conveyed his of collaboration with the Min- the details of the measures set thanks and appreciation to par- istry of Health. in order to contain the corona- ticipants in the organizational “The four pillars which have virus pandemic and the means process amid those exception- been previously announced of protecting participants al circumstances. The minister include appointing a medical during the 27th edition of the said “under the leadership of officer to each team, the appli- Men’s Handball World Cham- Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah cation of the full bubble system pionship, Egypt 2021. El-Sisi, Egypt has proved its where all participants will be The press conference was at- ability in organizing spectacu- completely isolated from the tended by SIS Chairman Diaa lar sports events”, adding “The outside world. Their only route Rashwan, Minister of Youth and world is learning now how will be from the airport to the Sports Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, IHF to live and adapt to the virus. hotel, and then to the champi- President Dr. Hassan Mostafa The sports world has started onship hall and vice versa till and Dr. Hazem Khamis, head of to revive again, and we want their departure at the end of to make sure that the cham- the Championship”.

8 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th He confirmed that all partic- to have a negative PCR result 72 gold, while was the run- ipants will undergo a second hours before any activity, and ner-up. Yugoslavia ( and PCR test as soon as they ar- anyone can move within the dif- ) and ended rive in their hotels, after con- ferent bubbles as long as they in third and fourth places, re- ducting a PCR at the airport, are within the Main Bubble. spectively. Two years later the adding “we expect to carry out A look back at Egyptian hand- Pharaohs achieved their biggest 20,000 PCR tests during the ball history success in the competition’s whole duration of the Cham- The journey of the national history when they finished 4th pionship”. men’s handball team started in . In 2001, the nation- “The venues are divided into long ago, but reached the peak al team came in fourth place colorful zones. No one is al- of its fame and achievements at the World Men’s Handball lowed in the Red Zone which in the 1990s. At their first ap- Championship. First, second, is restricted only to referees, pearance in the 1964 World and third places had gone to players and IHF officials and Men’s Handball Championship, France, , and Yugosla- those involved in matches. Egypt’s handball team came in via (Serbia and Montenegro), They will be entirely isolated”. 14th place. At the 1991 Mediter- respectively. Egypt’s team was He emphasized that “no one ranean Games, held in , the first non-European team to is allowed entrance to the VIP Egypt’s handball team brought be qualified to the champion- Lounges even if tested neg- home a silver medal, losing the ship’s semifinals, being dubbed ative for the virus. In case of gold to Yugoslavia. and as the ‘dream team’ by many. any suspected cases, five rooms Greece won third and fourth At the 2013 Mediterranean will be equipped in the hotels places, respectively. Games, which was celebrated to serve as isolation rooms. If During the 1990s, Egypt’s in ’s Mersin, the hand- any of the suspected cases test- handball national team in- ball team surprised the world ed positive with symptoms, the cluded a number of stars who by winning gold. The silver and infected person will be hospi- started their careers with the bronze medals went to talized and all those who have youth team, namely: Khaled and Turkey. been in contact with the case al-Awadhi, Mahmoud Hussein, Three years later, the team will go through PCR tests”. The Hamada Al-Rubi, Ashraf Awad, scored gold again at the 2016 Central Labs of the Ministry of Hazem Awad, Jawhar Nabil, African Handball Cup of Na- Health is internationally cer- Sherif Momen, Marwan Ra- tions, qualifying the national tified in addition to another jab, Magdi Abu Al-Majd, Omar ‘dream team’ for the 2016 Rio French Lab which will be used Al-Jasmi, Hamadeh al-Naqib, Summer Olympics and to the for confirmation of the results. Ayman Salah. Other stars who 2017 IHF World Men’s Hand- The current tournament fac- joined the golden generation ball Championship in France in es exceptional circumstances include , Hussein January. and all participating federa- Zaki, Hani Al-Fakhrani and The Egyptian team’s first par- tions have been informed of all Ahmed Al-Attar. ticipation in the Summer measures and precautions and The Egyptian team finished 6th Olympics was in 1992 in Barce- would have to fully submit to when Egypt hosted the tourna- lona, but it achieved its highest the “Full Bubble”. It is especial- ment for the first time in 1999. Olympic ranking, at sixth place, ly important for all participants Sweden walked away with in the 1996 Atlanta Summer

9 Olympics in the . The team was preceded by Cro- atia, Sweden, Spain, France, and Russia, respectively. Egypt’s national handball team have qualified for the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo following their victory over in the Africa Handball Championship final. The Pharaohs beat Tu- nisia (27-23) to claim the 2020 Africa Men’s Handball Cham- pionship title for the seventh Egyptian National Handball Team time in the national team’s his- and (25-31), re-ignited The Trophy tory. the belief in a sport revered by The newest design created by Egypt was first non-European the North Africans who claim the IHF in 2015 has been de- team to win U-19 world title. On its roots lie in Ancient Egypt. signed by a French artist of a historic night in Skopje, with Prehistoric Egyptian priests an Egyptian man’s hand. Yes, both finalists Egypt and Germa- are believed to have practiced indeed, the hand is of an Egyp- ny already assured of their best some form of handball based tian, who is none other than ranking in history at the IHF on depictions on 5,000-year- Captain Alaa El- Sayed, the Men’s Youth World Champi- old tombs. current Head of the National onship, it was Egypt who took Among professional Egyptian Teams in the Egyptian Hand- their maiden trophy at the event handball national team play- ball Federation. El-Sayed, one with a score of (32-28). ers currently in international of Egypt’s iconic handball play- The Egyptian team’s first partic- clubs are: Mohammed Mam- ers is also a member of IHF ipation in the Summer Olym- douh Hashim (Romanian Di- Competitions Commission and pics was in 1992 in , namo București), Mohamed the Chairman of the Inspection but it achieved its highest Olym- Sanad (USAM Nîmes Gard), Working Group. pic ranking, at sixth place, in the Ahmed Hisham (French Aix- And this is how to look at it: 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics en-Provence), Ali Zain (Sharjah Egypt is writing history in every in the United States. The team UAE club), Karim Handawy possible way, hosting a massive was preceded by Croatia, Swe- (HC Dobrogea Sud Constanta) event during a world pandemic, den, Spain, France, and Russia, and Yahia Khaled (Telekom head-starting a new system for respectively. Veszprém HC). Other handball the handball world champion- 9 August 2016 will remain for- stars include Ahmed El-Ahmar, ships with 32 teams participat- ever etched in the mind of Abdul Rahman Hamid and ing, and representing itself in the nation’s handball fans. On Hassan Kaddah. even the trophy. that day, Egypt stunned four- Egypt’s handball players are So, for years to come and as time Olympic silver medallists prepared at an early age, as the long as this version of the Sweden 26-25 at Rio 2016 and novice play for 5-8 years in the trophy remains, wherever the shocked the handball world, mini-handball stage, and then World Championship is being but not the Egyptians at the move to play in the older age stag- held and whoever wins the ti- Future Arena in Rio de Janei- es (beginner, intermediate and tle and lifts the trophy, Egypt ro. It was their only victory at advanced) for 6 years till the age will always be there, co-lifting their sixth Games appearance. of 17, up to the stage of under-19, the trophy with the winner, But close group games against according to internationally rec- as El- Sayed’s hands wraps the (26-27), (25-33) ognized handball standards. trophy.

10 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th 1111 The Giza Pyramids Platea witnessed a star-stud- ded spectacular event on 5 September as the draw for the 2021 IHF Men’s World Champion- ship took place at the UNESCO World Heritage List site. Under strict precautionary measures due to the COVID-19 global outbreak, a limited array of guests were in attendance, including Prime Min- ister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Minister of Youth and Sports, Dr. Ashraf Sobhy and IHF President Dr. Hassan Mostafa, alongside team representa- tives, ambassadors and former and current Egypt players. The show started with a performance from the multi award-winning and much-loved Egyptian musician and composer Omar Khariat in front of a full orchestra, with a number of speeches following, including speeches by IHF President, Egyptian Prime Minister, who is a former hand- ball player and Minister of Youth. With the Giza Pyramids and Sphinx of Giza lit up in blue and pink lights, contrasting with the pitch black evening sky, and more blue lights radiating into the atmosphere, guests enjoyed the night’s breeze as they watched a special 3D Mapping show integrating aspects of past and present Egypt and the sporting arenas set to be used for Egypt 2021 before ending on a simple message: ‘Welcome to Egypt’. This was followed by ‘ ’ 2019 winners ‘Mayyas Dance Crew’, who created a Egypt 2021 Championship Drew Ceremony show highlighting the movement of hands and arms – the very DNA of handball. ‘Horus’ the mascot was then revealed, described as “a mixture between the ancient Egyptian cul- ture and heritage, and the handball sport”. The mascot was shown on the giant screens in an an- imation running from Ancient Egypt, through a portal into modern Egypt. Surrounded by danc- ers, Horus then showed off some his own danc- ing skills at which was met with an impressive IHF Flag Passed to Egypt as 2021 Host firework display over the backdrop of the Giza Pyramids.

12 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th The Supreme Organizing Committee for the 2021 tournament. This is the second time that Handball World Cup Egypt 2021 chose the an- Egypt plays host to the World Handball Champi- cient Egyptian god Horus, to be the official mas- onship, following the 16th edition held in 1999 cot for the 27th edition of the World Handball with the participation of 24 teams. Championship. According to the Committee, After made it fourth-time lucky in an those qualities are “extraordinary strength, agili- IHF Men’s World Championship final, beating ty, power and stamina: Horus is the definition of , handball fans started looking ahead to superhuman. [He is] a legendary hero, reminding the next championship, the 27th edition, held in us of the historical magnificence of Egypt’s most Egypt in 2021. influential mythological Gods”. “Competitors are To symbolize the handover from one world not enemies. They are people who remind you championship to another, the organizers of the to be better, faster, stronger” is the organizing tournament passed the IHF flag to the IHF Pres- committee’s interpretation of Horus’ function as ident, Dr. Hassan Mostafa, who then passed it an athletic inspiration. over to the next hosts. Horus was also chosen to encourage and moti- At the Jyske Bank Boxen in Herning, with Den- vate the host nation’s own team, to be an icon mark still celebrating on the podium, the Ger- representing the powerful history of their ances- man and Danish Handball Federation Presidents tries , and to serve as a beacon of athleticism, took this honor, passing the flag via President strength, and honor. Mostafa to Egyptian Handball Federation Pres- The Horus mascot was developed through a ident Hesham Nasr who then handed it over number of steps, from conceptual design to to the Minister of Youth and Sports, Dr. Ashraf preliminary artwork, the final form is complete Sobhy. “I was very proud as an Egyptian, and for with a number of symbolic nods to both ancient Egypt, to represent my government and receive Egypt and the sport of handball. the flag,” said Dr. Sobhy after the ceremony. Ahead of the draw, the audience was then treated Egypt 2021 is the first major world event to be to an in-depth look at the four arenas being used held amid the coronavirus, witnessing the par- for the championship before IHF Commission of ticipation of 32 teams for the first time in the Organizing and Competition (COC) Chairper- history of the World Championship. son Per Bertelsen and IHF Competitions Direc- The 32 teams are divided into eight groups of tor Patric Strub commenced the draw. four teams. Each venue hosts two groups of the They were assisted by senior Egypt players Ali preliminary round, which is played from 13 to 19 Zein and captain Ahmed El-Ahmar, and Egypt’s January. The top three teams of their respective 2019 IHF Men’s Youth World Championship preliminary round groups move on to the main winners, Abdel-Rahman Mohamed Homayed round (20-25 January), while the teams ranked and Hassan Walid Ahmed. Poland were the very last in their preliminary round groups play the first team to be drawn out, while were President’s Cup. The 24 main round teams are the 32nd and last team. divided into four groups of six teams each. Egypt was among seven countries that expressed The top two teams of the main round groups ad- interest in organizing the 2021 World Handball vance to the knock-out stage, which starts with Championship, namely France, , Swe- the quarter-finals on 27 January, then continues den, , Slovakia and Poland. In The with the semi-finals on 29 January. On the final Russian city of Sochi after a strong competition day, 31 January, the match for third place and the with Hungary, Egypt was to chosen to host the gold-medal match are played.

13 Modern Sports Arenas Hosting Egypt 2021

Egypt has modern logistics and organization- al capabilities to host major world champi- onships in various games, as well as to secure self-funding for these projects to maintain, modernize and maximize their value. This will be the second time for Egypt to host the World Handball Championship and the second for Africa. Egypt has 10,025 sports units, including: 1,248 sports clubs, 4,330 youth centers, 3,354 play- grounds, 13 hotels, 25 gymnasiums, 115 indoor halls, 640 football fields, 209 swimming pools, 23 private sports clubs, 18 martial arts playfields, 13 sports hotels and hostels, 8 sports development The main hall of Cairo International Stadium centers, 17 sports medical units, 10 youth cities, was founded in 1991, It underwent an efficien- 7 youth forums, 10 civic education centers and cy upgrade in 2015, worth EGP 133 million ($8.3 various other facilities. million), as part of Egypt’s successful national ef- The two-week event is held in January 2021 in fort to win the right to host the 27th IHF Men’s four venues in Alexandria, Cairo, Giza and the World Championship. New Capital as follows, Alexandria: Handball Cairo Stadium Indoor Hall is the home of Hall Borg Al-Arab (capacity: 5,000 spectators); Handball Pharaohs. Cairo International Airport Cairo: Cairo Stadium Indoor Halls Complex (ca- is only 10 km (6 miles) away and the venue is pacity: 17,000 spectators); Giza: Handball Hall 30 km (19 miles) from downtown, putting it at 6th of October (capacity: 5,200 spectators) and the heart of the city’s infrastructure network of New Capital as follows, Handball Hall (capacity: roads, hotels, dining destinations and medical 7,500 spectators). facilities. Cairo Stadium Sports Hall Cairo Stadium’s hall has hosted previous hand- Cairo Stadium Indoor Hall is the most famed ball tournaments: the 1999 Men’s World Cham- hall in Egypt, thanks to its location within pionship, as well as the 1993 and 2009 Men’s Ju- the premises of Egyptian historic sports’ py- nior World Championships. lon as well as its high capacity of 17,000 sup- The venue has also hosted the African Men’s porters. Handball Championship finals five times.

14 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th New Capital Sports Hall, Cairo tor capacity hall that was built specifically as part of Egypt’s successful bid to host the 27th IHF Men’s World Championship. The hall is the “younger sibling” of Borg El-Ar- ab Stadium, one of the largest in Africa, which has been a frequent host of numerous Egyptian, African, and international football competitions since it was founded in 2007. The stadium also holds a fond place and senti- mental memory in many Egyptians’ hearts, as The New Capital Sports Hall is part of Egypt’s it was the site where Egypt clinched its historic newest sport facilities, built specially to host qualification for the 2018 World Cup. Egypt 2021, the 27th Men’s Handball World The Borg El-Arab Hall is less than 35 km (20 Championship. miles) from downtown Alexandria, Egypt’s sec- With a capacity of 7,500, the hall is located in- ond largest city and a jewel of the Mediterra- side the integrated Sports City in Egypt’s New nean. The hall is 200 km (125 miles) from down- Administrative Capital, east of Cairo. The Sports town Cairo. City was built at a cost of 2.2 billion Egyptian 6th of October Sports Hall, Giza pounds (over $137 million). It is home to a halls’ complex, a swimming complex, and several multi-purpose courts and fields. The New Capital Sports Hall is 60 km (37 miles) from downtown Cairo, and 60 km (37 miles) from the stunning Red Sea beaches at Ain El-Sokhna. The short drive to the sea is made easier thanks to an extensive network of new roads and trans- portation systems. The newly-built hall hosts groups B and F. Group B comprises of Poland, , Spain and Tunisia Completed in 2020, the 6th of October Giza Sports while Group F includes , , Portu- Hall is the newest hall designated to host Egypt gal and Algeria. 2021, the 27th IHF Men’s World Championship Borg Al-Arab Sports Hall, Alexandria The hall is located in the heart of 6th of October City, one of Cairo’s modern suburbs that have blossomed in the desert in recent years. The city is full of all the amenities needed to give teams and fans an amazing experience. The hall can host up to 5,200 spectators, and boasts a VIP lounge, a training hall, and a fully equipped spa for teams. The hall is only 36 km (22 miles) away from down- town Cairo, and is part of the historic Giza gover- The Borg El-Arab Sports Hall is a 5,000-specta- norate, home to the famed Great Pyramids of Giza.

15 The sporting culture of modern Egypt traces its roots to ancient Egypt, where games were practiced for both amusement and physical training. Numerous illustrations on the walls of tombs and monuments show that sports like long jump, wrestling, weightlift- ing, rowing, swimming, shooting, athletics, fishing, stick fencing and a few ball games were very popular with the ancient Egyptians. Rules such as choosing a neutral referee, uniforms for players, and the announcement of winners by awarding different medals are some aspects of ancient Egyptian sports that are very similar to today’s sports. Handball was another popular sport in ancient Egypt. To play this game, the contestants formed two teams. Each team had a leather or papyrus ball. The teams would both throw their balls at the same time, catching them and then throwing them back. Handball was unique, though, because the players could either run or climb onto each other’s shoulders to catch high balls. Drawings of this sport are found on the Saqqara tombs, five thousand years old. The ball was made of leather and stuffed with plant fibers or hay, or made of papyrus plants in order to be light and more durable. It was seldom used for more than one match. One painting shows four girls playing handball. Each team throws the ball to the other at the same time. Players can either be on their feet or on top of their teammates’ backs while exchanging balls. Egypt, 1st Arab country to introduce handball game Egypt is the first Arab country to practice handball, develop its infrastructure and facilities, and teach the game, through the programs of the Higher Institute of Physical Education in Cairo in 1938, which issued many booklets explaining the basic principles of the skills and techniques of the game, its laws and rules of practice. Handball has been included in the programs of Arab sports tournaments since the 3rd Pan Arab tournament held in Casablanca, Morocco in 1961. Various championships for independent handball activities were held periodically. Since 1977, The Arab Handball Champion- ship of Champions Club has been held annually in one of the Arab countries. Arab Junior Championships have been held since 1983. One of the tangible achievements by Arab countries in handball is Egypt’s first place in the 9th World Youth Championship held in 1993. The Egyptian Handball Federation The Egyptian Handball Federation (EHF) is the governing body of handball and in Egypt. EHF was founded in 1957, and joined International Handball Federation in 1960 and African Handball Confederation in 1973. The first national handball compe- tition was held in 1957. EHF is also affiliated to the Egyptian Olympic Committee. It is based in Cairo. 16 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th 21st Century Witnessed Increase in Handball’s Growth & Popularity

Brief history of handball at the 1976 Olympic Games in red cards. Games similar to handball have Montreal. Due to its popularity The latest set of improvements, historically been played in dif- in the region, Eastern European which debuted at the 2016 ferent variations and in many countries that refined the event Olympic Games in Rio, adjust- different cultures around the became the dominant force in ed the rules by allowing an ex- world. Played on fields similar the sport. tra attacking player in exchange in size to an actual handball Further refinements of the for an undefended goal, creat- court, these games had their rules have focused on creating ing a better-defined rule for own unique set of rules, varying a more dynamic and excit- passive play, and introducing from penetrating a zone with ing game, while also improv- blue cards, which are designat- possession of the ball, shoot- ing player safety. These rules ed for the most flagrant of ac- ing the ball at a hoop or net, to changes include the number of tions. Included amongst these throwing at a goal in a similar players in a team, fast throw- new rule changes was also the fashion to the modern game. offs after goals, passive play introduction of a new rule for At the beginning of the 20th and changes meant to lim- mandatory suspension for 3 of- century, the first rules for it overly aggressive defensive fensive possessions for exces- games similar to handball were play by involving progressive sive medical treatment. written, especially in Denmark punishments such as yellow These developments at the end (Håndbold), Czechia (Házená) cards, two-minute suspensions, of the 20th century and the be- and Germany (Feldhandball). A five-minute suspensions, and ginning of the 21st century have common set of rules was estab- lished and the first national and international associations were created to govern, promote and develop the sport. In 1936, field handball (Feld- handball) debuted at the Olym- pic Games in Berlin. In 1946, the International Handball Fed- eration (IHF) was established, modernizing the game to be played on an official court as it is today. Handball became an official Olympic sport for men at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, and for both genders Beginning of Handball Tournaments

17 The 2013 World Men’s Handball Championship, Spain seen an increase in handball’s enjoyed by millions of people the sport of handball every year. growth and popularity with the worldwide. The key aspects of Handball is played on a rect- International Handball Feder- the sport, dynamic, fast-paced, angular court of 40x20 me- ation not just overseeing the and quick changing game play, ters. The goals at each end are sport’s crowning tournaments, make for an exciting game to bounded by a goal-area line the Youth, Junior and Senior play and an attractive sport to of 6 meters, roughly curved, World Championships and the watch. Handball adapts well to and in which only the team’s Olympic Games, but also its different conditions and needs, goalkeeper can act. A player is expansion across the globe, as creating fun and engaging vari- allowed to hold the ball for up with outreach programs like ations that can be played by just to 3 seconds, to move holding the IHF Trophy. about anyone anywhere at any the ball for a maximum of 3 Overview of different types of time. Whether it is on sand, steps and to dribble until be- handball grass, asphalt, court or snow, ing stopped. The defender may Handball is a popular sport more and more people enjoy fight for possession of the ball

18 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th and prevent the opponent from with 2 points for goals scored the philosophy of mini hand- shooting at the goal as long as under certain dynamic con- ball: fluid rules, adaptable to the player does not grab, push ditions. A team is comprised include everyone across gender or otherwise endanger the op- of three field players and a and ages, and to accommodate ponent’s physical integrity. goalkeeper. Beach handball is on any open-air field. It is usu- Mini Handball played with two timed halves, ally a four-a-side game, and Mini handball is a tool to teach and each half must have a win- any player can be goalkeeper. handball, with rules adapted to ner, similar to winning a set in All players can attack, playing make the game accessible, chal- tennis. If the game is tied at with numerical advantage (4 lenging and enjoyable for chil- the end of regulation, a series vs. 3 plus goalkeeper). Teams dren. Therefore, it is up to the of shoot-outs is played until a are not allowed to attempt to PE teacher or coach to shape winner is found. score until all its players have the rules appropriately with touched the ball, dribbling is freedom submitted only to the At the beginning of the 21st not allowed, and physical con- utility principle – if a change century, wheelchair hand- tact is strictly forbidden. of rule is useful to teach some- ball was developed to make Snow Handball thing (technically or tactical- handball accessible to people Following the lead of street ly), then, change the rule. Five with motor disabilities. The and beach versions of hand- against five on a smaller field is rules closely align with those ball, snow handball has found popular, but there are no lim- of handball with several key a foothold in wintery climes, itations to the adaptations that changes, including a reduced and is currently the youngest can be made. number of players, a smaller branch of this popular game. Beach Handball goal, rules focused on pushing, It includes many elements of Created in the 90s, beach hand- dribbling and passing, safety beach handball, and could be- ball features many of the best measures for equipment to en- come very popular in countries qualities of handball, with fast- sure player safety, and the pro- with a lot of snow. paced game play and spectacu- motion of mixed gender teams. By July 2009, the IHF listed 166 lar goals, but has taken much Street Handball member federations - approx- of the contact out of the game, Played with a soft, non-bounc- imately 795,000 teams and 19 and rewards creativity and risk ing ball, street handball shares million players.

Beach Handball

19 20 Letter from Cairo,Cairo, Issue Issue 36th 36th Dr. Hassan Mostafa is the fifth and current President of International Handball Federa- tion and a former President of Egyptian Hand- ball Federation. He was born in Cairo in 1944. He has a Bachelor of Physical Education, a Di- ploma in training from Deutsche Hochschule für Körperkultur Leipzig, Germany and com- pleted an M.A. thesis in Physical Education titled “Goalkeeper’s status”. Mostafa studied in German College of Physical Education and Sports in Leipzig, Germany, and completed a Dr. Hassan Mostafa, IHF President doctoral thesis on the topic: The administration key, receiving 104 votes from delegates, with nine elements of a successful mission of clubs and against and four abstaining. The 73-year-old is to federation. Mostafa devoted his life to Handball. run the IHF until 2021. He played for the Al-Ahly Club for fifteen years In June 2020, the Egyptian Olympic Committee and played for the Egyptian national team for (EOC) has named IHF President Hassan Mostafa ten years. He played with German DHFK as the organization’s Lifetime Honorary Presi- Leipzig Handball team in 1974. After the end of dent. The EOC said the award recognizes the im- his playing career, he was involved in coaching portant role Mostafa has played in the Olympic and elected as best coach in Egypt in 1998. He movement in Egypt, as well as his long sports ca- was also an international Handball referee. reer and devotion to serving his country, the IHF Besides being elected as the President of Inter- and its members. national Handball Federation in 2000, Mostafa Egypt 2021 is the eleventh tournament held un- was the President of Egyptian Handball Federa- der Mostafa’s chairmanship of the IHF, with a tion from 1984 to 1992 and from 1996 to 2008. He career spanning over nearly 60 years as a player, was member and Secretary General of the Egyp- coach, referee and administrative official at all -lo tian Olympic Committee from 1985 to 2000 He cal, regional and international levels. was elected as the Chairman of Commission of Egypt 2021 will see 32 of the world’s best teams pit- Coaching and Methods of International Handball ted against each other. Never before in the Cham- Federation from 1992 to 2000 and first Vice-Pres- pionship’s history have the competition seen so ident of Arab Handball Federation 1992-2000. He many teams participating. until the past edition, was founder and President of the Mediterranean 24 teams had taken part, and the competition Handball Confederation from 1999 to 2003. was held jointly in two nations, while the next Dr. Mostafa was an ASOIF Council Member from edition that will follow Egypt 2021, will be hosted 2005 to 2014, ASOIF Vice-President from 2014 to by three nations. Egypt 2021 is also the first major 2015, member of the Board of Trustees of the Mo- world event to be held amid the coronavirus. All hammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports this brings with it new and exciting challenges. Award since 2012, representative of the Olympic Dr. Mostafa reiterated that “the IHF Men’s World Movement in Egypt and President of the Tripar- Championship is not simply an event, it is a glob- tite Commission, as well as an expert in the Egyp- ally significant major sporting celebration. It tian Supreme Council for Youth and Sports. provides the biggest stage for the sport of hand- He has been re-elected as president of the Inter- ball and, therefore, it is in the best interest of national Handball Federation (IHF), the sport’s all stakeholders to organize the 27th IHF Men’s global governing body, for a fifth consecutive World Championship in Egypt in January 2021”, term. He ran unopposed for the leadership adding that Egypt 2021 provides an opportunity during the 36th IHF congress in Antalya in Tur- to relaunch the activities and refuel the energy.

21 22 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th Egypt’s ability to host both continental and in- Mediterranean Games ternational tournaments is evidenced by the Egypt has competed at every celebration of international praise the country received for its the Mediterranean Games since the 1951 Med- successful hosting of the African Nations Cup iterranean Games. The idea was proposed at in 2019, and the organization of many world the 1948 Summer Olympics by Muhammed Ta- championships in various sports, notably among her Pasha, chairman of the Egyptian Olympic which are: Committee and vice-president of the Interna- Africa Cup of Nations tional Olympic Committee. The Games were Egypt is the most successful nation in the cup’s inaugurated in October 1951, in Alexandria, in history, winning the tournament a record of honor of Muhammed Taher Pasha, with contests seven times (including when Egypt was known being held in 13 sports along with the participa- as the United Arab Republic between 1958 and tion of 734 athletes from 10 countries. Egyptian 1961). Egypt hosted the tournament in 1959, athletes amassed 45 medals at the 2018 Mediter- 1974, 1986, 2006 and 2019. ranean games in Tarragona, Spain– placing Egypt The Egyptian national team is the most successful 5th among the 25 competing nations. national team in the Africa Cup of Nations, hav- Pan Arab Games ing won the Tournament a record seven times: Egypt has participated in the Pan Arab the inaugural edition in 1957 and on home soil Games nine times, with great success. in 1959, as well as the 1986 edition, 1998, 2006 in The 1st Pan Arab Games were held in Alexan- Egypt, 2008 and 2010. In February 2017, Egypt dria, between 26 July and 10 August 1953. Egypt set a new record, not being defeated for 24 con- hosted the Arab Games three times in Alexan- secutive African Cup of Nations matches. Egypt dria, and in 1953 won first place with 67 gold, 3 also won their 9th consecutive match in the AF- silver and 21 bronze medals. In 1965, the Games CON, beating Ghana in the 2010 African Cup were held in Cairo and Egypt achieved first place of Nations final match, and becoming the first with 52 gold, 37 silver and 19 bronze. Again in team to win three consecutive AFCON titles. Cairo in 2007, Egypt won first place with 148 Egypt also hosted CAF Under-23 Africa Cup gold, 100 silver and 89 bronze. from 8 to 22 November 2019 and qualified for FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U18 World Championship the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. With a remarkable In September 2019, Egypt organized the World performance of the Egyptian national team, they U-18 Women’s Volleyball Championship in Is- were crowned winners of the championship. mailia and Cairo, which saw the participation of All-Africa Games 20 teams from Brazil, , , Bulgar- The 5th All-Africa Games were held from Sep- ia, , Italy, Belarus, Congo, , Ko- tember 20 to October 1, 1991, in Cairo. For- rea, , , Egypt, , , Puerto ty-three countries participated in eighteen Rico, Thailand, Turkey and America. sports. Nearly 5,000 athletes representing 46 Fencing Grand Prix – Sabre countries participated. Egypt participated with Egypt hosted the latest International Fencing 318 players competing in 18 individual and group Federation (FIE) Grand Prix in February 2019, games and succeeded in taking the lead, winning and a men’s and women’s sabre tournament in 188 medals, 92 golds, 46 silver and 50 bronze. Cairo, with the participation of 45 countries from Egypt’s most prominent star in the Games were around the world, represented by 694 players. Olympic wrestler Hassan Al-Haddad, judo- Egypt will stage the World Fencing Champion- ka Mohamed Rashwan, weightlifter Tharwat ship for a second time, after the African coun- Al-Bendary and shooting champions Mohamed try was awarded the hosting rights for the 2021 Khorshid and Khaled Munir Thabet. edition. The International Fencing Federation

23 (FIE) Congress voted unanimously in favor participation for foreigners residing in Egypt. of Egypt staging the event in 2020. Egypt host- 1st Pan-African Games Special Olympics ed the first edition of the tournament in 1962. The Special Olympics 1st Pan African Games, was Egyptian Squash Open PSA Platinum tourna- held 23rd – 31st January in Egypt, Cairo, brought ment together athletes from the Special Olympics Afri- The men’s World No 2 Ali Farag and women’s can and North Africa regions. Across World No 2 Nour El-Sherbini have been crowned seven days of inspiring events and competitions as the CIB Egyptian Squash Open 2020 champi- in athletics, basketball and football, over 1,000 ons in the men’s and women’s platinum event. athletes from 42 Special Olympics programs The tournament kicked off on 10 October 2020 around the African continent, performed their at the New Giza Sporting Club. The final round best. Egypt was re-writing history with a series of matches witnessed the Egyptian dominance of firsts: the first ever Pan African Games, the first squash as usual. The tournament’s significant Games with 50% female participation, and the success is a testament to Egypt’s prowess as a first ever unity of two regions. country capable of hosting exemplary interna- IHF Handball World Champion Egypt 2021 tional events even amid the novel coronavirus Egypt hosts the 27th Men’s Handball World (COVID-19) pandemic. Championship, during 13-31 January 2021, with Finswimming World Junior Championship the participation of 32 national teams for the The International Swimming Federation (FINA) first time in the history of the game. This is the chose Egypt for hosting the 2019 World Diving second time for Egypt to host the Championship, Championships, which makes it the first country after 22 years, as it hosted the tournament for the in Africa to organize such tournaments. first time in 1999. The World Underwater Federation (CMAS) and The two-week event is held in four venues in the Egyptian Diving and Lifesaving Federation Alexandria, Cairo, Giza and the New Capital (EDLF) held the 19th Junior World Swimming (Alexandria: Handball Hall Borg Al-Arab, Cai- Championship with fins in Sharm El Sheik, Egypt ro: Cairo Stadium Indoor Halls Complex, Giza: from July 28 to August 4, 2019. Egypt ranked Handball Hall 6th of October and New Capital fourth. Handball Hall). Egypt Motorcycle Rally World Military Cup Under the patronage of Egypt’s Minister of Youth Egypt is set to host military world football cup and Sports and Giza Governor, the Egypt Motor- in 2021, with the participation of 16 teams: four cycle Rally took place on 19 September 2020 un- from Africa, four from Asia, four from Europe der the slogan “Egypt is Safe”. The rally has been and four from the Americas. The old version of organized by the Egyptian Motorcycle Federation the tournament started in 1946 and was won by as the country’s first ever motorcycle rally. The England. It is the first new version of the military rally competitions took place on rough roads in world football to be held in Africa. The new ver- the Saqqara desert region, providing contestants sion of the military world football competition, with an innovative experience exploring the area. named CISM World Football Cup, was first held The rally’s total distance was 60 km, consisting in 2013 in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku and won by of a 6 km track spanning five laps, over two stag- Iraq. The second one was held in 2017 in Oman’s es. The event allowed fans of this sport to par- capital Muscat and won by Oman, while Egypt ticipate in all motorcycles categories of less than ranked fourth. The most successful military na- 450 cm3, and more than 450 cm3, in addition to tional football teams include Italy, with eight quad bikes. There was also a category for wom- championship titles, Greece, with six titles, and en to participate in the rally, as well as honorary Egypt and France, with five titles each.

24 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th 25 26 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th 27 28 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th 29 Officially the Federal Republic of Germany Official language: German Currency: Euro Population: 83,166,711 (2019 estimate) Dresden Capital: Berlin Germany Main cities: Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg

30 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th German National Handball Team

Brief History: The German Confederation was Previous appearances: Germany made 24 appear- formed in 1815. In 1871, Germany became a nation ances in the World Championship, claiming the title state unified into the German Empire. After World three times: in 1938, 1978, and 2007 and ranking War I, the Empire was replaced by the Weimar Re- second in 1954 and 2004. public. The Nazi seizure of power in 1933 led to Germany are considered one of the most success- the World War II. After its end in Europe, two new ful teams heading to Egypt 2021, having won three German states were founded. On 3 October 1990, World Championships and two European Champi- the former East German states joined the Federal onship titles so far. Republic of Germany. In 2019 Championship held in both Denmark and Location: It borders Denmark to the north, Poland and Germany, the Danes took home the gold medal, it the to the east, Austria and Swit- was pure heartbreak for Germany, who finished in zerland to the south, and France, , Bel- fourth place. It was heartbreak again for the Ger- gium and the to the west. mans at the 2020 Men’s EHF EURO. These disap- Economy: Germany has a strong economy; it has pointments saw coach replaced by the largest economy in Europe, the world’s fourth-larg- Alfreð Gíslason. est economy by nominal GDP, and the fifth-larg- Germany’s captain is part of a est by PPP. As a global leader in several industri- tough German core of experienced players such as al, scientific and technological sectors, it is both the goalkeeper , line player Jannik Kohl- world’s third-largest exporter and importer of goods. bacher, right wing and rising star Tourist attractions: The Black Forest National Park right wing . overlooking the Danube, the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Alpsee and Chiemsee lakes; The BMW Mu- seum; Christkindlesmarkt 9Christmas Market) and Neuschwanstein Castle in the State of Bavaria, and the largest museum of technology and science in the world, Deutsches Museum is located in Munich. German National Handball Team Road to Egypt 2021: Germany reached the 27th Men’s Handball World Championship after the cancellation of European qualifiers due to covid-19, as they ranked fifth at the Men’s EHF EURO 2020. Group A

31 Officially Hungary Official language: Hungarian Currency: Forint, Euro Population: 9,769,526 (2020 estimate) Capital: Budapest Main cities: Debrecen, Eger, Győr, Kecskemét , Hungary Miskolc, Pécs

32 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th Hungarian National Handball Team Brief History: The Hungarian state was established in the ifiers, and ranked ninth at the Men’s EHF EURO 2020. late ninth century AD. In 1526, Hungary was partially oc- Previous appearances: Hungary have made 20 appearanc- cupied by the Ottoman Empire (1541–1699). The country es in the World Championship, their best finish was run- came under Habsburg rule, and later joined Austria to ner-up in 1986 in Switzerland. form the Austro–Hungarian Empire. The Empire collapsed Hungary are one of the most consistent participants in the after World War I. Postwar Hungary became a satellite World Championship, as they have made 20 appearances, state of the Soviet Union (1949–1989). On 23 October starting with the 1958 tournament. Having missed just six 1989, Hungary became a democratic parliamentary repub- IHF Men’s World Championships, Hungary is one of the lic. Hungary is a member of European Union (2004) and most experienced countries when it comes to the competi- the NATO. tion – yet, they have only a solitary medal to their name, a Location: It borders Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the silver won in 1986. northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the Hoping to guide them to a higher finish at Egypt 2021 is south, Croatia and Slovenia to the southwest, and Austria to coach István Gulyás. Hungary’s nucleus is made up of three the west. experienced players from two of the biggest clubs in Hun- Economy: The Hungarian economy is the 57th-largest econ- gary, with goalkeeper Roland Miler and line player Bence omy in the world with $265.037 billion annual output. Hun- Banhidi from MOL-Pick Szeged joined by centre back gary has an export-oriented market economy with a heavy and playmaker Mate Lekai from Telekom Veszprém. One emphasis on foreign trade; thus the country is the 35th larg- to watch is yet another playmaker, the youngster Matyas est export economy in the world. It is the 19th-most popu- Gyori from Grundfos Tatábanya KC. lar tourist destination in Europe, drawing 15.8 million inter- national tourists in 2017. The Hungarian economy is fairly open and relies strongly on international trade. Tourist attractions: The largest thermal water cave system in the world, Lake Hévíz, second largest thermal lake, Lake Balaton the largest lake in Central Europe and UNESCO World Heritage Site Hortobágy the largest natural grass- lands in Europe, the Széchenyi Chain Bridge in Budapest and the Hungarian Parliament Building overlooking the Danube. Hungary’s National Handball Team Road to Egypt 2021: Hungary reached the Group 27th Men’s Handball World Championship after the cancellation of European qual- A

33 Officially the Oriental Republic of Official language: Spanish Currency: Population: 3,518,552 (2019 estimate) Capital: Montevideo Uruguay Main cities: Salto, Ciudad de la Costa, Paysandú

34 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th Uruguayan National Handball Team

Brief History: The Portuguese were the first Euro- Uruguay’s National Handball Team peans to enter the region of present-day Uruguay in Road to Egypt 2021: Uruguay make their IHF 1512. The Spanish arrived in 1516. Uruguay’s early Men’s World Championship debut after finishing 19th century history was shaped by ongoing fights third at the 2020 Men’s South and Central American for dominance between British, Spanish, Portuguese Handball Championship, which took place in Brazil and other colonial forces. It declared its indepen- in January. dence on 25 August 1825. In the early 20th century, Previous appearances: Uruguay will record their it evolved into one of the richest and most demo- first World Championship appearance at Egypt cratic Countries of South America. In the late 1950s, 2021. suffered from student militancy and la- Botejara called the qualification a “long-awaited bor unrest. It witnessed a return to democracy from step for Uruguayan handball”. He admits Uruguay 1984 till present. will “make the most of all the opportunities Egypt Location: It borders Argentina to its west and 2021 will provide,” as he aims to increase the pool southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, of talent. Current European-based players include with the River of Silver to the south and the Atlantic Maximo Cancio, Diego Morandeira, Gabriel Chap- Ocean to the southeast. arro, and Santiago Ancheta in Spain and Italy. They Economy: The economy of Uruguay is charac- are joined in the Egypt 2021 squad by fellow beach terized by an export-oriented agricultural sector players including right wing Alejandro Velazco, and a well-educated work force. Uruguay is one of Andrés Miranda and Felipe Gonzalez. the world’s largest producers of , greasy , horse meat, beeswax, and quinces. is the main export commodity of the country. Tourist attractions: Its landscapes consist of rolling hills and vast plains. Colonia del Sacramento, estab- lished in 1680, is renowned for its historic quarter, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Durazno, founded in 1821, is home to the church of San Pedro and the Columbus monument. Group A

35 Officially the Republic of Cabo Verde Official language: Portuguese Currency: Escudo Population: 555,987 (2020 estimate) Capo Verde Capital: Praia Main cities: Mindelo, Santa Maria, Porto Novo, Islands Capo Verde São Filipe

36 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th National Handball Team of Capo Verde

Brief History: It remained uninhabited until the fore, Portuguese coach José Tomas created history 15th century, when Portuguese explorers discovered for the country, when his side beat DR Congo in the and colonized the islands. It achieved independence first match of the 5-8 placement round – a winner- in 1975. takes-all game with the victors ensuring at least a Location: It is an island country in the central At- sixth-place finish and a ticket to Egypt 2021. The 23- lantic Ocean. The ten volcanic islands in its archi- man Cape Verde squad named for their Egypt 2021 pelago have a combined land area of about 4,033 training camp in in November featured 12 square kilometres. The islands lie about 600 to 850 players based in Portugal, five in Cape Verde, three kilometres west of Cap-Vert which gave its name to in Spain, and one each in France, Germany and the islands. Romania, with many having experience in Europe’s Economy: The economy of Cape Verde is ser- top leagues, including the EHF Champions League vice-oriented, with commerce, transport, and public Men. They are led by captain Leandro Semedo. services accounting for more than 70% of GDP. Tourist attractions: Maio island known for sandy beaches, the volcano Pico de Fogo, the island of Sal, and the cities of Ribeira Grande, Tarrafal and Sal Rei. National Handball Team of Capo Verde Road to Egypt 2021: Capo Verde qualified for Egypt 2021 – their first-ever IHF Men’s World Champi- onship – when they finished fifth in Tunisia at the CAHB Men’s African Championship, held in Janu- ary 2020. Previous appearances: Capo Verde will record their first appearance in the World Championship in Egypt 2021. After taking charge of the team just a few weeks be- Group A

37 Officially the Kingdom of Spain Official language: Spanish Currency: Euro Population: 47,431,256 (2020 estimate) Barcelona Capital: Main cities: Barcelona, Valencia, Málaga, Las Spain Palmas, Córdoba

38 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th Spanish National Handball Team Brief History: Spain is a parliamentary democracy and a par- Spain have always been a contender for the top podium spot. liamentary monarchy with King Felipe VI as head of state. It re- Winning the Men’s EHF EURO 2020 put a target on their back, mained neutral during World War I and suffered a civil war in yet Spain remain undeterred and are vying for their third gold 1936. After World War II Spain was politically and economically medal that would put them in fourth place, only behind Fran- isolated and was kept out of the United Nations. With Franco’s ce, Sweden and Romania for the record of most Men’s World death in November 1975, the approval of the new Spanish Cons- Championship titles. titution of 1978 and the restoration of democracy, the State de- Since January 2020, coach Jordi Ribera has been working ti- volved much authority to the regions. relessly to plan for the Egypt 2021 championship. Key players Location: It is located in Southwestern Europe with some poc- are Gonzalo Perez de Vargas (goalkeeper), Alex Dujshebaev (ri- kets of territory across the Strait of Gibraltar and the Atlantic ght back), Raul Entrerrios (center back). With their status as Ocean and bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean favorites, Spain have been drawn in one of the toughest groups Sea; to the north and northeast by France, and the Bay of Biscay; of the Championship. and to the west by Portugal. Economy: Spain’s is the 14th largest worldwide and the 5th lar- gest in the European Union, as well as the Eurozone’s 4th largest. The is one of the largest employers in the country. Citrus fruits, vegetables, cereal grains, olive oil, and wine are Spain’s traditional agricultural products. Tourist attractions: The Palacio Real (Royal Palace) of Madrid, Pamplona city famous for its San Fermín festival, held each year during 6th–14th July, and La Concha, one of the best city beaches in Europe. Spanish National Handball Team Road to Egypt 2021: Spain booked their place in Egypt 2021 as the winners of the EHF EURO 2020, making them a definite title contender. Previous appearances: Spain are two-time World Champions, in 2005 and 2013, and have made 20 appearances in the prestigious tournament starting in 1958. Group B

39 Officially the Republic of Tunisia Official language: Currency: Tunisian dinar Population: 11,708,370 (2020 estimate) Capital: Tunis Tunis Main cities: Sousse, Sfax, Bizerte, Carthage, Tunisia Al-Hammamet

40 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th Tunisian National Handball Team

Brief History: Tunisia is a semi-presidential rep- Previous appearances: Tunisia made 14 appearanc- resentative democratic republic. It gained indepen- es in the World Championships, while their fourth- dence on 20 March 1956. place performance in 2005 remains The Eagles of Location: It is bordered by Algeria to the west and Carthage most exciting trip to the international southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediter- stage. ranean Sea to the north and east. The team is coached by Sami Saïdi and key players Economy: Tunisia has a diverse economy, ranging include Mosbah Sanai (left back), Kamel Alouini from agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and pe- (center back) and Marouen Maggaiz (goalkeeper). troleum products, to tourism. The industrial sector Tunisia’s new coach, at his first ever experience is mainly made up of clothing and footwear manu- coaching a national team, remains upbeat and will facturing, production of car parts, and electric ma- try to emulate his team’s run of the 2005 IHF Men’s chinery. World Championship. Tourist attractions: Kairouan which is a UNES- CO World Heritage site, Bulla Regia, a Roman city in north-western Tunisia, the amphitheatre of El Jem, and he ruins of ancient Dougga. Tunisian National Handball Team Road to Egypt 2021: Tunisia booked their place in the Egypt 2021 after the finished second in the 2020 CAHB African Handball Championship.

Group B

41 Officially the Federative Republic of Brazil Official language: Portuguese Currency: Real Population: 212,559,409 (2020 estimate) Rio de Janeiro Capital: Brasília Brazil Main cities: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília

42 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th Brazil’s National Handball Team

Brief History: Brazil was a colony of Portugal until Brazilian National Handball Team 1815. It gained its independence in 1822 and became Road to Egypt 2021: Brazil booked their place at a monarchy, and the system of government contin- Egypt 2021 after coming runner-up at the 2020 ued as it was even after the republic was officially South and Central American Championship. proclaimed by the army in 1889 and then changed Previous appearances: Brazil have made it to the its name to the Federal Republic of Brazil in 1967, Handball World Championship 14 times, achieving the country was presided over by the President of the their best result in the 2019 edition, where they came Republic and administered by a national and judicial ninth. congress since the political stability of government The national team is coached by Washington Nunes in 1995. and key players include Felipe Borges (left wing), Location: It is the largest country in both South Rogerio Moraes Ferreira (line player) and Thiagus America and Latin America. Bounded by the Atlan- dos Santos Petrus (left back). While they clinched a tic Ocean on the east, Brazil has a coastline of 7,491 Round of 16 berth four times and they finished with kilometers (4,655 mi). It borders all other countries their best result ever at the last IHF Men’s World in South America except and . Championship, they still never made it into the top Economy: Brazil is one of the top 20 economies in eight as they placed ninth two years ago. One thing the world and depends mainly on agriculture (cof- is clear at Egypt 2021, though, Brazil have plenty of fee-cocoa). Industry in Brazil is just as important firepower and grit ready to better their previous re- as agriculture and the most important industrial city sults. is São Paulo which is famous for its automobile and aircraft industry and food processing. Tourist attractions: São Paulo which is the most populous city in Brazil and is home to monuments, parks and museums, Rio de Janeiro which is home to Copacabana Beach Christ the Redeemer, The city of Salvador, and the city’s cathedral is the see of the primate of Brazil and its Carnival celebration has been reckoned as the largest party in the world. Group B

43 Officially the Republic of Poland Official language: Polish Currency: Złoty Population: 38,383,000 (2019 estimate) Wrocław Capital: Warsaw Poland Main cities: Kraków, Wrocław, Poznań, Gdańsk

44 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th Poland’s National Handball Team

Brief History: The establishment of Polish Poland’s National Handball Team statehood can be traced to 966. The Kingdom of Road to Egypt 2021: An IHF Wild Card. Poland was founded in 1025. In 1989, the com- Previous appearances: Poland amassed 13 pre- munist government was dissolved and Poland vious appearances in the World Championship re-established itself as a semi-presidential dem- and clinched second place in 2007. ocratic republic. It is a developed country and a Now, after a four-year hiatus, Poland are back regional power in Central Europe. It became a at the IHF Men’s World Championship, before member state of the NATO in 1990. being one of the co-hosts for the next edition, Location: It is bordered by and Rus- alongside Sweden. The Polish side will not be sia’s Kaliningrad Oblast to the northeast, Be- one of the favourites chalked to win the trophy, larus and Ukraine to the east, Slovakia and but coach Patryk Rombel highlighted the compe- the Czech Republic to the south, and Germa- tition as another stepping stone for “The Gladi- ny to the west. ators” to build a successful squad to compete in Economy: A shock therapy program, initiated two years’ time. Names like , by Leszek Balcerowicz in the early 1990s, en- Karol Bielecki or Michal Jurecki have written his- abled the country to transform its socialist-style tory for Poland with younger players looking to planned economy into a market economy. Po- emulate their success. Key players include Ark- land became a full member in the European adiusz Moryto (right wing) and Union on 1 May 2004. (line player). Top-rated tourist attractions: The country has 16 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 15 of which are cultural. Poland’s main tourist offerings in- clude outdoor activities such as skiing, sailing, mountain hiking and climbing, as well as agri- tourism, sightseeing historical monuments. Group B

45 Officially the Republic of Croatia Official language: Croatian Currency: Kuna Population: 4,058,165 (2020 estimate) St. Dominic Capital: Dubrovnik-Neretva, Lika-Senj, Church Main cities: Croatia Bjelovar-Bilogora

46 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th Croatia’s National Handball Team

Brief History: Croatia was first internationally Previous appearances: Croatia have made 13 recognized as an independent state on 7 June participations in the World Championship since 879. On 25 June 1991, Croatia declared inde- 1995, and claimed the title in 2003. pendence and the Croatian War of Indepen- In the 1999 World Championship, hosted by dence was fought for four years following the Egypt, Croatia came 10th after losing to Yugo- declaration. Croatia completed EU accession ne- slavia 30-23. gotiations in 2011. Ahead of Egypt 2021, however, Croatia have Location: Located at the crossroads of Cen- made a strong showing. As a result of his ex- tral and Southeast Europe, it borders Slovenia to ceptional performance, 32-year-old centre back the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Ser- was awarded the Most Valu- bia to the east, and Bosnia and Herzegovi- able Player of the Men’s EHF EURO 2020, held na and Montenegro to the southeast, and shares in January in Sweden, Austria and Norway. The a maritime border with Italy. 2013 World Handball Player of the Year has made Economy: Croatia is classified by the World 214 national team appearances and scored a total Bank as a high-income economy dominated by of 699 goals so far. Croatia not only have Duvn- the service, industrial and agriculture sectors. jak but two additional remarkable playmakers: The European Union is Croatia’s most import- Luka Cindric and Igor Karacic. The Vatreni, as ant trading partner. they are nicknamed, are coached by Lino Červar. Tourist attractions: Croatia is ranked among the 20 most popular tourist destinations worldwide. Croatia has unpolluted marine areas reflected through numerous nature reserves and 116 Blue Flag beaches, including Zlatni Rat beach on the Island of Brač. Croatia’s National Handball Team Road to Egypt 2021: Croatia booked their place in the 27th Men’s Handball World Champi- onship after coming second at the Men’s EHF EURO 2020. Group C

47 Officially State of Official language: Arabic Currency: Riyal Population: 2,795,484 (2020 estimate) Skyline Capital: Doha Main cities: Since 2014, Qatar has been divided Qatar into eight municipalities.

48 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th Qatar’s National Handball Team

Brief History: Qatar has been ruled by the House Under the helm of Spanish coach Valero Rivera of Thani since Mohammed bin Thani signed a López, Qatar became the most powerful team in treaty with the British in 1868 that recognized its Asia, claiming the continental title in 2014, 2016, separate status. Following Ottoman rule, Qatar 2018, and 2020. They also snatched second place became a British protectorate in the early 20th in the 2015 World Championship when they century until gaining independence in 1971. hosted the tournament. They were the first Asian Location: It is a country located in Western Asia, side in the semi-finals, and the first non-Europe- occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the north- ans in the final. eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Its sole They ranked among the top eight teams at land border is with neighboring monarchy Saudi France 2017 – for the second time in history. Arabia to the south, with the rest of its territory Two years later, at Germany/Denmark 2019, they surrounded by the Persian Gulf. The Gulf of Bah- did not succeed to make it into the main round rain, separates Qatar from nearby . and had to settle for 13th place. Last January, Economy: Qatar is a high-income they took gold for the fourth consecutive time economy, backed by the world’s third-larg- at the 2020 AHF Men’s Asian Championship in est natural gas reserves and oil reserves. . It was a perfect run of seven victories in Tourist attractions: The Pearl Qatar, Aspire seven matches. Academy, Doha Fort, Barzan Towers, Al Wakra museum, Al Jassasiya carvings and Al- Zubarah Fortress. Qatar’s National Handball Team Road to Egypt 2021: The Maroons reached Egypt 2021 as the winners of the 2020 AHF Asian Championship. Previous appearances: Qatar have made seven appearances in the World Championship start- ing in 2003 where they finished in sixth place and their best finish was in 2015 when they ranked second. Group C

49 Officially Japan Official language: Japanese Currency: Yen Population: 125,960,000 (2020 estimate) Toshima Capital: Tokyo Main cities: Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Japan Sapporo, Fukuoka, Kobe, and Kyoto.

50 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th Japan’s National Handball Team

Brief History: Japan has been inhabited since Previous appearances: Japan have made 14 ap- the Upper Paleolithic period (30,000 BC). Be- pearances in the World Championships since tween the 4th and 9th centuries, the kingdoms 1961, with the best Japanese performance in 1970, of Japan became unified under an emperor . On when they ended the tournament in 10th place. May 1, 2019, after the historic abdication of Em- In January, at the Asian Championship, Japan peror Akihito, his son Naruhito became the new had a clear chance to make the final, a stage that emperor, beginning the Reiwa era. they had not reached since 2004. “We want to do Location: It is bordered on the west by the Sea better than the last time, in which we were 24th. of Japan, and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in But of course, we also want to present Japan the north toward the East China Sea and Tai- with a positive and exciting handball that would wan in the south. give us hope for the Olympics in the next sum- Economy: Japan is the third largest nation- mer,” affirms Icelandic coach Dagur Sigurðsson. al economy in the world, in terms of nominal The Samurai Warriors are looking to improve GDP, and the fourth largest national economy in on their 2019 showing, which saw them finish the world in terms of . in last place. Key players include Remi Anri Doi Tourist attractions: Japan attracted 31.9 million (left wing) and Yuto Agarie (centre back). international tourists in 2019. For inbound tour- ism, Japan was ranked 11th worldwide in 2019, with attractions including Tokyo Disney Land, Tokyo Tower, Mount Fuji and Osaka Castle. Japan’s National Handball Team Road to Egypt 2021: Japan booked their place in Egypt 2021 after coming third at the 2020 AHF Asian Championship. Group C

51 Officially the Republic of Angola Official language: Portuguese Currency: kwanza Population: 31,127,674 (2020 estimate) Luanda Luanda Capital: Angola Main cities: N’dalatando , Huambo, Lobito

52 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th Angola’s National Handball Team

Brief History: Angola achieved independence in Previous appearances: Angola have made only 1975. The country descended into a devastating civ- four appearances in the World Championship il war the same year. Following the end of the war and the team’s best performance was in 2005, in 2002, Angola emerged as a relatively stable uni- when they ranked 20th. tary, presidential constitutional republic. Angola have been one of the top teams in Africa Location: It is bordered by Namibia to the in recent years. They head to Egypt 2021 with an south, the Democratic to experienced team, as they reached the semi-fi- the north, Zambia to the east, and the Atlantic nals of the African Championship three times in Ocean to the west. 2016, 2018, and 2020, taking third place on two Economy: Angola’s economy has become the occasions. fastest-growing economy in Africa and one Most of the Angolan squad, play for domestic of the fastest-growing in the world. Angola teams in the capital, Luanda. Among key play- has diamonds, oil, gold, copper, a rich wildlife, ers are Giovany Muachissengue (goalkeeper) and and vast mineral and reserves. Hebo (centre back). Egypt 2021 will mark Tourist attractions: Angola borders the Atlantic Angola’s fifth IHF Men’s World Championship ocean and has 1,650 km of coastline. Main at- participation. The national team, nicknamed tractions include Cameia, Cangandala, Iona and Palancas Negra, are coached by Nelson Damião Mupa Nationals Parks. Catito. Angola’s National Handball Team Road to Egypt 2021: Angola booked their place in Egypt 2021 after coming fourth in the 2020 African Men’s Handball Championship. Group C

53 Officially the Kingdom of Denmark Official language: Danish Currency: Krone Population: 5,837,213 (2020 estimate) Capital: Copenhagen Denmark Main cities: Aarhus, Aalborg and Odense

54 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th Denmark’s National Handball Team

Brief History: The Kingdom of Denmark is con- Previous appearances: Denmark clinched the stitutionally a unitary state comprising Denmark title for the first time in 2019 after a long road proper and two overseas territories, both well spanning 23 appearances in 26 World Champi- to the west of Denmark: Greenland, the world’s onships. largest island, and the Faroe Islands in the North Denmark come to Egypt as the title defenders, Atlantic Ocean. having lifted the World Championship trophy Location: Denmark lies southwest of Sweden and in 2019, their first win. They also claimed three south of Norway, and is bordered to the south Bronze Medals in the 2002, 2004, and 2006 edi- by Germany. tions of the European Championships. The Dan- Economy: Denmark has a developed mixed ish Dynamite are looking to defend their title economy that is classed as a high-income econ- at Egypt 2021, led by experienced coach Nikolaj omy by the World Bank. It is the 10th most Jacobsen and last edition’s Most Valuable Player, competitive economy in the world, and 6th in . Denmark’s line-up boasts many Europe, according to the World Economic Fo- top players including Niklas Landin (goalkeeper) rum in its Global Competitiveness Report 2018. and (centre back). Tourist attractions: Frederiksborg Palace, Ore- sund Bridge, the Viking Ship Museum, Skagen Beaches and Legoland Billund. Denmark’s National Handball Team Road to Egypt 2021: For the first time, Denmark will enter the IHF Men’s World Championship as the title holders. At Egypt 2021, due to the post- ponement of the Olympic Games, they will also take the court as current Olympic champions. Group D

55 Officially the Argentine Republic Official language: Spanish Currency: Peso Population: 45,261,171 (2020 estimate) Buenos Aires Capital: Buenos Aires Argentina Main cities: Córdoba, Puerto Madryn, Ushuaia

56 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th Argentina’s National Handball Team Brief History: Argentina is the largest Spanish among the top teams in Pan America – precisely, colony in South America, where Spain ruled for they reached every continental championship fi- nearly 300 years, until it gained independence nal from 1996 to 2018 apart from one. From those in 1816, and in 1983 democracy returned to the finals, they took seven trophies and four silver country. medals, along with a bronze medal in 2016. Ar- Location: Argentine is a country located mostly gentina still has room to grow, as their best finish- in the southern half of South America bordered es in the tournament were in 2011 and 2015, when by Chile to the west, and to the they took 12th place. The Gladiators won their north, Brazil to the northeast, Uruguay and the seventh South America Cup title in 2018 under South Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Drake the helm of coach Manolo Cadenas Montañés. Passage to the south. At Egypt 2021, Argentina squad meet defending Economy: Argentina maintains the third largest world champions Denmark, Bahrain and debu- economy in Latin America, and the fourth in tants DR Congo. Three of the four teams were the southern hemisphere. Its economy depends in the same group at the 2017 IHF Men’s World mainly on natural resources, export, minerals, Championship, where Argentina defeated Bah- food, automobiles, trucks, oil pipelines, chemi- rain but lost to Denmark. That France 2017 clash cals and electrical equipment. was Argentina’s only previous meeting with Bah- Tourist attractions: Buenos Aires, El Chaltén rain, while they have faced Denmark a total of mountain village, Rosario on the western bank seven times in history. Argentina’s main star is of the Paraná River. undeniably , the centre back who Argentina’s National Handball Team became the first ever from his nation to win Eu- Road to Egypt 2021: With their ranking at the rope’s premier club competition, the Cham- 2020 SCA Championship, Argentina qualified for pions League, in 2018. Other key players Egypt 2021, which will be their 13th consecutive include Federico Vieyra (right back) and overall participation at the IHF Men’s World and Matias Schulz (goalkeep- Championship. Since achieving their first quali- er). fication in 1997, Argentina have not missed one edition of the pinnacle event. Previous appearances: Argentina have made 12 appearances in the World Championships, with their best showings in the 2011 and 2015 editions, when they finished 12th. For many years, Argentina consistently ranked Group D

57 Officially the Kingdom of Bahrain Official language: Arabic Currency: Dinar Population: 1,470,000 (2020 estimate) Manama Capital: Manama Bahrain Main cities: Muharraq, Riffa

58 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th Bahrain’s National Handball Team Brief History: In the late 1800s, following suc- performance so far. cessive treaties with the British, Bahrain became The previous IHF Men’s World Championship a protectorate of the United Kingdom. In 1971, saw the Reds record their best result in their it declared independence. Formerly an emirate, short history at the event, following several years Bahrain was declared an Islamic constitutional of consistently achieving top rankings at their monarchy in 2002. continental championship. Egypt 2021 will be Location: The island nation is situated between their third consecutive and fourth IHF World the Qatari peninsula and the north eastern coast Championship qualification overall, and January of and comprises a small archipela- 2021 also marks 10 years since Bahrain’s debut go made up of 51 natural islands and an addition- on the global stage. al 33 artificial islands, centered around Bahrain From a 10th place finish at the 2008 AHF Men’s Island which makes up around 83 percent of the Asian Championship, Bahrain made it all the country’s landmass. way to the final at the next edition, ultimately Economy: Bahrain developed the first post- securing the silver medal – and that was the be- oil economy in the Persian Gulf, the result of ginning of their tenure as one of the top teams decades of investing in the banking and tour- in their region. ism sectors; many of the world’s largest finan- Bahrain were again the Asian runners-up in cial institutions have a presence in the country’s 2014, 2016 and 2018, although they placed sixth capital. It subsequently has a high Human De- at the 2012 edition. Among key players are Hu- velopment Index and is recognized by the World sain Ali Al-Sayyad (centre back), Mohamed Bank as a high-income economy. Habib (right back) and Mohamed Husain Tourist attractions: Bahrain Fort, the National (goalkeeper). They are coached by Museum, Al-Areen Wildlife Park and Reserve Halldór Jóhann Sigfússon. and the Lost Paradise of Dilmun Water Park. Bahrain’s National Handball Team Road to Egypt 2021: Bahrain booked their place in the Egypt 2021 after snatching fourth place at the 2020 AHF Asian Championship held in Kuwait. Previous appearances: Bahrain made three ap- pearances in the World Championships starting in 2011, and will be looking to build on their Group 20th-place finish in 2019, their best D

59 Officially the Democratic Republic of the Congo Official language: French Currency: Franc Population: 89,561,404 (2020 estimate) Kinshasa Capital: Kinshasa RepublicDemocratic of Congo Main cities: Mbuji-Mayi, Lubumbashi and Kananga

60 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th National Handball Team of DR Congo

Brief History: Congo achieved independence National Handball Team of DR Congo from Belgium on 30 June 1960 under the Road to Egypt 2021: D.R. Congo are one of name Republic of the Congo. It is a member three debutants set to contest the 27th IHF of the United Nations, Non-Aligned Move- Men’s World Championship, having qualified by ment, African Union, and COMESA. way of a seventh-place finish at the 2020 CAHB Location: Historically Zaire, it is located in cen- Men’s African Championship in January. tral Africa, bordered to the north by the Central Previous appearances: D.R. Congo are making African Republic, to the northeast by South Su- their first-ever World Championship appearance dan, to the east by Uganda, Rwanda and Burun- at Egypt 2021. di, and by Tanzania, to the south and southeast Seventh place was enough to qualify thanks to by Zambia, to the southwest by Angola, and to the expanded number of teams, with 32 ready to the west by the South Atlantic Ocean. play the Men’s World Championship for the first Economy: It is widely considered one of the time in history, as well as the fact that a nation world’s richest countries in natural resources; its from Africa are hosts. As a result, six tickets to untapped deposits of raw minerals are estimated Egypt 2021 were up for grabs at the 2020 Afri- to be worth in excess of US$24 trillion. It has can Championship. Key players include Aurelien 70% of the world’s coltan, a third of its cobalt, Tchitombi (centre back) and Audray Tuzolana more than 30% of its diamond reserves, and a (centre back). They are coached by Francis tenth of its copper. Tuzolana. Tourist attractions: Livingstone Falls, Virunga National Park, Mount Nyiragongo, Mount Sa- byinyo, Congo Rainforest and Solanga National Park, cherished by UNESCO as Africa’s largest tropical rainforest reserve. Group D

61 Officially the United States of America Official language: English Currency: USD Population: 328,239,523 (2019 estimate) Statue of Liberty Capital: Washington, D.C. Main cities: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York Houston, Dallas, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San USA Diego

62 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th USA National Handball Team Brief History: The United States, consisting of coming in 2001. 50 states, is a federal republic and a represen- Could handball be ‘America’s Next Great Sport’? tative democracy with three separate branches That is something towards which USA Team of government, including a bicameral legisla- Handball (USATH) and the International Hand- ture. The government is regulated by a system ball Federation (IHF) are working their hardest. of checks and balances defined by the U.S. Con- The country is an important nation for the world- stitution, amended 27 times, which serves as the wide development of the sport, with a number of country’s supreme legal document. global sporting events featuring handball taking Location: Located in North America, the coun- place in the country over the next few years – in- try is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean cluding the 2028 Olympic Games – and a market and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. Along the responsive to the growing sport. northern border is Canada and the southern bor- That chance at Egypt 2021 is the first one in the der is Mexico. The United States of America is competition after they finished in bottom spot the world’s third largest country in size. at France 2001, a position they are familiar with, Economy: The United States is the largest im- having lost all 25 games in their total of six world porter of goods and second-largest exporter. championship appearances, starting with their It has the world’s fifth-highest per capita GDP debut in 1964. (nominal) and the seventh-highest per capita However, the 2021 squad is very different to GDP (PPP) in 2020. The United States has the those which went before with work behind-the- most technologically powerful economy in the scenes resulting in several players being placed world and its firms are at or near the forefront in some of the best teams in Europe. in technological advances, especially in comput- Key players include Drew Donlin (line player), ers, pharmaceuticals, and medical, aerospace, Ian Hüter (centre back), Domagoj Srsen (left and military equipment. back/line player), Ty Reed (right back/ Tourist attractions: As one of the largest and wing), Gary Hines (back), Abouba- most diverse countries in the world, The United kar Fofana (left back) and Rene States boast an amazing amount of tourist des- Ingram (goalkeeper) under tinations ranging from the skyscrapers of New coach . York and Chicago, the natural wonders of Yel- lowstone and Alaska to the sunny beaches of Cal- ifornia, Florida and Hawaii. USA National Handball Team Road to Egypt 2021: USA was nominated by IHF after a request from North America and the Ca- ribbean Handball Confederation (NACHC). Group Previous appearances: USA participat- ed in six editions, with their latest E

63 Officially the Kingdom of Norway Official language: Norwegian Currency: Krone Population: 5,384,576 (2020 estimate) Capital: Oslo Oslo Main cities: Bergen, Stavanger, , Norway Fredrikstad

64 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th National Handball Team of Norway Brief History: The kingdom was established in 2019. 872 as a merger of many petty kingdoms and Norway have always been a team that has made has existed continuously for 1,148 years. As a lot of noise at the Handball World Champi- a unitary sovereign state with a constitutional onship. monarchy, Norway divides state power between Løvene, as they are nicknamed meaning the Li- the parliament, the cabinet and the supreme ons, have reached the European Championship court, as determined by the 1814 constitution. nine times, and their best performance was the Location: It is bordered by Finland and Rus- recent third-place finish in the EHF Europe- sia to the north-east, and the Skagerrak strait to an Championship 2020. That strong showing the south, with Denmark on the other side. booked their spot at Egypt 2021. Could it be third Economy: Norwegians enjoy the second-high- time lucky for Norway at the 2021 IHF Men’s est GDP per-capita among European countries, World Championship after two silver medals in and the sixth-highest GDP (PPP) per-capita in a row at the 2017 and 2019 editions? the world. Today, Norway ranks as the sec- Elverum’s French-born Alexandre Blonz is the ond-wealthiest country in the world in monetary next big rising star in Norway, but it will be the value, with the largest capital reserve per capita German-based club players of Christian O’Sulli- of any nation. van (Magdeburg) and the THW Kiel pairing of Tourist attractions: Norway offers visitors an (right back), incredible mix of cultural and natural wonders, (centre back) and Alexandre Blonz (left wing) from cosmopolitan Oslo to its endless snow- who could be the most influential in north capped mountain peaks and deep fjords, includ- Africa under Coach . ing Sognefjord fjord, Pulpit Rock, Tromsø village and the summit of Dalsnibba. Norway’s National Handball Team Road to Egypt 2021: Norway booked their place in the 27th Men’s Handball World Champion- ship after they came third at the Men’s EHF EURO 2020. Previous appearances: Norway have made 15 previous appearances in the World Champi- Group onships and finished second in 2017 and E

65 Officially the Republic of Austria Official language: German Currency: Euro Population: 8,935,112 (2020 estimate) Capital: Main cities: Graz, Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck

Graz Austria

66 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th National Handball Team of Austria

Brief History: Following the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945 Previous appearances: Austria appeared six times in the and an extended period of Allied occupation, Austria was World Championship, with the best-ever finish coming all re-established as a sovereign and self-governing democrat- the way back in 1938, when they came second. ic nation known as the Second Republic. Austria is a par- Egypt 2021 could potentially see Austria’s best-ever finish in liamentary representative democracy with a directly elected a modern-day IHF Men’s World Championship, with their Federal President as head of state and a Chancellor as head Slovenian head coach Aleš Pajovič getting the best out his of the federal government. players in recent years. Location: It is bordered by Germany to the northwest, Pajovič guided Austria to their best-EHF EURO finish in the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia to the north- January 2020, when they finished eighth in the event hosted east, Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, by Austria, Norway and Sweden. and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. Austria’s best-ever finish at an IHF Men’s World Champion- Economy: Austria consistently ranks high in terms of GDP ship was second in 1938 in the then four-team tournament, per capita, due to its highly industrialized economy, and but they can only boast a 13th spot in the modern-day event, well-developed social market economy. Since Austria be- in the 24-team edition back at Qatar 2015. came a member state of the European Union, it has gained Key players include Thomas Bauer (goalkeeper), Robert We- closer ties to other EU economies. ber (right wing), Janko Bozovic (right back) and Sebastian Tourist attractions: Austria, one of Europe’s most popular Frimmel (left back). holiday destinations, attracts tourists year-round with places to visit in both summer and winter. Top attractions include the Eastern Alps, Imperial Palace, Salzburg Altstadt, a UN- ESCO World Heritage Site, Schönbrunn Palace, Belvedere Palace and St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna. Austrian National Handball Team Road to Egypt 2021: Austria reached Egypt 2021 after the cancellation of European qualifiers, as they came eighth in the EHF Euro 2020. Group E

67 Officially the French Republic Official language: French Currency: Euro Population: 67,153,000 (2020 estimate) Capital: Main cities: Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Nice Eiffel Tower, Paris France

68 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th French National Handball Team Brief History: France is a unitary semi-presi- France was able to make the cut and qualify for dential republic. France was one of the promi- Egypt 2020 because defending champion Den- nent participants of World War I, from which mark, who came 13th at the Men’s EHF EURO it emerged victorious, and was one of the Allied 2020, have automatically booked their place. powers in World War II, but came under occupa- Previous appearances: France have the most tion by the Axis in 1940. Following liberation in Handball World Championship titles of any 1944, a Fourth Republic was established and lat- team, with six wins and 11 medals to their name er dissolved in the course of the Algerian War. from 1995, 2001, 2009, 2011, 2015 and 2017. They The Fifth Republic, led by Charles de Gaulle, was have competed in the championship a massive formed in 1958 and remains to this day. 22 times since 1954. Location: The metropolitan area of France extends from They are set to be a powerful contender at the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean and from the Medi- Egypt 2021. They come to Egypt led by world-re- terranean Sea to the English Channel and the North nowned players such as Cédric Sorhaindo and Sea. France borders Belgium, Luxembourg and Ger- Nikola Karabatić under coach . many to the northeast, Switzerland, Monaco and Ita- Talents such as , ly to the east, Andorra and Spain to the south. (line player), (right back), and Melvyn Economy: A member of the Group of Sev- Richardson(right back), all show the potential to en (formerly Group of Eight) leading industri- become world-class. alized countries, as of 2018, it is ranked as the Representing the future – and the past – is Rich- world’s tenth largest and the EU’s second larg- ardson, son of 1995 IHF World Player of the est economy by purchasing power parity. France Year , one of the true inno- joined 11 other EU members to launch the euro in vators and global superstars in world handball. 1999. France has a mixed economy that combines The younger Richardson played his first major extensive private enterprise with substantial state senior World Championship in 2019, which enterprise and government intervention. came after winning the 2018 Men’s EHF Tourist attractions: From the boulevards of Par- Champions League and being voted is to the fashionable seaside resorts of the Côte the best player in the 2018/19 d’Azur, France offers some of the most beautiful French championship. scenery in the world, including fairy-tale castles, glorious cathedrals, and picture-perfect villages. French National Handball Team Road to Egypt 2021: France reached the 27th Men’s Handball World Championship after the cancella- tion of European qualifiers, as they came 14th at the Men’s EHF EURO 2020. Group E

69 Officially the Portuguese Republic Official language: Portuguese Currency: Euro Population: 10,295,909 (2019 estimate) Capital: Lisbon Main cities: Porto, Vila Nova de Gaia, Braga, Ama- Porto Portugal dora, Queluz, Funchal, Coimbra, Setúbal

70 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th National Handball Team of Portugal

Brief History: After the 1910 revolution which of European qualifiers as they ranked sixth at the deposed the monarchy, the Portuguese First Men’s EHF EURO 2020. Republic was established. Democracy was re- Previous appearances: Portugal made only 3 ap- stored after the Carnation Revolution (1974), pearances in the World Championship and they ending the Portuguese Colonial War. Shortly af- finished in the 12th ranking in 2003 to record ter, independence was granted to almost all its their best performance. overseas territories. The handover of to Portugal are making their comeback to the IHF China (1999) marked the end of what can be con- Men’s World Championship after an 18-year hi- sidered one of the longest-lived colonial empires. atus, yet their ambitions are sky high. They have Location: It is the westernmost state of main- never progressed further than the Round of 16, land Europe, being bordered to the west and in 2001, but coach Paulo Pereira, has never been south by the Atlantic Ocean and to the north one to back off from a tough challenge. It might and east by Spain. look overly ambitious, but Portuguese handball Economy: In the second decade of the 21st cen- has been on a roll in the last years, finishing tury, the Portuguese economy suffered its most fourth at both the 2019 IHF Men’s Youth World severe recession since the 1970s, resulting in the Championship and at the 2019 IHF Men’s Junior country having to be bailed out by the Europe- World Championship. Key players comprise Al- an Commission, European Central Bank and the fredo Quintana (goalkeeper), Diogo Branquinho IMF. Portugal is a developed and a high-income (left wing) and André Gomes (left back). country, with a GDP per capita of 77% of the EU28 average in 2017. Tourist attractions: Inextricably linked with the sea, the country has more than 800 kilometers of enticing Atlantic Ocean coastline. Lisbon, the capital city, enjoys a stunning location near the mouth of the River Tagus. Portugal’s National Handball Team Road to Egypt 2021: Portugal reached the 27th Men’s Handball World Championship after the cancellation Group F

71 Officially the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria Official language: Arabic Currency: Dinar Population: 43,900,000 (2020 estimate) Capital: Algiers Main cities: Oran, Constantine, Annaba, Tlem- Algiers Algeria cen, Mostaganem, Jijel

72 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th National Handball Team of Algeria

Brief History: Pre-1962 Algeria has known many 2020 African Men’s Handball Championship empires and dynasties and finally, the French Previous appearances: Algeria played in 14 World colonial empire. Algeria gained complete inde- Championships and they finished the 2001 tour- pendence following the March 1962 Evian agree- nament in the 13th place. ments and the July 1962 self-determination refer- ‘Les Fennecs’ have taken a step back in recent endum. Algeria has a semi-presidential republic. years, including missing out on the IHF World Location: It is bordered to the northeast by Tu- Championship since 2015. nisia, to the east by Libya, to the southeast by Ni- With French coach Alain Portes on their bench, ger, to the southwest by Mali, Mauritania, and Algeria are now back and look to proceed to the the Western Saharan territory, to the west by Mo- main round of the World Championship after rocco, and to the north by the Mediterranean Sea. failing to win a game in their last appearance. Economy: Algeria is classified as an upper mid- Mustapha Hadj Sadok, the 2020 CAHB Men’s dle income country by the World Bank. Algeria, African Championship all-star centre back will whose economy is reliant on petroleum, has been once again be the creative force behind Algeria. an OPEC member since 1969. Its crude oil pro- Goalkeeper Khalifa Ghedbane (goalkeeper), who duction stands at around 1.1 million barrels/day, left Vardar to move back to Spain, at Ademar but it is also a major gas producer and exporter, Leon, will surely boost his credentials before the with important links to Europe. World Championship. Tourist attractions: Algeria has a diverse land- scape and the best places to visit include: The Atakor Plateau, Ghardaia, Setif founded by the Romans and El Oued, nicknamed ‘the city of a thousand domes’. Algerian National Handball Team Road to Egypt 2021: Algeria booked their place in Egypt 2021, the 27th IHF Men’s World Cham- pionship after snatching the third place in the Group F

73 Officially Iceland Official language: Icelandic Currency: Króna Population: 364,134 (2020 estimate) Capital: Reykjavík Reykjavík Main cities: Kópavogur, Hafnarfjörður, Reyk- Iceland janesbær

74 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th Iceland’s National Handball Team Brief History: In the wake of the French Revo- Previous appearances: Iceland have made 20 lution and the Napoleonic Wars, Iceland’s strug- appearances in the World Championship, their gle for independence took form and culminated best achievement was in 1997 when they finished in independence in 1918 and the founding of in fifth place. a republic in 1944. Although its parliament (Alth- Strákarnir okkar, their nickname translated as ing) was suspended from 1799 to 1845, the island “Our Boys,” are coached by Guðmundur Guð- republic has been credited with sustaining the mundsson, who with a career spanning over four world’s oldest and longest-running parliament. decades, has been synonymous with Iceland’s Location: Iceland is the world’s 18th-largest best performances in handball, namely a silver island, and Europe’s second-largest island after medal at the 2008 Olympic Games and a bronze Great Britain. The island is situated in between medal at the Men’s EHF EURO 2010, was touted the countries of Greenland, the Faroe Islands and as a national hero in the small Nordic country. Norway, South of the Arctic Circle. Yet Iceland have never broken into the top 10 Economy: Iceland has a market economy as well of a World Championship since 2011 and, there- as the highest trade union membership in the fore, the Nordic side must bring something spe- world. Iceland joined the European Economic cial to the table if they are to replicate the sixth- Area in 1994, after which the economy was great- place finish of 2011. Key players include Aron ly diversified and liberalized. Pálmarsson (centre back), Björgvin Páll Gústavs- Tourist attractions: Deildartunguhver hot spring son (goalkeeper) and Alexander Petersson (right n West Iceland, Dyrhólaey cliff in South-Iceland back). next to Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, Europe’s largest glacier Vatnajökull and columnar basalt canyon Stuðlagil. Iceland’s National Handball Team Road to Egypt 2021: Iceland booked their place in Egypt 2021 after the cancellation of Europe- an qualifiers as they were ranked 11th at the EHF EURO 2020. Group F

75 Officially the Kingdom of Morocco Official language: Arabic Currency: Moroccan Dirham Population: 37,112,080 (2020 estimate) Capital: Rabat Marrakesh Main cities: Casablanca, Fes, Marrakesh, Morocco Meknes, Salé and Tangier

76 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th Morocco’s National Handball Team

Brief History: On 7 April 1956, France officially Previous appearances: The Atlas Lions made six relinquished its protectorate in Morocco. The appearances in the World Championship, start- abolition of the Spanish protectorate and the ing with their participation in the 1995 edition recognition of Moroccan independence by Spain while their best appearance was in 2001 edition were negotiated separately and made final in when they finished in the 17th place. the Joint Declaration of April 1956. Mohammed Morocco are one of the six African teams that V assumed the monarchy in 1957. will take part in Egypt 2021, the 27th IHF Men’s Location: It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to World Championship. It will be business as usual the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, with for Morocco’s coach, Noureddine Bouhadioui, as land borders with Algeria to the east and West- the ‘Atlas Lions’ are back at the IHF Men’s World ern Sahara to the south. Championship for the first time in 14 years. Mo- Economy: It has the fifth largest economy in Af- rocco have six World Championship appearanc- rica. The services sector accounts for just over es, the last in 2007, all under Bouhadioui. half of GDP and industry, made up of mining, Finding that perfect mix between the experience construction and manufacturing, is an additional of the generation of Soufiane Idir (centre back) quarter. The industries that recorded the highest and Rezzouki Reida (right wing), Ryad Lakbi (left growth are tourism, telecoms, information tech- wing) will be the key to unlocking Morocco’s nology, and . best World Championship performance. Tourist attractions: The bustling and vibrant buzz of Marrakesh city, the Hassan II Mosque, Rabat’s Oudaias Kasbah neighborhood and Chef- chaouen, in the beautiful Rif Mountains. Morocco’s National Handball Team Road to Egypt 2021: Morocco secured their Egypt 2021 ticket by finishing sixth at the 2020 CAHB Men’s African Championship in January. Group F

77 Officially the Kingdom of Sweden Official language: Swedish Currency: Swedish Krona Population: 10,377,781 (2020 estimate) Capital: Stockholm Main cities: , Malmö, Uppsala, Sweden Linköping

78 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th National Handball Team of Sweden Brief History: Sweden is a constitutional monarchy and 11 medals, they rank alongside France as the most decorated a parliamentary democracy, with legislative power vested team at the IHF Men’s World Championship, having won in the 349-member unicameral Riksdag. Sweden joined four titles, three silver medals and four bronze. the European Union on 1 January 1995, but has rejected On a global level, at the World Championship and Olym- NATO membership, as well as Eurozone membership fol- pic Games, Sweden’s last big successes came within an lowing a referendum. 18-month period, as they placed fourth at the home World Location: It borders Norway to the west and north, Finland to Championship in January 2011 then clinched the silver med- the east, and is connected to Denmark in the southwest by a al at the 2012 Olympic Games in . In 2018, Sweden bridge-tunnel across the Öresund Strait. made it to the European championship final for the first Economy: Sweden is the sixteenth-richest country in time since 2002, the last year they won the trophy. There, the world in terms of GDP per capita. Sweden is an ex- they were defeated by Spain, but the result showed that the port-oriented mixed economy. Timber, hydropower and current team, largely unchanged since the EHF EURO 2018, iron ore constitute the resource base of an economy with is capable of success at the top level. a heavy emphasis on foreign trade. Sweden’s engineering In recent years, Sweden have been reasonably consistent, sector accounts for 50% of output and exports, while tele- placing sixth at the 2017 World Championship and then communications, the automotive industry and the phar- fifth at Germany/Denmark 2019. At the Men’s EHF EURO maceutical industries are also of great importance. Agri- 2020, they fell from their previous ranking, but still finished culture accounts for 2% of GDP and employment. in the top 10, securing seventh. Tourist attractions: With its rich history and varied land- Egypt 2021 will be the first major international championship scapes, Sweden is a traveler’s paradise. Stockholm is often leading Sweden for new head coach, former Norwegian in- referred to as the Venice of the North Skansen, the world’s ternational Glenn Solberg. Key players include Jim Gottfrids- oldest open-air museum, is a historic village made up of son (centre back) and Andreas Palicka (goalkeeper). houses and farmsteads from all over Sweden. The Vasa Museum in Stockholm is Sweden’s most popular museum. Sweden’s National Handball Team Road to Egypt 2021: Sweden booked their place in the 27th Men’s Handball World Championship after the can- cellation of European qualifiers, as they ranked seventh in the Men’s EHF EURO 2020. Previous appearances: Sweden has made a massive 24 ap- pearances, and they have lifted the trophy in 1954, 1958, 1990, and 1999. Sweden have been fighting to return to the top of the global rankings for many years, following a period as one of the most prominent sides in men’s handball history from the mid-1980s to the turn of the millennium. With Group G

79 Officially the Arab Republic of Egypt National language: Arabic Currency: Egyptian Pound Population: 100,075,480 (2020 estimate) Capital: Cairo Sphinx & Giza Main cities: Giza, Alexandria, Luxor, Aswan, Sharm el-Sheikh, Port Said, Suez, Marsa Alam Pyramids Egypt

80 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th Egypt’s National Handball Team Brief History: Modern Egypt dates back to 1922, when it team results over the last years and how their players are gained independence from the British Empire as a monarchy. progressing on an individual level, 2021 may be just the cul- Following the 1952 revolution, Egypt declared itself a republic, mination of perfect circumstances needed for the World and in 1958 it merged with Syria to form the United Arab Re- Championship hosts to see a noteworthy result. public, which dissolved in 1961. Egypt’s long and rich cultural Yehia Elderaa and Yahia Omar were joined in that All-star heritage is an integral part of its national identity, which has Team by the more seasoned left back and right endured, and often assimilated, various foreign influences. wing Mohammed Sanad. With such an All-star Team show- Egypt is a founding member of the United Nations, the Non- ing, it is little wonder Egypt were able to reclaim the African Aligned Movement, the Arab League, the African Union, and title from Tunisia, celebrating what was their seventh con- the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. tinental championship trophy, and with that booking their Location: Egypt is a Mediterranean country and a trans- place at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. continental country spanning the northeast corner of Afri- More recent additions to the squad, under coach Roberto ca and southwest corner of Asia by a land bridge formed by García Parrondo, are members of the African Champion- the Sinai Peninsula. ship winning side include 2019 youth world champions: Economy: With one of the largest and most diversified econ- Ahmed Hesham (MVP at 2019), Hassan omies in the Middle East, which is projected to become one Walid (top scorer and All-star left back at North Macedo- of the largest in the world in the 21st century, Egypt has nia 2019), as well as 2019 IHF Men’s Junior World Cham- the third-largest economy in Africa, the world’s 40th-largest pionship bronze medallist Seif Elderaa, whom Hesham and economy by nominal GDP, and the 19-largest by PPP. Walid also played alongside at Spain 2019. Leading the team Tourist attractions: Home of the ancient Pharaohs, Egypt is a is right back Ahmed Elahmar. dazzling destination of temples and tombs. Beach lovers head With two talented goalkeepers rounding out the mix, to the Sinai to soak up the sun, while archaeology fans will 32-year-old Karim Hendawy and the fast-rising have a field day in Luxor. Cairo is the megalopolis that can’t talent of 24-year-old Mohamed El-Tayer, the be beaten for city slickers, while Siwa oasis and the southern squad seems to have the perfect mix of ex- town of Aswan offer a slice of the slow pace of the countryside. perience, youth and depth often seen Egyptian National Handball Team in the top teams. Road to Egypt 2021: Egypt will host the 2021 IHF Men’s World Championship after having won the 2020 African Men’s Hand- ball Championship. Previous appearances: Egypt have made 15 World Champion- ship appearances, securing their best-ever fourth place finish back in 2001 held in France. Egypt are one of the top-tier handball teams in Africa, having won the African Handball Championship six times. When a nation bids to host a major international event, part of the hope is that their own team will be able to put Group on a strong showing that does the championship justice. Looking at the Egypt men’s national G

81 Officially the Czech Republic Official language: Czech Currency: Czech koruna Population: 10,693,939 (2020 estimate) Capital: Prague Prague Main cities: Brno, Ostrava, Pilsen Czech Republic

82 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th Czech National Handball Team Brief History: In the 19th century, the Czech lands when the finished in the sixth place at the 1996 Euro- became more industrialized and were part of the First pean Championship as well as beating the tournament’s Czechoslovak Republic following the collapse of Aus- runners-up Croatia at the 1995 World Championship. tria-Hungary after World War I. After the Munich Czech Republic have failed to qualify for major cham- Agreement in 1938, Nazi Germany systematically took pionships on several occasions as they only made six control over the Czech lands. Czechoslovakia was res- appearances in the World Championship. They gave tored in 1945 until 1 January 1993 when it dissolved with their best performance in the World Championship its constituent states becoming the independent states in 1995 edition when they finished in the eighth place of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. alongside participating 10 times in the European Cham- Location: It is located in central Europe. Czech Republic pionship. is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Before the Czech Republic became independent in Poland to the north, and Slovakia to the east. 1993, the Czechoslovakia national team won five World Economy: The Czech Republic has a developed, high-in- Championship Medals between 1954 and 1967 and qua- come export-oriented social market economy based on lified for every World Championship between 1954 and services, manufacturing and innovation. The Czech Re- 1993. public participates in the European Single Market as a Czech Republic, under coach Jan Filip return to the member of the European Union and is therefore a part IHF Men’s World Championship for the first time since of the economy of the European Union. The Czech Re- 2015, as they look to improve their 17th place at Qatar public has an economy that ranks 7th in the 2016 Eco- 2015. Czech Republic have only won once in five ga- nomic Complexity Index. The industrial sector accounts mes against Egypt, with all encounters taking place at for 37.5% of the economy while services account for 60% the flagship event of men’s handball, the World and agriculture for 2.5%. Championship. That win happened in the Tourist attractions: Prague boasts an inordinate num- group phase at Germany 2007 and ber of excellent attractions including Prague Castle. The could not have been closer, with a Czech countryside include many excellent national par- final score of 31:30. ks and conservation areas, such as Bohemian Paradise and Podyjí National Park. Czech National Handball Team Road to Egypt 2021: Czech Republic reached the 27th Men’s Handball World Championship after the cancellation of European qualifiers as they came in the 12th place in the Men’s EHF EURO 2020. Previous appearances: Czech Republic made six appearances in the World Championship and Group they made their best performance in 1995 when they finished in the eighth place. Czech Republic had their most G successful era in mid-1990s, 83 Officially the Republic of Chile Official language: Spanish Currency: Peso Population: 19,027,721 (2019 estimate) Capital: Santiago Main cities: Valparaíso, Concepción, Temuco, Santiago Rancagua conurbation Chile

84 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th Chile’s National Handball Team

Brief History: Spain conquered and colonized the With Chile’s nomination, all 32 teams for Egypt region in the mid-16th century. Chile gained in- 2021 are now confirmed. Egypt 2021 will be Chile’s dependence from Spain in 1818. On 26 June 1945, sixth IHF Men’s World Championship appear- Chile participated as a founding member of the ance, and sixth in a row, after the South American United Nations and is member of the Organiza- nation made their debut at Sweden 2011. tion of American States since 1948. Chile will join Egypt, Sweden and Czech Repub- Location: Chile borders Peru to the north, Bo- lic in Group G at Egypt 2021 and will have the livia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and honor of opening the championship, against the the Drake Passage in the far south. host nation in the Cairo Stadium Sport Hall on Economy: Chile is a World Bank high-income 13 January. economy. As of 2020, Chile ranks third in Lat- The 27th IHF Men’s World Championship is in America in nominal GDP per capita. Cop- Chile’s sixth consecutive and overall participa- per mining makes up 20% of Chilean GDP and tion in the pinnacle event following their debut 60% of exports. Escondida is the largest copper in 2011, and they will do so fresh from their best mine in the world, producing over 5% of global ever ranking. supplies. Overall, Chile produces a third of the After four World Championships where Chile world’s copper. Historically agriculture is one of placed between 21st and 23rd, they jumped to the bases of Chile’s economy. 16th in 2019, thanks to some great performanc- Tourist attractions: Among Chile’s most import- es in the preliminary round. Key players in- ant natural areas are the spectacular Torres del clude Erwin Feuchtmann (left back), Ro- Paine National Park, Valley of the Moon, the Chil- drigo Salinas (right back) and Emil ean Lake District and Lauca National Park. Feuchtmann (centre back). Chile’s National Handball Team They are coached by Ma- Road to Egypt 2021: IHF nomination teo Jesús Garralda. Previous appearances: Chile made only five appear- ances in the World Championship starting 2011. The IHF Council has nominated Chile to rep- resent the South and Central America Handball Confederation (SCAHC) at the 2021 IHF Men’s World Championship, set to take place in Group Egypt from 13 to 31 January. G

85 Officially the Republic of Slovenia Official language: Slovene Currency: Euro Population: 2,100,12 (2020 estimate) Capital: Ljubljana Main cities: Bled, Koper, Celje

Bled Slovenia

86 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th Slovenia’s National Handball Team

Brief History: One of the successor states of the venia will ever forget the way they clinched the former Yugoslavia, Slovenia is now a parliamen- bronze medal versus Croatia at France 2017 – af- tary republic and member nation of the Europe- ter trailing by seven goals into the 44th minute, an Union, United Nations, and NATO. an incredible comeback propelled the Slovenians Location: It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to to a 31:30 victory. the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the Despite that historic result, Slovenia failed to southeast, and the Adriatic Sea to the southwest. qualify for the 2019 World Championship and Economy: The is small, open had to watch from home. Now, as one of the and export-oriented. The main economic driver best four teams of the EHF EURO 2020, they feel for the country is the services industry, followed confident enough to play for the medals once by manufacturing and construction again at Egypt 2021. Tourist attractions: Popular tourist destinations Slovenia’s individual skills and their proficient include the historic cities of Ptuj and Škofja Loka, collective work add to their capacity to overcome and several castles, such as Predjama Castle. The difficult game situations. Key players are Jure northeastern part of the country is rich with Dolenec (right back), Blaz Janc (right wing) and spas, with Rogaška Slatina, Radenci, Čatež ob Blaz Blagotinsek (line player). Ther are coached Savi, Dobrna, and Moravske Toplice growing in by Ljubomir Vranjes. importance in the last two decades. Slovenia’s National Handball Team Road to Egypt 2021: Slovenia reached the 27th Men’s Handball World Championship after the cancella- tion of European qualifiers, as they ranked fourth at the Men’s EHF EURO 2020. Previous appearances: Slovenia have made eight previous appearances, with a third-place finish in 2017 standing as their best performance. It’s been almost four years since Slovenia climbed the podium for the first time at an IHF Men’s World Championship. No handball fan in Slo- Group H

87 Officially the Republic of Korea Official language: Korean Currency: Won Population: 51,736,224 (2020 estimate) Capital: Main cities: Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Sejong, Ulsan, Gwangju, Gangwon Busan Republic of Korea

88 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th National Handball Team of Republic of Korea Brief History: After World War II, Korea was di- Championship in Kuwait – it was their best rank at vided into Soviet and U.S.-administered zones, with the continental event since 2012 and earned them a the latter becoming the Republic of Korea in Au- spot at Egypt 2021. gust 1948. In 1950, a North Korean invasion began Previous appearances: Republic of Korea have made the Korean War and after its end in 1953, the coun- 11 previous appearances in the World Champion- try’s economy began to soar, recording the fastest ships, with their best performance in 1997, finishing rise in average GDP per capita in the world between in eighth place. 1980 and 1990. Republic of Korea have had a storied history, start- Location: It is a country in East Asia, constituting the ing with their 1988 achievement as the first non-Eu- southern part of the Korean Peninsula, and sharing a ropean team to reach the final at the Summer Olym- land border with North Korea. pic Games in Seoul, where they took silver. Korea, Economy: It is a highly developed country, ranking as whether in the red southern shirts or their 2019 the third-highest country on the Human Development united-with-their-northern-neighbors shirts, have Index in Asia. It is a member of the OECD’s Devel- appeared 11 times in the World Championship, opment Assistance Committee, the G20 and the Paris with their best result in the 1997 edition in Japan, Club. Its economy ranks as the world’s tenth-largest when the finished in eighth place. They have won by nominal GDP. Its brands are internationally fa- the Asian championship nine times, a record no mous and garnered it a reputation for its quality elec- other team has broken. tronics and other manufactured goods. Kim Jin-young (right back)is among the key players Tourist attractions: Korean tourism is driven by and the squad coach is Kang Il-koo. many factors, including the prominence of Ko- rean pop culture such as South Korean pop mu- sic and television dramas, known as the Korean Wave or (Hallyu), has gained popularity through- out East Asia. Other attractions include Haeundae Beach, often dubbed one of the country’s most fa- mous and popular beaches. Korean National Handball Team Road to Egypt 2021: Republic of Korea were run- ners-up last January at the 2020 AHF Men’s Asian Group H

89 Officially the Republic of Belarus Official language: Belarusian Currency: Ruble Population: 9,408,400 (2020 estimate) Capital: Minsk Main cities: Gomel, Mogilev, Vitebsk, Grodno, Mir Town Brest Belarus

90 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th National Handball Team of Belarus Brief History: In the aftermath of the Russian Rev- Previous appearances: The White Wings made four olution in 1917, different states arose competing for appearances in the World Championship and their legitimacy amidst the Civil War, ultimately end- best ranking was in 1995 when they finished in the ing in the rise of the Byelorussian SSR, which be- ninth place. came a founding constituent republic of the Soviet Missing the 2019 World Championship was the Union in 1922. The parliament of the republic pro- price Belarus had to pay for renewing their side. claimed the sovereignty of Belarus on 27 July 1990, Two years later, their young prospects are experi- and during the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Be- enced enough and the team are eager to present a larus declared independence on 25 August 1991. fresh face to the world. Location: It is bordered by Russia to the east and 25-year-old right wing Mikita Vailupau, one of the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, most promising players of the new generation, was and Lithuania and to the northwest. Belarus’ top scorer at the EHF EURO with 47 goals Economy: It is the world’s 72nd-largest economy and a shot efficiency of 75%. The wing is playing by GDP based on purchasing power parity (PPP), his second EHF Champions League season with HC which in 2019 stood at $195 billion, or $20,900 per Meshkov Brest. capita. As of 2018 Belarus ranked 53rd out of 189 Unlike Vailupau, line player Artsem Karalek and countries on the UN , left back Uladzislau Kulesh competed at the 2017 and appeared in the group of states with “very high World Championship in France at only 20 years development” old. But their age did not matter as Karalek was the Tourist attractions: One of the landmarks of the team’s top scorer with 37 goals and Kulesh netted in capital city is Independence Avenue that cross- 17 times. The squad coach is Yuri Shevtsov. es Minsk from the center to the north-east. The ave- nue is famous for its architectural ensemble built in the Stalin’s Empire Style in the 1950s. Other attrac- tions include the neo-Gothic Red Church was built in 1910 by order of aristocrat Edward Woyniłłowicz. National Handball Team of Belarus Road to Egypt 2021: Belarus reached Egypt 2021 after the cancellation of European qualifiers, as they finished in the tenth place at the Men’s EHF EURO 2020. Group H

91 Officially the Russian Federation Official language: Russian Currency: Russian Ruble Population: 146,751,300 (2020 estimate) Capital: Main cities: , Novo- The Kremlin sibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Nizhny Russia Novgorod, Chelyabinsk and Samara

92 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th Russian National Handball Team Brief History: Following the dissolution of the pionship 13 times, won the title in their first ap- Soviet Union in 1991, the Russian SFSR recon- pearance in 1993, and in 1997 as well. stituted itself as the Russian Federation and is The team of the Russian Handball Federation recognized as the continuing legal personality experienced a more than frustrating Men’s EHF and a successor of the Soviet Union. Following EURO 2020 campaign. They placed 22nd af- the constitutional crisis of 1993, a new consti- ter losing their three preliminary round games tution was adopted, and Russia has since been – versus Hungary (25:26), Iceland (23:34) and governed as a federal semi-presidential republic. Denmark (28:31). Following the team’s unsatis- Location: It is a transcontinental country, located factory results at the continental competition, in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia and border- coach Velimir Petković took over, replacing Edu- ing 16 sovereign nations. It extends from the Baltic ard Koksharov. Sea in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east, and Centre back Dmitrii Zhitnikov is one of the Rus- from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Black sian Handball Federation Team’s key players. Sea and the Caspian Sea in the south. The 30-year-old MOL-Pick Szeged playmaker Economy: Its economy ranks as the eleventh-larg- gives the coach plenty of possibilities since he est in the world by nominal GDP and the sixth-larg- can also adapt to the left back position. Zhit- est by PPP. Russia’s extensive mineral and ener- nikov is a fierce shooter who contributed 33 gy resources are the largest such reserves in the goals at the 2019 World Championship. On the world, making it one of the leading producers of right wing, the team count on the expertise of oil and natural gas globally. Daniil Shishkarev. The 32-year-old claimed two Tourist attractions: Russia hosts the world’s ninth-great- EHF Champions League titles with HC Vardar est number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In 2020, before signing for Hungarian powerhouseTele- tourism accounted for about 4% of country’s GDP. Ma- kom Veszprem HC. jor tourist routes in Russia include a journey around the Golden Ring theme route of ancient cities, cruises on the big rivers like the Volga, and journeys on the fa- mous Trans-Siberian Railway. Russia’s most visited and popular landmarks include Red Square, the Peterhof Palace, the Kazan Kremlin, the Trinity Lavra of St. Ser- gius and Lake Baikal. Russian National Handball Team Road to Egypt 2021: An IHF Wild Card Previous appearances: Russia took part intheWorld Cham- Group H

93 94 Letter from Cairo, Issue 36th 95