GB Ace Europe-Bound After Signing New Deal

GB winger Kelsi Fairbrother will play for top Danish side Esbjerg this season after securing a contract following exhaustive trials this summer.

The 21-year-old described her new job as a ‘dream come true’ this week, as she prepared for what looks set to be an exciting season.

Esbjerg finished sixth in the Liga last season, and qualified for European handball, where Kelsi hopes to play against some of the top names in the sport.

She began her trial period with Esbjerg in July, and attended several camps and team-building sessions with her new colleagues - including air sea rescue and fire fighting!

“I now know how it feels to truly rely on someone else and fully trust them,” explained Kelsi, who has previously played in Denmark for TST Hjorring and Frederikshavn FOX.

“I think this has been the greatest team building I have experienced and has really helped in getting to know the other players and show my capabilities and qualities under pressure, I think I see a career in fire fighting!”

As well as playing at such a high level so early in her career, Kelsi will also be working with renowned coach Jan Paulsen who has close links with Great Britain coach Jesper Holmris.

“I really appreciate the confidence and trust that Jan has shown by taking me into his team,” added Kelsi. “I have known and respected him since arriving in Denmark and meeting him as one of the coaches at the Academy in Aarhus.

“He has been great to work with so far, making training both hard work and fun and I am sure I will develop further under his guidance.”

Kelsi is now training hard to establish a regular spot in the team, and is already dreaming of playing European handball.

“It’s hard to imagine right now what it will feel like to face some of the best players in the world, players I have watched on TV, admired and aspired to be,” she said.

“But at some point this season I hope to stand on court and be one of the them, I'm hoping to give the best display I can and justify why I am here, not only to others watching but to myself!

“It’s also a great chance to show the rest of Europe that GB players can cope and deal with this level - the best league in women's handball!”

Great Britain U21s Head to Poland

GREAT Britain Under-21s head to Poland next week for the latest in a busy summer of action for the young squad.

Several triallists look set to attend the five-day camp, which will include a four-team tournament against senior clubs from the second tier of Poland’s league system.

After impressing at the Partille Cup, Savehof playmaker David Kaeling will attend, as will England under-18 playmaker James Higgins. And a goalkeeper from Germany may also attend for coach Bill Baillie to run the rule over.

“I think we’ve got the 18-man squad we want to work with now,” said Baillie, pictured. “The Partille Cup in Sweden was good experience, and we used the Cell Cup in Hungary to give some of the UK-based players chance to show what they can do, because we had our five top players out for that event.

“Players like Jack Hennessey and Josh Hampson really stepped up and proved their potential, but there’s room for others to do the same in Poland.”

Budding Olympic Officials: Training Starts Here!

PREPARATIONS are well under way for the first National Technical Officials (NTOs) meeting to be staged in Nottingham on September 4/5 - and if you’re planning to go along you need to confirm your attendance by this Friday, August 20.

The meeting is the first of several being staged around the country by Olympic Handball Competition Manager Alex Gavrilovic, with the aim of building a team of British officials for the 2012 Olympics in London.

The first session is on September 4 from 12-3pm, and is an introductory NTO (Statistician) training session. Then from 3-6pm, there is an introductory NTO (Table Official) training session.

This session for budding table officials will be repeated the following morning, Sunday September 5, from 10-12.

Sunday also sees the traditional Nottingham Pre-Season Tournament take place from 10am-7pm, which will include eight teams, 16 matches, and a great chance to see some top domestic handball action.

The workshops will include theory and simulated practical opportunities, and in addition participants will officiate and/or shadow officials at the Tournament on Sunday.

If you’re attending please reply to alex.gavrilovic@london2012.com stating which sessions you will be attending.

GB Ace Relishing Liverpool Challenge

INTERNATIONAL handball ace Kathryn Fudge is preparing to return to her native North West as the Great Britain team get ready to play host to Italy, Portugal and Switzerland in a Four Nations Tournament at the Echo Arena in Liverpool from September 23-25.

Fudge, a 20-year-old left back from Bury, has fond memories of the Echo Arena, having scored there against Finland to help Great Britain reach the qualifying round of the 2010 European Championship.

“Playing in Liverpool will be special for two reasons,” she said. “The last time we played there we won and qualified for Europe. It was one of the biggest wins ever for a GB handball team.

“And secondly playing in the North West is a real home match for me being from Bury. It allows for my family to be able to come and watch, and also so all my old friends can come too which is just brilliant.

“I have lots of friends coming and for them this will be the first time they have
seen handball, and so will be amazing for them to actually see what I'm doing first hand.

“The tournament itself will be interesting and close. We’ve already beaten Portugal this year, so this could be a really good tournament for us.

“And it’s a great chance for us to play some good handball and promote the sport to people from across the North!”

Great Britain will play Portugal in their opening match on September 23, and then go on to play Switzerland on September 24 and Italy on September 25.

Kathryn has ten international caps for Great Britain, and will be keen to get back into international action after missing the final two Euro 2010 matches against Austria and France through injury.

She plays her domestic handball in Norway for Asker, near Oslo.

Tickets are available from the Echo Arena Box Office 0844 8000 400 / http://www.echoarena.com/

Wanted: Olympic Handball Manager

DO YOU want to play a key role in the handball competition at the London 2012 Olympics?

If so, you may be interested in applying for the newly-created role of Handball and Goalball Services Manager.

The post is based at the offices of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) at Canary Wharf in London, and is a unique chance for the right candidate to get involved in a home Olympics.

The two sports of handball and goalball have been combined, because the two take place at different times, but use the same facilities and venue.

The job advert states that: “The Handball and Goalball Event Management Team’s responsibilities include planning and organising the handball and goalball competitions and developing the competition schedules; providing sports specific input into the briefs for competition venue design, planning and management; identifying and providing sports specific input into the briefs for venue design; planning and management of training venues; and planning and conducting the Test Events.”

If you think you are right for the job, you can apply here

Life in the Fast Lane for GB Pivot McDermott

GREAT Britain handball star Chris McDermott has been picked to receive a bursary from the Jaguar Academy of Sport, and recently attended a presentation day and celebration of the next generation of top British sporting talent.

McDermott, from the Wirral, was one of 35 athletes from several sports to attend the day at the glamorous Hurlingham Club in Fulham, where he was presented with his bursary from the Jaguar Academy of Sport before getting to tour the venue and try out several top of the range Jaguars for size as part of a major luxury and supercar show.

A key part of the Great Britain handball team which is aiming to compete at the 2012 Olympics in London, McDermott’s bursary award will help him chase his dream of reaching the games.

The 21-year-old pivot, whose previous clubs include Essen in the German Bundesliga, recently signed a four-year contract to play in Slovenia.

“It’s great to have this support from Jaguar,” said McDermott. “It was a great day and really good to meet so many other sportsmen and women, and some sporting heroes too.

“It was an amazing day, and I got to sit in some fantastic cars - including a Bond car!”

Williams Presents Awards

GREAT Britain handball captain Ciaran Williams attended the Rochdale Borough Sports Awards, presenting prizes to some of the country’s top sportsman and women.

Back home in the UK during the off-season, Williams was one of several top sports stars asked to present awards, alongside Rochdale FC manager Tony Ellis, 2008 Paralympic gold medallist Heather Frederiksen, junior archery champion William Taylor and Mayor of Rochdale, Zulfiqar Ali.

Williams presented the award for Sports Achiever of the Year, which went to sailor Matthew Mee who has won a string of national and international events in the last year.

Matthew was away training and could not attend the awards, but his dad Roger received the award from Williams on his son’s behalf.

WANTED: Games Makers!

THE time is now!

If you want to volunteer to help make the London 2012 Olympic Games the best ever, you need to sign up NOW to make sure you don’t miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity.

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) has launched their Games Maker Programme, which aims to make sure that everyone who wants to play a part can do so.

People who have already expressed an interest in helping with the handball competitions can apply now to formalise their interest, while the scheme for general volunteers won’t be opened until September 15.

For more details about the Games Maker programme, click here