Handball's Coming Home!

PLANS to make handball the legacy sport of the Olympics in 2012 took a major step forward this week when British Handball signed an agreement to make Crystal Palace National Sports Centre their first High Performance Centre.

British Handball have struck a deal with GLL and Olympia Handball Club which will eventually see many of the national team players based at Crystal Palace and using GLL’s facilities to train and play.

Under the agreement national team players will stay on site, while GLL and their partners will try to find work placements for the athletes across the region.

And Crystal Palace will also become the home of Olympia Handball Club, with National League matches played there along with GB training camps and international fixtures.

Athletes will have the opportunity to work and gain qualifications through GLL’s numerous employment schemes. GLL will also become the British Handball ‘London Strategic Sports Partner’ and sponsor key matches.

In addition, Olympia will be engaging with the local community to increase awareness of the sport and to develop junior coaching at Crystal Palace.

“This partnership provides a real choice for our athletes to train and compete in a high performance environment not presently available to GB players in the UK,” said British Handball’s CEO Paul Goodwin.

“Until now they have had to learn their trade in more established handball countries. But this is the first phase of Project Homecoming where the players will be brought together in London ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games, and is a real example of Olympic legacy as the centre will provide for new British Handball talent to take us beyond 2012.”

And Tony Wallace from GLL added: “We are delighted to have established this partnership agreement with British Handball and the Olympia Handball Club and are extremely proud that Crystal Palace National Sports Centre will now be home to the High Performance Centre.”