Olympic Jobs Up for Grabs!

IF YOU are yet to secure your place on the London 2012 Olympics organising team, why not apply for a number of Games Time paid roles which are now up for grabs?

This is a great opportunity to utilise your sport related skills and experience to help London put on the ‘Greatest show on Earth’.

Opportunities available in handball will include: Administration Group Leader, Official Services Group Leader, Sport Information Group Leader, Athlete Services Group Leader, Field of Play Group Leader, Training Site Group Leader.

Roles will start from spring 2012, although you may be required to attend a test event from 23 Nov 2011 to 27 Nov 2011.

Please access these roles directly through the London 2012 website.
www.london2012.com/get-involved/jobs/working-for-locog

Those selected at CV stage will be invited to attend a recruitment selection day as a first stage of the interview process.

If successful and offered a Games Time role you may also be required to attend a test event relevant to your sport Competition role.

If you are seeking to gain a secondment from your existing role to take up a Games Time Role we advise you start talking with your employer now.

Victories Mark Good End to GB Men's Summer Tour

TWO wins over tough domestic Spanish teams helped Great Britain men’s handball team finish their summer tour on a high in Lanzarote this week.

Tough stints in Turkey and Brazil saw the team gain huge experience of different styles and levels of handball, and they took those lessons forward into the final leg of the tour on the Canary Island.

GB took on ambitious Spanish Second Division team San Jose Obrero in their first match in Arrecife on Thursday, and after a slow start which saw them 15-16 down, they hit back well after the break to win 34-26.

That match marked a good debut for Simon Witlin (pictured), who plays in the First Division in Switzerland. Standing at 1.98 metres and weighting 111kg, Witlin made a real impact in defence alongside Robin Garnham and Steven Larsson and chipped in with a couple of goals.

Jesper Parker finished with a great 50 per cent save ratio in goal, while Nicholas Satchwell also did well with 42 per cent. Larsson top-scored with seven goals, while Seb Edgar scored six and Seb Prieto five.

And 24 hours later the team took on a Canary Isles Select team, which included some of the region’s top players, and performed well in a 39-29 victory.

"It was a good run-out for us,” said assistant coach Bill Baillie. “We really needed to stamp our authority on the game in the first 10-15 minutes so we didn’t feel under pressure for the rest of the game.

“We were up by 13 goals after the first ten minutes, so that enabled us to give all the squad a good run out.

“It has been a good finish to our summer tour to have two wins, but the main thing we have gained over the last month or so has been the experience we got in Brazil and Turkey.

“This squad has moved up a level as a result and we look forward to continuing that progression soon.”

GB Men are next in action at the end of August, when they will take part in a four-team tournament in France where they will play against teams from France, Denmark and Spain which include some of the best players in Europe.

GB Men Continue Summer Tour in Lanzarote

GREAT Britain Men are in Lanzarote this week on a training camp, and will play two matches against local Spanish sides as their Summer Tour continues.

The team were in Brazil last week, where they took on the Brazilian national side three times in a bid to gain experience of as many different styles of handball as possible.

Matches on Thursday and Friday will mark the last of the current tour which has seen the GB men play hosts Turkey before their Brazil stay.

There were plenty of positives to come from the tough matches against Brazil, who included several players with Olympic and World Championship experience in the team as they prepare for the Pan-American Games later this summer.

Long-term injury victim Bobby White (pictured) marked his debut as captain in the second match, almost a year to the day since he last played, with Brazil securing a 35-22 win, while GB were much improved in their third game and only lost 25-16 after a much-improved defensive display.

The GB Men return to their clubs across the world following the Lanzarote camp, and are next together at the end of August for a Tournament in France.

Improved Defence from GB in Final Brazil Clash

A MUCH-improved defensive display from Great Britain Men saw them compete with an experienced Brazil side for long periods, before going down 25-16 in their final friendly match in Sao Paolo on Thursday night.

Both captain Bobby White and Nicholas Satchwell were strong in goal and both had save ratios of around 40 per cent, while their team-mates were also strong in defence against a Brazil side which was unchanged from the one which beat GB 35-22 earlier in the week.

Chris Mohr (pictured) scored five goals for GB while vice-captain Steven Larsson added three, but their inability to convert more chances ultimately cost them the game.

Assistant Coach Bill Baillie said afterwards: “It was a much improved defensive display, but we were unable to convert the many clear chances we created, missing seven clear shots from six metres out and three fast breaks due to rushed shots and good goalkeeping.

“But it has been great experience for our young squad, which averages 23 years old, whereas the experienced Brazil side average over 27.”

The GB team will now return to London for a short time before heading out to Lanzarote for another training camp next week.

Brazil Clash Marks Captain's Return from Injury

NEW Great Britain handball captain Bobby White made his first start as skipper against Brazil on Tuesday, finishing the match with an impressive 34 per cent save ratio in his first competitive run-out in a year following hip surgery.

But White (pictured), from Milton Keynes, was unable to help his side to victory, with a strong Brazilian attack – assisted by World Championship veterans Silva and Nascimento - helping to secure a 35-22 victory.

“The first half performance was good and we created lots of chances,” said Assistant Coach Bill Baillie. “But we were unable to convert some and this cost the team as it did in the first game.

“The players need these minutes on the court if they are to become competitive and we will be ready for the third game.”

Despite still recovering from a stomach upset which ruled him out of training the day before the match, Steven Larsson top-scored for GB with six goals, while Chris Mohr added five and Seb Edgar three.

A knee injury ruled out John Pearce, but there was a first full international cap for Jack Hennessey.

GB are preparing to take on Brazil in the third and final game of the series on Thursday night, but have injury doubts over Chris McDermott (bruised ribs), Chris Mohr (thigh injury) and John Pearce (knee injury).

Battling GB Men Narrowly Lose to Brazil

GREAT Britain Men gave hosts Brazil a tough match in their opening friendly fixture on Sunday, drawing with them in the closing stages before eventually losing out 32-25 in Sao Paolo.

Nine goals from Chris Mohr helped GB give their hosts a shock, and with just eight minutes remaining the scores were all square at 21-21.

Brazil pulled away to victory in the final few minutes but knew they had been in a tough match, and GB will be looking to secure a win in their remaining two matches over the coming days.

Assistant Coach Bill Baillie said afterwards: “It was a good start to the series for us. We were competitive for long periods.

“It was a good all-round performance from the team and a good chance to experience a different style of handball.”

As well as Mohr’s nine goals, Mark Hawkins and Steven Larsson both scored five, while Nicholas Satchwell in goal had an impressive save ratio of 38 per cent.

GB will play Brazil again on June 7 and June 9 (midnight GMT each day), giving them plenty of chance to try different formations and learn from the experience.

GB Women v Finland: Pictures now online!

PICTURES from Great Britain Women's Euro 2012 victory over Finland are now available to view!

From the British Handball homepage, please click the "Gallery" link on the left to see the action from Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in London.

Thanks to Marek Biernacki, Michele Davison and Mathilde Friggieri for the photographs!

Alternatively, please go to www.picasaweb.google.com/britishhandball

GB Men Set for Brazil Series

GREAT Britain Men take on Brazil in the first of three friendly fixtures in Sao Paolo this afternoon (1530 GMT).

As part of their plan to gain experience of a wide variety of handball styles, GB are in Brazil for an eight-day training camp, and Assistant Coach Bill Baillie said: “The plan this year is to test ourselves against Asian and Pan-American teams, so going to Brazil will be very good for us.”

Following Sunday’s match, GB will play Brazil again on June 7 and June 9 (midnight GMT each time), giving them plenty of chance to try different formations and learn from the experience.

Head Coach Dragan Djukic has virtually a full squad to pick from, and Baillie added: “We’re injury free at the moment, with perhaps just one or two little niggles, but nothing serious.”

New captain Bob White is in Brazil and is back in action following recovery from hip surgery earlier this year, and Baillie added: “Bob White may see some action later in the week. The main focus is more on Nick Satchwell and Jesper Parker, but Bob will definitely play at some point.”

For their part, Brazil are just embarking on a new development programme for their handball side, and are working with a core group of new players rather like GB were a few years ago.

Following their matches against Great Britain, Brazil are also hosting Denmark, Norway and Portugal as they prepare for the Pan American Games in October.

Reports suggest they have three or four injuries in their squad, with those players unlikely to see action against GB as they try to recover in time for Denmark later this month.

Jubilant GB Progress to Euro 2012 Group Stages

A SECOND successive victory over Finland at Crystal Palace on Saturday evening gave Great Britain women a spot in the group stages of the 2012 European Championship.

Following Friday’s nine-goal win, GB made sure of their passage through to the next stage with a 27-20 win on Saturday.

They will now prepare to take on Russia, Montenegro and Poland home and away in six matches over the next year, and are under no illusions about the challenge ahead.

And leading the plaudits following an emphatic win was Sir Clive Woodward, the British Olympic Association’s Elite Performance Director, for whom the GB win was his first taste of live handball and prompted rave reviews afterwards.

"I thought it was fantastic,” he said afterwards. “The athleticism and physicality was very impressive and it was a great game to watch.

"Success starts from the top and British Handball really have the leadership and the organisation right and that filters down into the rest of the team.”

Meanwhile, Head Coach Jesper Holmris said: “The first half was fantastic – the best performance we have had so far.”

GB led 17-4 at half time, and Holmris added: “Finland played much better than they did in the first leg, but our defence was just amazing and Sarah Hargreaves in goal was awesome in the first half.

“Both Lynn McCafferty (pictured with Holly Lam-Moores) and Lyn Byl also played really well, but the whole team played their part.”

McCafferty was joint top scorer with seven goals alongside Kelsi Fairbrother, while Byl added four goals to help reach the group stages which begin with a match against Russia in October.

“Russia and Montenegro are two of the top teams in the world,” added Holmris. “It’s a tough group, but it’s just a great chance for us to play against those teams.”

GBR v FIN - Women's Euro 2012 1st Phase Qualification, Saturday 4th June Audio Commentary

Paul Bray commentating live from Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, London
First Half
Second Half (starts 5 mins in)

GB Women Secure Emphatic Victory Over Finland

A NINE-goal victory over Finland on Friday evening helped Great Britain women’s handball team put one foot into the group stages of the 2012 European Championship at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in London.

Their 31-22 victory came despite some periods of slack play, but overall will give GB great hope of progressing to the next stages of the competition, as long as they can win on aggregate following Saturday’s second leg against the Finnish side.

“The result is very good,” said Head Coach Jesper Holmris. “Especially as we didn’t play as well as we know we can.

“We started well and were 6-1 up after about ten minutes, but then we let Finland dictate and started to play their game, and our defence wasn’t as good as it can be.

“But in the second half we corrected a lot of our errors, and our wingers especially played well and scored from 13 of their 15 shots at goal. And Kathryn Fudge (pictured) had a very good performance in attack for us and top-scored with six goals.

"The win was more comfortable than we expected, but we should aim to perform better in the second leg. We always think that our own performance is more important than the result, and for that reason we will be looking to correct some mistakes tomorrow.”

Great Britain take on Finland in the second leg at Crystal Palace tomorrow (June 4) starting at 7.30pm. The match is the finale of a day of action which sees four England Handball Cup finals take place throughout the day.