“We are small and incredibly fast.” This is how Bart Ravensbergen describes the strength of the Dutch handball team, which will compete in the European Championship to be held in Germany next week.
The goalkeeper, who is 1.90 meters tall and not too short, believes that getting to the main round and then playing an important role there is a realistic goal for the Dutch team.
“I think there are very few teams that want to play against us,” Ravensbergen said. “Where other countries use a lot of physical force, we do it quickly. This is a little out of character. “Our opponents know in advance that they have to run incredibly fast if they want to beat us.”
In the absence of Kay Smits, Netherlands big man Luc Steins also believes that the Dutch team is at a stage where they can beat almost anyone. “But we can still lose to everyone. We’re not good enough yet to win games based solely on class. Everything has to be right in every game.”
Ravensbergen and Steins know that what the Dutch handball players still lack is breadth of selection. Ravensbergen: “You need a wide range of selection, especially in a tournament like this where you have to play a lot of games.”
When asked how much the team will miss world star Smits, Steins says the Dutch team doesn’t have it yet. “So every player we have fewer players is really important. This really hurts.” Kay’s experience at the highest level is also very important in terms of preparation for matches off the field.”
In any case, the Steins are ready for the European Championship again. “I went through a period when I was very tired, but I got through it. “I am 100 percent ready to give my all.”
Nobody steps on the brakes
Steins, who is 1.73 meters tall, likes to play in the orange jersey. “We play a very fast game. I really enjoy it, I really enjoy it. Nobody applies the brakes here. “We are all doing our best.”
According to Steins, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain, the Netherlands should not think in boxes and play “unorthodox handball” to beat the leading countries. “We cannot play handball like the best teams. We do not have these qualities. Of course we make mistakes, but we also find the best actions.
There are around fifty game systems available for opponents to play in the Netherlands to remain as unpredictable as possible. “There are many, but we need this to surprise.” And these systems all have code names. Smits lists some of them as “Emmen, Drie, Kaatsen, Kaos”.
Olympic qualifying tournament
With all these systems of play, the Netherlands hope to surpass themselves and go far only in the final round, where the European Championship title is not at stake. You can also get a ticket to one of the OKTs taking place between March 14-17. A European country fighting for a place in the Olympics still has two places in the tournaments.
Spain, Sweden, Germany and Norway have already secured their place in the Olympic qualifying tournament based on their performance in the last World Cup. Denmark (world champions) and France (host country) are even sure of the matches.
It cannot be said in advance which final position will be sufficient for participation in OKT, but the Netherlands, which is in the top 10 in the European Championship, has a very high chance of getting a ticket.
Source: NOS
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
