Seven years ago the British Olympic Association determined it would have a team in every sport at the London 2012 Olympic Games. One sport in which it had not done so previously was Handball but over the weekend Men’s and Women’s teams took their place and in many ways became the stars of the opening couple of days of competition.
Now the Irish Olympic Handball Association is setting down a similar path by launching ‘Green Giants’, a talent transfer programme to bring in players who are currently involved in GAA, Rugby, Basketball and other sports.
Players drawn to the programme will be battling it out for the chance to win one of two reserved spots for Green Giants in the Irish squad for the 2013 European Championship qualifiers against Estonia and Belgium.
Four of the Team GB players who took to the court in London, including the captain, came through the similar Sporting Giants programme headed by Olympic legend Steve Redgrave which began in Britain six years ago.
“We have some very good players in the current Irish squad but we think that we can supplement our existing squad with additional talent,” said Irish Head Coach Toni Gerona, also of FC Barcelona. “It’s no secret that the Irish team are not the biggest in Europe, but pound for pound we give our best. We believe there are players out there in basketball, rugby and Gaelic games who can be successful in handball”.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to represent your country in a sport that perfectly suits the Irish sports psyche,” added Irish Olympic Handball Association General Manager, Lúcás Ó’Ceallacháin. “It is fast, skillfull and physical.”
“We have a huge pool of untapped talent in other sports who could make a significant contribution in Olympic Handball for their country. Handball is a hugely enjoyable sport with a professional player pathway similar to rugby in Europe. This is a chance for the right candidate to live the dream and play for Ireland”.
Handball is known in Ireland as Olympic Handball to differentiate it from Gaelic Handball as played in alleys around the country.
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