Cuban Handball Team (men)
Havana, Jan 13 (ACN) With a 29-27 victory over Slovenia's RK Gorenje Velenje Club, the Cuban national handball team (men) ended today the preparation matches for the World Championship of the discipline, which from January 14 to February 2 will be hosted by Denmark, Norway, and Croatia.
According to the team's technical staff, the Caribbeans, who will debut this Thursday precisely against the Slovenians, played a more organized and tactical game than the three they have played since they arrived in the Croatian city of Umag, where they accumulated a tie, a loss, and a win.
Jover Hernández, technical director of the Antillean squad, sent to the field as the starting seven for the last test Magnol Suárez in goal, the wingers Dariel García on the left and Victor Sandoval on the right, as a center back he opted for Christopher Selles, pivot Eduardo Valiente and the wingers Ronaldo Almeida and Frank Cordiés.
The group, with 16 players from European leagues, obtained its first victory after a 33-goal draw against Algeria in the first friendly, on January 7, and a one-goal defeat against Club RK Porek of the Croatian Premier League.
Cordiés, a 24-year-old player who has represented the senior national team since 2016, valued that the team showed solidity and coordination in attack, defense, retreat, and counterattack.
This Tuesday the Cuban squad arrives in the Croatian capital, the venue of the matches in Group G, which the Antilleans share with Slovenia, Iceland, and Cape Verde.
As a goal in the global competition, the representation of the North American, Central American, and Caribbean area seeks to advance to the second phase of the tournament, the team's coaching staff confirmed today, for which they must overcome the African team of Cape Verde in the match scheduled for January 20.
The team from the largest of the Antilles will face the Slovenians, fourth at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, in the opening match of the group on January 16; on the second matchday, they will compete against Iceland, who qualify for the 14th consecutive time to the most important men's event of this sport.
In total, the Cubans have taken part in seven World Cups and achieved their best result in the Egypt 1999 edition with an eighth place, when they lost in the quarterfinals to Sweden, the eventual champion.
