Top 10 handball players part 2

3. Daniel Narcisse

Born in the Re Union Islands Narcisse 35 years ago is one of the best players of his generation in team handball.

His main strength as a field player is his ability to jump very high, to the point of being able to score goals above interfering defense players. This ability has earned him the nickname of
Air France, in France as well as in Germany.

He currently plays for Paris Handball  after a successful stint at THW KIEL.

Right now Paris Handball has a star studded team including Nikola Karabatic, Luka Karabatic and Mikkel Hansen.

Narcisse in Action against Qatar

Achievements

international

He has been capped 264 times by France scoring 814 goals in total.

Olympic games gold 2008 and 2012.

World champion Gold, 2001, 2009 and 2015

World championships Bronze 2003 and 2005.

European Champion 2006, 2010,2014.

Personal Achievements

IHF World Player of the Year 2012

All star team European Championship 2008

Best of Narcisse video

4. Mikkel Hansen

This is a powerful player. One of the best left back players I have ever seen. Like Nikola Karabatic he uses his body strength and intelligence to pass through the defence.

He is only 28 but he has achieved a lot like playing for the best teams in Europe including Barcelona, GOG, AG København and currently at PSG handball.

He was named the IHF World Player of the Year in 2011 where he also finished Runner-up with the Danish national team in the European Championship held in Sweden.

He was the top scorer in the world handball Championship 2011 and then won the European championship in Serbia with Denmark in 2012.

Achievements

Individual Awards
IHF World Player     2011
Top Scorer of the World Championship: 2011
All-Star Left back of the World Championship: 2011
All-Star Left back of the European Championship: 2012 , 2014
Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the World Championship: 2013
All-Star Playmaker of the EHF Champions League: 2014 , 2015
Top Goalscorer of the EHF Champions League: 2011-2012
Honours

Danish Championship :
Winner: 2007, 2011, 2012
Silver Medalist: 2006, 2008
Danish Cup:
Winner: 2005, 2010, 2011
Finalist: 2007, 2008
Spanish Championship :
Silver Medalist: 2009, 2010
ASOBAL Cup:
Winner: 2010
Finalist: 2009
Spanish Supercup:
Winner: 2009, 2010
Spanish Cup:
Winner: 2009, 2010
French Championship :
Winner: 2013, 2015
Coupe de France
Winner: 2015

Best of Hansen  video 

TOP 10 HANDBALL PLAYERS IN THE WORLD

Top 10 players of Team Handball

1.  Domagoj DUVNJAK (Croatia)

Best of Domagoj DUVNJAK video

Age 28 years.

Croatian handball player who plays for THW Kiel. He became a member of the Croatian national handball team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing , China . On 26 January 2014, he was named the IHF World Player 2013 after leading unfancied HSV Hamburg to the EHF champions league trophy over favourites Barcelona Handball.

Being tall, 6 feet 6 inches he plays mainly as a centre but sometimes he can also play as a leftback.

Domagoj Duvnjak hails from Croatia and he has filled the boots of one of Croatia's best ever talent, Ivano Balic.

Career highlights:
German champion 2015
Supercup winner 2014 and 2015
Champions League winner 2013 with Hamburg
German champion 2011 with Hamburg
German cup winner 2010 with Hamburg
German super cup winner 2009 and 2010 with Hamburg
Croatian champion 2007, 2008 and 2009
Croatian cup winner 2007, 2008 and 2009
Croatia's handballer of the years 2012 and 2013
HBL player of the season 2012/2013
Handballer of the world 2013
6th place WC 2015
4th place Euro 2014
3rd place WC 2013
Bronze medal Olympics 2012
3rd place Euro 2012
5th place WC 2011
2nd place WC 2009
2nd place Euro 2008 and 2010
4th place Euro 2014
Voted into all star team WC 2013

2. Ivano BALIC.

Age 36 years.

He is currently retired from active playing. He is widely considered to be the best ever handball player.

He was voted 5 times in a row as the most valuable player in major international competitions, and is one of only two handball players who have received the IHF World Player of the Year award on two occasions (2003, 2006).

Read here

Statistics and honours

Liga ASOBAL                2004-05
Spanish Cup                  2012-13
Spanish Supercup         2005-06
EHF Champions League

Runner-up: 2005-06
Croatian Cup                      2002,                                                             2009                                    2010, 2011,                                   2012
Croatian League        2009, 2010, 2011, 2012

IHF Super Globe                  2012
National
Olympic Games          Gold: 2004
                            Bronze  :  2012
World Championship   Gold: 2003
                         Silver: 2005 , 2009
European Champion  Silver: 2008 ,        2010
                                 Bronze: 2012
Mediterranean Games  Gold: 2001

Balic skills

PROBLEMS FOR HANDBALL REFEREES IN KENYA

Most referee end up being good leaders of their Federations because they have that eye

 for analyzing every detail. They are able to decipher infringement of rules by players after alot of practice.

In those games they will make errors but as exposure and experience is gained the less mistakes they make. Because they can be able to handle complex problems from players they usually fit in easily in leadership positions.

Its the referees who will make sure there is continuation in the game as they retire. They will mould the upcoming referees. They teach them all the rules required and the tricks to follow.

A referee is important in a game just as the players. A motivated and well remunerated referee will do his work to perfection.

Motivated in the sense that his work is appreciated and he is given room for improvement. He is encouraged in whatever he is doing.

A well remunerated referee will do his work to perfection. You wouldn’t expect a referee to concentrate on his work while his family is without food or shelter.

A situation happened on Saturday and Sunday during NAKUSA games in Nairobi which made me feel sad about the state of the game in the country. A referee has to ref at least four games in a day and at the end of the day he is given 500 shillings(5 Dollars).

Is this money really enough even for fare? Will the referee feel motivated to come back the next day?

Will that referee encourage other upcoming ref to major in refereeing? 500 shillings can’t buy even food for two days and mark you the field was so dusty because of the dry season and the referee will end up getting a cold or flu or respiratory problems which may require medication.

What makes it sad is that the referee has been officiating high school games at the zonal level and the payments are better than for a university championship.

The officials are strange, there is no signing to show you have been paid which leads to suspicion that the officials are feeding on the sweat of the referees.

Since the referees are too timid to ask they just take the 500 shillings hoping that tomorrow will be better.

But is it better… Last year the payment was 1200 shillings(12 dollars)  per day and you had to sign somewhere. What changed…..

The referee keeps quiet hoping that one day he will get the answers. Some referees have part time jobs and someone may wonder why they don’t just go to remedial classes- for those who are teachers.

But for them it is the love of the game that drives them. 

Some games are FUN to watch

The blog will deal with sports especially team handball because am an enthusiast of the game. Having played it at an  amateur level,  in high school and in college where I was the team captain.
I  am a trained referee of the game. I ref regularly so am upto date on rules of the game. I  also coach high school handball because am  a teacher. Coaching  is a part time work where I  spend around two hours a week with the students.
Handball in Kenya is still an amateur game. The National league is a bit competitive but it is no surprise to find games being postponed or a team being given a walk over because another team did not honour the  fixture.
Because the league is amateur most games are played on a set weekend. It is no surprise to find a team playing four games in a weekend so as to minimize on the cost of traveling.

Some of the stories may appear here