European Masters throws off in Ljubljana
European Masters throws off in Ljubljana
The Slovenian capital will welcome masters teams from around Europe over the weekend 15-17 June 2012.
ŠD RD Slovan veterani, plays host to the European Masters Handball Championships, in conjuntion with the European Handball Federation, the Slovenian Handball Federation and City of Lubljana.
42 teams from 13 countries and over 800 participants and supporters will be in the city to take part in the competition.
This is the eighth European Masters Championships, with previous events have taken place in Vienna (AUT) in 2003, Granollers (ESP) in 2005, Györ (HUN) in 2006, Cracow (POL) in 2007, Malmö (SWE) in 2008, Randers (DEN) in 2009 and Berga (ESP) in 2010.
Hosts defend European title.
The hosts of the competition, ŠD RD Slovan veterani will defend their European title in the 35+ category won at the last European Championship in 2010.
The team also won the 35+ title in the European Masters Games in Lignano, Italy in September 2011.
The two-day tournament will be played in the categoies: women's (33+ and 43+) and men's (35+, 45+ and 50+).
The complete playing schedule can be downloaded here.
Stars returning to the court
The European Masters Championship has seen many of the stars of top-class handball return to the court including Enric Massip (former player with FC Barclena and Spain), Andrei Xepkin (FC Barcelona and THW Kiel, Soviet Union/Spain) and Andey Lavrov (Soviet Unior/Russia) to name but a few.
This year will be no different with players including:
Pavel Sukosyan (gold medallist at the 2000 Olympic Games),
Valerya Gopina (gold medallist in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul and the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona and gold medallist at the EHF European Championship 1996)
Andreya Tyumentseva (gold medallist in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul).
Venues
The event will be played in the following arenas:
Hala Tivoli (basketball hall – part of the complex that hosted the final weekend of the 2004 Men's EHF European Championship)
Slovan, Kodeljevo, Galjevica, Krim and the hall of the Sports Association in Jama za Bežigradom.
Offical webpage
The event can be followed over the weekend on the official website
