“This is the first time our club has played a game outside of Europe and we feel privileged to be here, as it is important for handball to be showcased outside of Europe as well. We know there are a lot of PSG fans in Japan and this will be a great opportunity for them to discover the handball section of our club,” said team manager Thierry Omeyer at the opening press conference.
For the players, the time was divided between training and games as well as activities meant to reinforce the team bond ahead of the season. They visited Tokyo, but also went to PSG’s football games as well as local baseball games. Some of them wandered around the famous Shibuya crossing while others went out to meet young handball players in high schools.
Off the court, the players were visibly delighted to start the preparation in a completely unusual environment.
“We were really happy and honoured to be there. This week was a wonderful experience, really different compared to what we are used to. We tried to enjoy Japan and Tokyo the best we could,” summed up captain Luka Karabatic at the end of the week.
Most of the Paris Saint-Germain had had the opportunity to travel to Japan for the Olympics in 2021, but due to Covid-19 restrictions, they could not enjoy the local culture.
This time, all of them made up for lost time, as Nikola Karabatic confirmed: “It was frustrating not to be able to get out during the Olympics, to enjoy such a specific culture. This week, we tried to have things moving in the right direction on the court, but also off the court, enjoying our trip and meeting our fans, for example.”
The oldest of the Karabatic brothers made his return to the court after a six-month absence due to phlebitis. If he lacked rhythm after remaining in the training hall for such a long time, he showed promising things in the second game against the Japanese national team, where he scored five goals across 30 minutes.
