DHB selection starts strong: 31:27 win against Qatar in the start of the World Cup!

DHB selection starts strong: 31:27 win against Qatar in the start of the World Cup!

The Handball World Championship has started with impressive opening games! Austria's national team beat Qatar 28:26 in the first match on January 16, 2025. Defense chief Lukas “Herbi” Herburger was full of praise for his team, who now played strongly after a bumpy preparation. He emphasized that every player was there for each other and that the team showed their “true colors”. krone.at reported.

On the other hand, the German national team also came up trumps by winning 31:27 against Qatar. Coach Alfred Gíslason was happy with the performance, especially in defense and in goal, where Andreas Wolff made some crucial saves. Juri Knorr, who stood out with eight goals, was named the best player of the game. Despite small phases of weakness in the second half, Gíslason's team did not let themselves be disturbed sport.bild.de reported. With this solid performance we now move on to face Serbia, one of the strongest opponents in the preliminary round.

Turbulent gameplay

Both teams fought hard overall, with Germany already leading 18:13 at halftime. A clear sign of the dominance in the first half was Wolff's impressive performance in goal and the variable attack directed by Knorr. However, Qatar remained close for long stretches and impressed with its fighting spirit. There were exciting scenes, especially in the final minutes, but the German defense and Wolff's strong saves prevented the Qataris from making a comeback and secured the victory.

The start to the tournament was promising for Austria and Germany and gives hope for an exciting continuation of the World Cup. Both teams have clearly stated their ambitions and are doing everything they can to be successful in the next games.