Josefine Hanfland: Tirol's handball star looks full of anticipation for the home euro

Josefine Hanfland: Tirol's handball star looks full of anticipation for the home euro

The anticipation for the home euro 2024 rises noticeably, and for the only Tyrolean in the team, Josefine Hanfland, this major event has a particularly emotional value. In the interview, the 28-year-old talks about her impressive career, injuries, her motivation and the special importance of the event for you and your loved ones.

Josefine Hanfland was born in Schwaz and combines many beautiful memories with her hometown. "Schwaz is a handball city," she explains. Her father was a handball player herself, and her brothers also enjoyed this sport at school. Josefine wanted to emulate them and also started playing handball.

The way abroad

she trained with the boys before moving to Hypo Lower Austria as a teenager, since the framework conditions for women in Schwaz were not given. In 2015 she ventured abroad and signed at HSG Blomberg-Lippe, where she quickly recommended for a higher league. From 2019 she played at the Thuringian HC, where she became German champion in her first season and proudly says: "That was my most beautiful moment so far." On the defensive she is known for her combative style and describes herself as a "gussy girl" in the field, while she always meets with a smile.

The challenges of sport shaped them, in particular their cruciate ligament rupture in early 2022. "Sport not only brings joy with it, but also difficult times. After my first cruciate ligament rupture, I thought, this is normal, many athletes injure themselves. But the second was another matter. I was injured a year and a half and had great doubts as to whether I could come back. But there was no option for me," she explains.

The upcoming home euro

For Josefine Hanfland, the opportunity to play in front of a home crowd is particularly important. "It all started here. Many friends and my family will be there. I have never experienced that in my career because I was mostly abroad. This support will be very emotionally for me," she says, especially referring to the positive energy that she can draw from the area, especially during the game. "The mountain air is exceptional. After a hard season, I enjoy going for a walk in nature and just switching off."

The EM games in Innsbruck contain exciting encounters, including a meeting with Norway, the defending champion, as well as other challengers such as the Slovakai and Slovenia. "We want to inspire the country and trigger an euphoria, similar to the men. I hope that many girls find their way to handball," says Hanfland enthusiastically. The first step in the home euro takes place on November 28, 2024 when Austria meets Slovakia.

The euro bears the signs of Austria, Switzerland and Hungary as organizers from November 28 to December 15, 2024. Josefine Hanfland and her teammate are faced with the challenge of proving themselves against strong opponents while at the same time feeling the support of their homeland in the back. Further details can be found in a detailed report on this topic www.meinbezirk.at .