BY ARMSTRONG VAS
Doha: Organisation, preparation and desire - it may be a simple mantra, but it has taken hosts Qatar from unfancied underdogs of the 24th Men’s Handball World Championship to title contenders.
Having enjoyed a dream run at the championship, coach Valero Rivera’s (pictured) side will up against the might of reigning Olympic and European champion France when they clash in the final at Lusail Multipurpose Arena today at 7.15pm
The clash brings together one of the sport’s oldest powers against its newest. One is playing its maiden final, the first non-European team to do so, and the other eyeing its fifth title.
France last won in 2011 and are making their sixth appearance in the final. If they win today, they will be the first team to have won the World title five times. Qatar are only playing their fifth world championships, beginning in 2003 when they achieved their previous best finish of 16th.
A solid team ethic, built on the foundation of meticulous preparation and rigid organisation has helped Qatar upset the established pecking order.
The hosts has had its target set at the start of the championship – a place in the pre-quarter-finals, which they achieved comfortably, losing just one match in the group stage to Spain, out of the five.
From there on, the hosts have been buoyed by their success in the knockout matches against Austria, Germany and Poland to go for the gold.
And coach Rivera is the man responsible for the turnaround in Qatar fortunes.
The Spaniard is receiving praise from all over the world.
“What he has done with this team is simply incredible. He is a brilliant coach,” Nikola Karabatic, the French star said.
Rivera can become the first coach to lead two different teams to World Championship titles, after he was coach of Spain two years ago. The only similar achievement was made by Croatian Vlado Stenzel, who led Yugoslavia to the Olympic gold medal in 1972 and West Germany to the World Championship title in 1978.
France have stealthily cruised through the tournament, winning four of their five qualifying matches, remaining unbeaten and knocking out world champions Spain in the semi-finals.
Today’s final will be only the eighth time that a host of a World Championship is among the finalists. Earlier, Germany in 1938 and 2007, Sweden in 1954, France in 2001) and Spain in 2013 won gold on home ground, while German Democratic Republic in 1974 and Croatia in 2009 finished with silver. THE PENINSULA
Facts and figures for Qatar and France ahead of the 24th Men’s Handball World Championship final at Lusail Multipurpose Hall today.
Qatar
Competition records
World championship campaigns: 2003: 16, 2005: 21, 2007: 23, 2013: 20
Asian championship campaigns: 1991: 4, 2002: silver, 2004: bronze, 2006: bronze,
2012: silver, 2014: gold
Qualification for Qatar 2015: Hosts
Coach: Valero Rivera
Key players: Zarko Markovic, Danijel Saric
The road to the final: Ranked second in Group A after the preliminary round, 29-27 against Austria in the pre-quarter-finals, 26-24 in their quarter-final against Germany and 31-29 against Poland in semi-final
Final at World Championships: 1 (2015)
Best scorers after eight matches: Zarko Markovic 60 goals, Rafael Capote 42 goals
France
Competition records:
World championship campaigns: 1954: 6, 1961: 8, 1970: 12, 1990: 9, 1993: silver, 1995: gold, 1997: bronze, 1999: 6, 2001: gold, 2003: bronze, 2005: bronze, 2007: 4, 2009: gold, 2011: gold, 2013: 6.
Olympic campaigns: 1992: bronze, 1996: 4, 2000: 6, 2004: 5, 2008: gold, 2012: gold
European championship campaigns: 1994: 6, 1996: 7, 1998: 7, 2000: 4, 2002: 6, 2004: 6, 2006: gold, 2008: bronze, 2010: gold, 2012: 11, 2014: gold
Qualification for Qatar 2015: European Champions
Coach: Claude Onesta
Key players: Thierry Omeyer, Nikola Karabatic
The road to the semi-finals: winners of preliminary round Group C, 33-20 against Argentina in the pre-quarter-finals, 32-23 against Slovenia in their quarter-final and 26-22 against Spain in the semi-final.
Finals at World Championship: Six (including 2015)
Top scorers after seven matches Michael Guigou 33 goals, Guillaume Joli 30 goals
Final ranking 5 - 24
5. Denmark
6. Croatia
7. Germany
8. Slovenia
9. FYRO Macedonia
10. Sweden
11. Iceland
12. Argentina
13. Austria
14. Egypt
15. Tunisia
16. Brazil
17. Czech Republic
18. Belarus
19. Russia
20. Bosnia-Herzegovina
21. Iran
22. Saudi Arabia
23. Chile
24. Algeria
