Doha: After a successful hosting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, all eyes are now riveted on the next major tournament Qatar will be involved with—the 28th World Men's Championship, to be hosted by Poland and Sweden from January 11 to 29, 2023. The country is in high hopes that the national handball team will yet again place Qatar’s name on the global map with their excellent performance at the competition.
The Qatari team qualified for the 2023 World Championship after topping the first group in the main round of the 2022 Asian Men's Handball Championship, which was held in Saudi Arabia last January, where they were crowned Asian Champions for the fifth time in a row after beating Bahrain 29–24 in the final.
The team, coached by Spaniard Valero Rivera, is arguably Asia's most successful, having won several titles, including back-to-back Asian Games gold medals (2014 and 2018) and an unprecedented five consecutive Asian Championships.
At the core of the team, which emerged finalists at the 2015 World Championship hosted on home soil, are players who have spent nearly a decade playing together, resulting in the development of a strong bond and understanding both on and off the court, which has contributed to their success in no small measure.
Chief among the veterans for the guys in maroon is Rafael Da Costa Capote, the 35-year-old left-back who currently plays for Al Duhail.
For nearly a decade, the 6 feet 7 inch tall player has contributed significantly to the team's success, appearing in 67 games and scoring 269 goals.
"What can I say? It has been a great journey so far for me. "From the silver medal at the 2015 World Championship in Qatar, to the Olympics Games participation, to being Asian champions for a record five times, and hopefully waiting for more to come, it has been a roller-coaster of a journey, and I’ve enjoyed every bit of it," the soft-spoken player told The Peninsula.
Capote expressed his gratitude for the opportunity given to him to wear the maroon colors of Qatar, and to be a part of the success story of the team over the years.
"Wearing the colors of Qatar is a thing of pride, and I count it a privilege to be able to compete at the top levels for the country. It has always been a good experience to have the chance to compete at such high levels as the World Championship, and I try to enjoy it as much as I can," he said.
He noted that though the team has a very difficult group, their aim is to advance and reach the second round and take things further from there.
"We believe we have all it takes to qualify from our group, and we are mentally and physically prepared to achieve our aim. "All things being equal, success will be ours at the end of the day."
Qatar were drawn in Group E, along with three-time World Champions Germany, two-time bronze medalists Serbia, and seven-time African champions Algeria.
Capote noted that the team is preparing very hard to arrive at the tournament in the most optimal condition, with several friendlies lined up for them.
"We’ve played some friendly games in the last few months, and we are also planning to play some more. For example, we will be playing against Egypt this month and then play two other friendlies with Montenegro on January 3 and 5 in Doha before traveling to Poland," he added.
Speaking about his on-court motivation, Capote, a father of two, noted that his family remains his number one source of motivation and the drive that keeps him going, besides the love he has for the sport.
"I’ve been lucky to be married to the love of my life, who is also a player. She understands me perfectly and gives me the necessary support. My children have been wonderful as well, and they are the reasons I want to keep on winning more medals."
On his plans for the future, Capote, who idolized Serbian handball legend Nenad Peruničić as a kid, said he looks forward to being a coach after retiring from the game.
"I'm right now finishing a trainer course that I have started last summer in Spain. I don’t see a future away from handball because it is my passion. I will forever be linked with the sport," he said.
The 2023 World Championship will be the ninth for the Qatari team, after Portugal in 2003, Tunisia 2005, Germany 2007, Spain 2013, Qatar 2015, France 2017, Germany, Denmark 2019, and Egypt 2021, while the second place in the Qatar 2015 edition was their best result in the history of their participation.
