Austria's handball pulls together in a gender-equitable manner

Damböck von den Fivers challenges the Harder again

The famous pulling together should be lived even more intensely in Austrian handball from now on. This is one of the reasons why a new overall appearance was presented on Monday. A common logo, a common corporate design from the regional league to the national teams should guarantee the sport a better public image in the future.

Gender equitable, of course – while a playing man is depicted on the logo of the men's league HLA, a woman throws on the logo of the women's league WHA. “This is to give expression to our ongoing efforts to create equal conditions for women and men,” says the new association president Markus Plazer, who was elected after the death of long-time president Gerhard Hofbauer in June and is clearly proud of his pioneering role.

With the alliance of HLA, WHA and the ÖHB association, Austria's handball season is about to have an eventful season. The highlights at a glance:

• Women's World Cup

For the first time since the 2009 World Cup in China, Austria's women's team is going to a major event. At the World Cup in Spain in December it will be against the hosts, the other two teams in the preliminary group have not yet been determined. At the same time, the European Championship qualification starts in autumn for the women's team, where they are outsiders against Denmark and Romania and favorites against the Faroe Islands.

• Men's European Championship

While the women end a twelve-year dry spell, the men have been at every major event since 2018. In January 2022, the European Championships in Hungary and Slovakia will meet Germany, Belarus and Poland. In the hammer group you will at least be able to fall back on the best player. Kiel legionnaire Nikola Bilyk is back from his cruciate ligament tear.

• New HLA mode

The men's league was expanded from ten to twelve clubs. Bad Vöslau and Bruck an der Mur are new. “That brings a breath of fresh air and is positive when handball is set up more broadly,” says West Vienna manager Conny Wilczynski. Fivers boss Thomas Menzl fears a sporting gradient and is more skeptical “because only the best should play in the best league and things should get down to business from the first round. But you have to give the whole thing a chance. “

In the twelve league there is a basic round with 22 rounds. For the top eight, the quarter-finals begin immediately, the upper and lower play-offs are history. For the last four there is a relegation round to avoid relegation. The favorite for the title is Master Hard with the new Icelandic coach Hannes Jón Jónsson.