If the beach was there, the sun had decided to take a few days of vacation, Saturday June 22, near the Plaine des sports de Châteauroux. Despite these conditions, the French men’s and women’s teams put on a show, against Sweden and Poland respectively.
Indeed, beach handball, a still little-known sport, is extremely spectacular. Goals scored following technical gestures count double. This necessarily encourages players to score as much as possible using them. Likewise, a game is never truly lost. Each match is played in two halves, each worth one point. If there is a tie, the two teams must decide in a shootout session.
France : 1 (7)
Poland : 1 (6)
It was the women who got the ball rolling and they quickly took charge. The first half of this first act is dominated by the French women. Four minutes from the end, they lead by eight goals (14-6). The time out taken by the Poles will not change anything, France wins 24 to 8 and scores the first point.
Two indecisive and tense meetings
The second period takes a completely opposite path with Poland in the lead and in management. The Blues gave themselves a little hope of victory by coming back at the end of the second half but lost 15 to 18.
It is therefore the shootouts which decide between the two teams. After each failure, no one misses and woe betide the team that fails. Unfortunately for the visitors, it was Natalia Rogalska who failed first, allowing France to win with a score of 7 to 6.
The sheet
France : Blaise (12), Vigouroux (8), Falcon (6), Follet (4), Amelot (2), Floch Hubert (2), Perrot (2), Maurice (2).
Poland : Slezak (10), Herian (8), Sloga (8), Jezowska (2), Klarkowska (2).
French goalkeeper Arnaud Tabaran was decisive in the victory for the Blues.
© (Photo cor. NR, D. B.).
France : 1 (7)
Sweden: 1 (2)
For the men, the start of the match was very close. The two teams do not leave each other and are back to back after six minutes of play (10-10). It was at this moment that the Swedes made their effort, which allowed them to take the first point of the match with a score (18-22).
In the second act, the situation is just as tense. However, if Sweden remains slightly in the lead at first, the situation is gradually reversed. France finally takes the lead with two then four goals in advance. Thanks to this good end of the period, she won (25-18) and won the shootouts.
Unlike their female counterparts, the latter are much less stressful. If both teams score their first try, that’s when Arnaud Tabaran comes on the scene. Two shootouts stopped in quick succession allow us to breathe some fresh air. In attack, the team does the job and the Blues win 7-2 in this exercise.
The sheet
France : Yamdjeu (18), Dubois (13), Deschamps (4), Benezit (4), Claude (2), Quintin (2).
Sweden : Paldanius (18), Brandt (8), Jovic (6), Hulten (4), Knutsson (2).
