Olympic Handball in Ireland

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In Ireland handball is played just in a small number of areas by a few teams. We hope to encourage teams from all over Europe to come to Sligo in May 2002 to support our efforts in fostering handball here. Thus we are ambitious to make

                             'Focus Europe 2002'

Our aim in the project is to

• bring a good standard of youth-handball to Ireland to give our players a better impression of the game
• encourage young players in Ireland to pick up the game
•  organise an enjoyable event for the guest teams

In Ireland, the game of handball is an ancient game. Played by hitting a small rubber ball (like a squash ball) in a court (like a squash court, but a little larger). It is played, using bare hands. Hence we must re brand our game and call it "Olympic Handball', linking to the participation of teams handball in the Olympic Games since 1972.

Our project is based on the idea of funding friendship and contacts beyond outside Ireland

We want to organise the event in a way of fostering international contacts for the communities/schools/clubs. Local groups will host the guest teams for the period of their stay. Having in mind the situation of other events organised in various places all over the continent, we find that often there are lots of teams in one place at one time but contacts are very minimal especially to the local people. We intend to make a difference. Thinking about local communities hosting the teams, that would mean, the players are in families for a couple of days while they meet all players from all other teams in the competition anyway.
This should give the possibility to find new friends and contacts in Europe, which offers the chance to become a regular destination of (not only) youth exchange journeys.
The role of the SOHA in that process would be to help to make contacts, to give information  and support in the preparation process, to coordinate the entire program and to organise the tournament.
The situation for the local group would be open to find their own program with their guests around the tournament itself – with any requested support given from the SOHA .
 

We will announce the project to all the national associations in the European Handball Federation – and in handball circles/media as wide as possible.
However it is recommended to contact us as soon as possible to enable the process of organisation that includes the local and the guest club.
 

We hope to keep the cost of the tournament as low as possible. Obviously transport costs are not avoidable for teams from Europe, however there are a few cheap and a few expensive ways to come to Ireland. We may be helpful with tips if necessary.
The stay in the communities has to be worked out financially in contact between the local group and the guest team. In any case the entire project is based on a 'non-profit-basis' [though financial benefits are very welcome for our further building project].
The cost of running the tournament will be shared by all participants with an expected amount of 35 Euro  per team.