– A bright spot in the era of the crown.

For many viewers, the Advent season has been saved: Denmark has agreed to host the European Handball Championship. The decision was wild.

Finally, the handball president’s mobile phone rang at his home in Kjerringøy. Kåre Geir Lio has been waiting for the message for many days, so that he can pass it on to coaches and players.

He knew that the Danish Handball Association (DHF) had called an emergency meeting on Sunday at 11. No decision was made that day. The DHF depended on the authorities agreeing to host the European Women’s Handball Championship.

Lio was nervous, but on Monday he was finally able to cheer.

– This was very good news, says Lio.

The coach of the national team, Thorir Hergeirsson, and his support team had already traveled to Denmark on Sunday. On Monday, the players came later, although eight of the 20 of the total squad live there on a daily basis. They play in Danish clubs. The rest of the staff are from Norway, Hungary and Germany.

– I would have understood if it was no, but I’m glad it was yes. The selfish part of me wants to play, says Stine Skogrand.

She is a Danish Herning-Ikast professional and has always been confident that a possible yes would include security around infection control. Nobody wants to be exposed to diseases. It will now be complete.

Originally, she, her partner and her son intended to celebrate Christmas in Bergen, if there had been a tournament there before the European Championship. That was the plan. But it also went to the sink, just as Norway was originally supposed to fix it in Trondheim.

– Now we have decided that we are going to celebrate Christmas here, he says.

Finally a championship for Dark

Over the years, Nora Mørk has won five championships due to injuries. The Vipers tinderbox and the national team were invited last Friday Late at night on TV 2, where he told what it was like to be on the sidelines.

He desperately hoped to play again. As recently as during the World Cup in Japan a year ago, I could hardly bear to watch Norway’s matches. She was not there.

If it had been a no now, it would have been a little easier to swallow, because not just her, but the entire team had to be home, she said.

Like her teammates, she is willing to self-quarantine. Players must do this when arriving in Norway again. If the team reaches the final, the return will be on December 21. That means isolation at Christmas.

Mørk said on the TV show that there will be no problem. For her, the European Championships mean much more, being able to play in a championship again.

He’s prepared

Norwegian Arne Senstad, who is the coach of the national team in Poland, told Aftenposten earlier this week that he thought the European Championships were in border countries. Now he comments it like this:

– Of course, we are very ready to play, although I still do not have a complete description of which of mine are ready. On Monday we will go through a new round of testing.

In a total squad of 35, Senstad has had 14 players with Covid-19.

– I don’t feel very comfortable with the situation. We still have players who are positive about the disease and who definitely cannot participate.

Senstad adds that the team will travel to Denmark on December 1.

Must have two training matches

Already on Wednesday and Thursday, Norway will play a couple of training matches against the host nation, before the championship begins on December 3.

The two test matches take place in Veijle, while the championship itself is organized in Herning and Kolding.

Something I look forward to

Lio is happy that there is a solution in the twelfth hour. He calls it “a bright spot in the era of the crown.”

– This is just joy, and I say it on our behalf, European handball and not least that handball now enters the thousands of homes in the run-up to Christmas. Now the Norwegians have something to look forward to every other day.

Telemarking knows that the championships at this time of year always bring many together in front of the screens. Up to 2.2 million viewers maximum. And he does not rule out that there may also be record figures this year. But a lot depends, of course, on Nora Mørk & co. doing well.

The final of last weekend before Christmas Eve, with a Norwegian team, will push the limits, both he hopes and believes.

In the last two championships, however, Norway have not been on the podium.

– We will correct that this time, says Heidi Løke.

The veteran is looking forward to playing in Denmark. She was a pro at Aalborg in her time, before returning to Larvik, then to Hungarian Györ back home to Storhamar and Vipers.

Unsure of your own journey

The handball president ensures that every effort is made to take into account all infection control considerations when it comes to players, coaches and support staff. He himself is not sure whether he will go to Denmark.

– In that case, it must be because it is useful for Norwegian handball and correct in terms of infection control assessments. Meetings can be attended from home.

– Is it correct to hold a championship when we know that many other things in society are closed and the pandemic is raging?

– Yes, because everything will be implemented with the infection control rules that are absolutely necessary. And it will be handball without spectators. It must be solid. And it is clear that the Danes have made that exchange.

– But should players be quarantined when they return home?

– Yes, we must comply with the rules that exist and the exceptions that apply.

– What does Norway do if a player is infected with a crown at the European Championship?

– Then that player is removed from the team and isolated. That is, it must be in quarantine. Of course, we follow the rules that Denmark has in this area. And the Norwegians when the team returns home.

EM December 3. Then Norway has their first match against Poland.

P.S. Two Norwegian players have had covid-19. Goalkeeper Silje Solberg and defender Veronica Kristiansen. They both play in Hungarian Györ.