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Juri Knorr was one of the best players on the DHB team against Qatar
Photo: JANEK SKARZYNSKI / AFP
First game, first victory, albeit hard-fought: The German handball players got off to a perfect start in the Handball World Championships in Poland and Sweden.
The opening duel against Qatar was won by national coach Alfred Gíslason 31:27 (18:13).
In Katowice, Poland, the German team put in a strong performance, especially in the first half, led by 22-year-old playmaker Juri Knorr, who scored a total of eight goals and was the best German thrower.
Goalkeeper Andreas Wolff was also one of the best.
In the other preliminary round games on Sunday and Tuesday (both 6 p.m.), the DHB selection meets Serbia and Algeria, which are rated strong this year.
Only the bottom of the group is eliminated, the top three in each group qualify for the main round.
More about the mode and the schedule can be found here.
The DHB selection went into the half-time break with a five-goal lead, but after the restart it dropped.
Qatar, who were even runners-up in the world in 2015 thanks to international players they bought, were now two goals behind and put the German team under pressure.
The young German team has to go through these weak phases again and again, recently you could see those phases in the friendlies against Iceland.
Goalkeeper Wolff helped with a few saves that the DHB selection remained in the lead - but it got closer and closer.
In the 50th minute Qatar shortened the lead to 25:26.
Now that the game was completely open again, the German team showed themselves to be much more secure.
Now the DHB selection made the victory perfect.
In the final seconds, Wolff left the hall limping;
a diagnosis was initially not available.
The DHB selection was last world champion in 2007 at the World Cup in their own country.
At the last World Cup 2021 in Egypt, the German team did historically poorly with twelfth place.
This year she only has outside chances in the fight for the title behind the top nations Sweden, Denmark and France.
Jan
