Bang at the DHB women: Antje Döll will lead Germany’s handball players to the year of the home World Cup as the new captain.
The 36-year-old left wing of HB Ludwigsburg takes over the office of Emily Bölk and Alina Grijseels and will celebrate their premiere in a new role in the international dub-playing trial against the Olympic second France on Thursday in Trier (6.30 p.m.) and on Saturday in Besancon (6:00 p.m./both DF1).
Gaugisch: “Experienced player”
National coach Markus Gaugisch, who, unlike Grijseels, did not appoint the Bölk to the squad for the games against France, hopes for the change of fresh tailwind for the World Cup in late autumn. “In the course of our analysis, we decided to set new impulses on the way to the home World Cup. We informed Alina and Emily in advance in discussions”said Gaugisch: “Antje is a very experienced player who exudes a great calm and has been a fixture in the national team for years.”
Döll: “A huge honor”
Döll, who, as Vice Capitans Xenia Smits (HB Ludwigsburg) and Katharina Filter (Brest Handball/FRA), has been playing in the national team since 2017. The 2008 U20 world champion scored 252 goals in 97 international matches. “I am very happy about the trust. It is a huge honor to be able to lead the team on the way to the home World Cup as a captain on and off the record”said Döll. The Duo Bölk/Grijseels was named the captain of the DHB selection under Gaugisch’s predecessor Henk Groener.
“The main goal of all our strategic considerations is that we create a structure within the team that we can use to go more clearly towards home World Cup”, said DHB sports director Ingo Meckes: “Therefore, we deliberately decided to go with a captain in the future instead of going towards the home World Cup with a duo.”