World Cup in their own country and a title with HSG Blomberg-Lippe: national player Nieke Kühne has great dreams for the handball year.
There is currently a lot going on in Handball-Bleben by Nieke Kühne. With the HSG Blomberg-Lippe, she started the new season of the handball Bundesliga in early September. On Monday, the one-week course of the national team begins in Krefeld with two international matches against the Netherlands, which heralds the preparation for the handball world championship (November 26 to December 14) in their own country.
For a big party on the occasion of her 21st birthday last Tuesday there was not much time this time. “But we celebrated a little in training,” she reports in an interview with the WDR.
Optimal start of the season
Your focus is just focused on handball. The start of the season of the HSG Blomberg-Lippe was ideal for Nieke Kühne with two wins Against TuS Metzingen and the Buxtehuder SV. The HSG greets the league leader of the handball Bundesliga.
The big exam only comes. Saturday is the top game against the Thuringian HC, with which the HSG still has an open bill. In August, the supercup final was narrowly and annoyed. “It hurts a bit,” Nieke Kühne looks back.
Is it enough for a title?
The Supercup was not the only lost final. Also in the final for the German championship and in the final for the DHB Cup, the Lipperers pulled the shorter one, but each against the exception team from Ludwigsburg, which recently had to withdraw from the game after a financial collapse.
Would the path be clear for the HSG to finally get the longed -for title? “I think we can play a different role. We have the quality of being at the top,” says the Wolfenbüttel native, but at the same time refers to hard competition from Dortmund, Thuringia and Bensheim/Auerbach.
Confident in the national team
The 1.84 m tall handball player with the national team does not yet play a leading role as at the HSG, where she is currently the best field scorer and still has a contract. After all, she has only been with the A team since October last year and has been used six times since then.
In their position in the left back room, the competition with the experienced Xenia Smits and Emily Bölk is large. “These are outstanding players, from whom I can learn a lot. But maybe I can also play with them if we act for four in the back,” says Kühne confidently.
Anticipation for full World Cup halls
The World Cup is still somewhat far away in November, but if you think of the games in the probably sold -out Dortmund Westfalenhalle with up to 11,000 spectators, the anticipation increases. “That inspires me. I enjoy such games the most when the family and friends are in the stands and the hall is full,” says Kühne, who is supported by the Bundeswehr as a sports soldier and started studying children half a year ago.
Nieke Kühne in the international handball against France
And of course she wants to contribute to the fact that it continues up than the last three large tournaments, in which a 6th place (WM 2023) and two 7th places (EM 2022 and EM 2024) jumped out for the national team. The final round in Rotterdam is now the big goal.
Now bold concentration is now applying to the top game against the Thuringian HC with the HSG and the two test international matches against co-host Netherlands on September 19 in Eindhoven and on September 21 (7 p.m., tickets still available) in the Krefeld arena.
Our sources:
- Interview with Nieke Kühne
