The Women’s Handball World Cup has barely started when the first trouble begins. The background is the tight schedule, with the hosts from Norway, Sweden and Denmark doing well.
“The organizer always gains advantages,” complained the Swedish coach Per Johansson, who looks after the Netherlands, to “Aftonbladet”.
Oranje have the worst travel schedule, the shortest time between games and the toughest route to the semi-finals. “We are not putting ourselves in the fetal position, but have decided to come to terms with it and distance ourselves from it,” Johansson made clear.
The coach wants to ensure that similar profits are made at the 2025 World Cup in the Netherlands. “Then we have to make sure that we use all possible advantages ourselves,” said the Swede.
Women’s Handball World Cup: More rest days for Norway
The Netherlands will play the group stage and intermediate round in Denmark before traveling to Norway for a possible quarter-final. The placement games, the semi-finals and the final will take place in Denmark again.
The Norwegians probably have the best game plan with two more days of rest than other favored teams. While Sweden and Denmark play every other day, Norway enjoys a two-day break between the first group phase and the intermediate round and, last but not least, before the semi-finals.
“It’s unfortunate,” said Sweden’s coach Tomas Axnér to Aftonbladet. The 54-year-old senses an “absolute sporting advantage” for Norway.
The schedule for a World Cup in three countries is a “bigger puzzle that needs to be put together,” but Norway has “won the lottery” with the game schedule.
So far, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands have won all games.