Role model for many: On Friday (January 19, 2024) Joachim Deckarm will be 70 years old. The Saarbrücken native was considered the best handball player in the world at the time. Then a serious misfortune divides his life into a “before” and “after”. Nevertheless, Deckarm continues to inspire and move.
Almost 45 years after his world championship title, the handball world is honoring Joachim Deckarm. The former professional turns 70 today. His motto in life was always: “I want, I can, I must.” An attitude that reflects his will to live despite his hard blow of fate.
His sporting career began at the age of six in Saarbrücken, at TV Malstatt. There he first tried out gymnastics and athletics before moving to 1. FC Saarbrücken and discovering handball – the sport that would later make him a world star.
1978: Joachim Deckarm becomes world champion
He later moves to Bundesliga club VfL Gummersbach. With the club he became German champion (1974, 1975, 1976), Europecupwinner (1974) and won the European Cup Winners’ Cup (1978). In 1973 he became an integral part of the German national team, for which he appeared over 100 times.
The highlight of his career: At the beginning of February 1978, the then 24-year-old Joachim Deckarm won the team the Federal Republic of Germany became world champions. In the World Cup final they narrowly defeated the USSR 20:19. The 1.94 meter tall backcourt player is one of the key figures in the success: six of the 20 German goals in the final came from him.
“Second Life”: Tragic accident changes everything
In 1979 everything changed for him: a tiny moment divided his life into a “before” and “after”. Deckarm was injured in the Hungarian semi-final of the European Cup Tatabanya difficult. The backcourt player accidentally collides with his opponent in the air, immediately loses consciousness and falls with his head onto the concrete hall floor.
The diagnosis: a double fracture of the base of the skull, a tear in the meninges and severe brain contusions. Deckarm was in a coma for 131 days. Then he wakes up and it begins “second Life”, as he later describes it himself in his book. When the then 25-year-old came to, he had to learn practically everything again. With his “unbridled will to live”for which he was honored in 2009, he is fighting his way back.
On your 70th birthday: congratulations from Heiner Brand
Due to the sports accident, Deckarm will be dependent on help for the rest of his life. The now 70-year-old has been living in a care facility in Gummersbach since 2018. He never gave up on himself and is a role model for many people – both before and after his accident. The Saarland native wants people with a similar story “Encourage them to approach their fate correctly”.
Heiner Brand, former world champion trainer and one of Deckarm’s closest confidants, admires this attitude: “He never wavered, he was always fully involved.” Brand wishes his friend for the future, “that his health remains stable, that he has joy and that we can celebrate his 75th birthday together”.
Joachim Deckarm celebrates his 70th birthday in a small circle with family and friends. The day after there is a big party with 20,000 guests. On Saturday he will also keep his fingers crossed for the DHB selection in the European Championship main round game against Austria in Cologne.
Charity game in Saarbrücken: All-Stars play in honor of Deckarms
The following week A charity game is planned in his honor in his hometown of Saarbrücken. On January 25th, at the end of a big day of handball action, a top Saar team will meet a top-class team in “his” Joachim Deckarm Hall All Stars Team under the direction of Heiner Brand. Big handball names such as Marcus Baur, Dominik Klein and Saarlander Christian Schwarzer are among those taking part.
The game will live from 8:15 p.m. on SR television and is in Live stream can be seen on sportschau.de.
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