Humans of Beach Handball
Everyone has their own story and beach handball players are no different.
Juggling their daily lives and 9-5 jobs with travelling around Europe and using up their holiday to play beach handball, the beach elite have some of the most compelling stories in sport.
Humans of Beach Handball aims to give the players the opportunity to tell their tales of life at the beach.
From players who have met future partners at competitions to athletes who have gone on to star in the EHF Champions League, some of the most recognisable names in the sport are put in the spotlight.
These are their stories.
Emese Toth
After 15 years’ involvement in beach handball, Hungary’s Emese Toth is considered as one of the world’s best defenders. And after so many years, Toth understands what it takes to be successful and to stay at the top level.
PEDRO PEREIRA
GRD Leça president and head coach Pedro Pereira has dedicated his life to beach handball. As someone who is guided by the principles of his grandparents and parents, seeing their struggle and sacrifice made him have a fighting spirit but always with respect for everyone.
LINE BERGGREN LARSEN
Starting your beach handball career with a gold medal is not something many experience, but that is how it was for Denmark's Line Berggren Larsen, who kick-started her international career by winning the gold medal at the EHF Beach Handball EURO 2019.
ALEXANDER NOVAKOVIC
One of the driving forces behind the resurgence in German beach handball, who went from youth coach to turning the Germany women's team into world beaters. But it would not have happened had he not been in the right place at the right time.
Vladimir Fidalgo
A railway worker and beach handball player. Passionate about sport in general, active life and social responsibility, Vladimir Fidalgo is a true example of longevity in handball at the highest level.
Martin and Johan Gomér
The twin brothers from Sweden who are now among the most recognisable and respected faces in beach handball, as one of the best referee pairs in the sport.
Patrik Vizes
Many handball careers have broken down because of injuries or disappointing results. The Hungarian Patrik Vizes went through both, but rather than fall away, his tenacity got him crowned in 2023 at both the EHF Beach Handball EURO 2023 and ebt Finals 2023.
Melanie Fuglsbjerg
Danish player Melanie Fuglsbjerg came late to beach handball, but achieved much as a player and is continuing to give back as a coach.
KRISTOFFER HENRIKSEN
A handball player for almost his whole life, Norwegian Kristoffer Henriksen fell in love with the beach version a decade ago and has since won MVP awards and finished as top scorer at the very biggest events. And he still has time for indoor handball and an everyday family routine.
Daniela Mendes
Portuguese player Daniela Mendes has overcome obstacles to forge a hugely successful beach handball career.
Meike Kruijer
A young talent who has already achieved more in the sport than most seasoned competitors achieve in a whole career. Meike Kruijer is travelling the world, collecting top-scorer awards and still has time for friends, family and her demanding studies.
DITTE VIND
One of the heroes of the Danish women’s team golden performance at Beach EURO 2019, goalkeeper Ditte Vind remembers the feeling of being crowned champion in what was her first ever competitive beach handball tournament – and how the sport has touched her heart.
HUGO MADERA
He’s one of the most successful and recognisable beach handball stars of all-time – but what makes Hugo Madera tick? The Spaniard with the biggest smile in the game opens up in his Humans of Beach Handball story how he got involved in the sport and how its taken over his life. From meeting his future wife at a beach event to dreaming about the future, Hugo reveals all in his own unique way.
ROMAN KALASHNIKOV
Mention beach handball to any player or fan and first name that will come to their mind will be this guy’s. Roman Kalashnikov has dedicated his life to the sport – so much so he missed the birth of his daughter because he was away playing. From discovering beach handball at university to travelling the world, Roman explains what it’s like to be considered a beach handball legend.
JESPER KNUTSSON
If there's someone who cares more about beach handball than this guy we're yet to find them. Jesper Knutsson lives and breathes the beach. And when he's not playing or coaching he's busy indoor, also playing handball. Insane. However, after a decade of dedication to the sport, the Swedish captain now wants to pass on his wisdom to the next generation.
RENÁTA CSIKI
Everyone in beach handball knows Renáta. A 28-year-old European beach champion talked about her emotions and the energy she has for the sport. OVB Beach Girls' specialist revealed her sporting goals, and is not shy about the big apsirations of becoming the head coach of the Hungarian national team one day.
CATARINA OLIVEIRA
“I do not usually go to the beach by myself to soak in the sun, to enjoy the sea or the ocean, even if I live two blocks away from one in Matosinhos.” For a beach handball player, this surely sounds a bit anticlimactic. Or even quirky at times. But make no mistake, Catarina Oliveira loves the beach and especially beach handball. She has become one of the top players in Europe over her career, in spite of all the challenges she faced on her way there.
IVAN JURIĆ
Ivan Jurić has been a constant presence in beach handball since 2007 – both in club tournaments and national team events. The most decorated beach handball player of Croatia keeps on going after winning seven medals at EHF Beach Handball EURO events and six at IHF World Championships medals, plus gold from the World Games and numerous individual awards.
ASUN BATISTA
Asun Batista is always flying high – in her daily job as a cabin crew member and in her sports as one of the world’s best beach handball players. For the Spanish standout, beach handball is more than just a passion.
Martin Vilstrup Andersen
Talking for 20 minutes with Martin Vilstrup Andersen makes you understand what it is like to have a passion and to be willing to sacrifice everything for it.
Linnet Popping
“Life is about dreams, and dreams are there to be lived, right?” Linnet Popping might have started beach handball seven years ago, but her dreams have grown. Once an exclusive indoor player, she discovered beach handball, which was love at first sight.
Diogo Ferreira
Diogo Ferreira is synonymous with excellence and passion in the realm of beach handball. With tireless dedication, Ferreira thinks he has evolved a lot in recent years and has had the privilege of establishing himself as a prominent figure in this sport.
