Handball: Women’s national coach Groener:”Wanting to be at the top of the world”.

25 days after the end of the quarter-finals at the World Championships, Henk Groener, the new women’s national coach, has started his work with enthusiasm and clear goals.

He wants to establish the team “on a long-term basis at the top of the world”, said Michael Biegler’s successor at his official presentation in Stuttgart on Thursday:”We want to play fast, attractive and successful handball,” Groener will make his obligatory debut at the European Championship qualifiers in March.

Groener will initially supervise the DHB’s selection until the Olympic Games 2020 in Tokyo. The Dutchman was the DHB’s preferred candidate and had already been appointed as Biegler’s successor before the World Cup.

“We want to take the next step with him,”DHB President Andreas Michelmann said on Thursday. Groener could make his way to the top of the world “with our women”.

The long-standing Dutch national coach, who had successively led the Oranje women to the top from 2009 to 2016, prevailed in an internal casting against renowned male competitors.

“It is a great task and a great challenge,”said Groener. He is pleased to lead the German team “to where the Dutch are now”. The Netherlands recently won bronze at the World Cup in Germany.

Groener, who played 208 international matches for the Netherlands himself, also has extensive experience in men’s handball. Among other things, he supervised the TV Emsdetten in the 2. Liga and coached the Dutch national team.

Biegler had stopped after the home World Championships at his own request and has been working since the 1st World Championships. January 2018 for the Men’s Bundesliga club SC DHfK Leipzig.