2015 World Men's Handball Championship

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

2015 World Men's Handball Championship
Tournament details
Host country Qatar
Venue(s)3 (in 3 host cities)
Dates15 January – 1 February
Teams24 (from 4 confederations)
Final positions
Champions France (5th title)
Runner-up Qatar
Third place Poland
Fourth place Spain
Tournament statistics
Matches played88
Goals scored4,805 (54.6 per match)
Attendance306,100 (3,478 per match)
Top scorer(s) Dragan Gajić (SVN) (71 goals)
Best player Thierry Omeyer (FRA)[1]
Next →

The 2015 World Men's Handball Championship was the 24th staging of the World Men's Handball Championship, organised by the International Handball Federation (IHF). The final tournament was held for the first time in Qatar, from 15 January to 1 February 2015. The Qatari bid was selected over those of Norway, Poland and France after a vote by the IHF Council on 27 January 2011, in Malmö, Sweden.[2] This was the third time that the World Championship was hosted in the Middle East And North Africa, after Egypt in 1999 and Tunisia in 2005.

France won the final against Qatar 25–22 to win their fifth title,[3] a first in handball history while Qatar won their first ever medal.[4] Poland captured the bronze medal by defeating Spain 29–28 after extra time.[5] Denmark secured the fifth place by winning against Croatia which finished sixth and thus had the worst result in the past 13 years of international handball competing.

The competition was marred by numerous controversies throughout.

Venues

The games of the tournament were played in 3 cities: Doha, Al Rayyan and the newly created town of Lusail.

Three new venues were constructed for the tournament:

Lusail Al Rayyan Doha
Lusail Sports Arena Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena Duhail Handball Sports Hall
Capacity: 15,300 Capacity: 7,700 Capacity: 5,500

Qualification

Twenty-four teams participated in the final tournament. Qatar, as hosts and Spain, as world champions, were automatically qualified, which left 22 places available for the best teams of each continental qualification tournament and the winners of an additional European qualification competition.

In a decision taken by the International Handball Federation on 8 July 2014 the spot allocated for a nation from Oceania was revoked on the grounds that Oceania has no continental confederation. The national team, qualified for this spot through the 2014 Oceania Handball Championship, was Australia. The spot was instead handed out as a wild card to the nation with the highest ranking at the previous world championships not qualified for the Qatar tournament. This nation was Germany.[7] Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates withdrew on 7 November 2014.[8][9] Iceland and Saudi Arabia were chosen as the replacements.[10]

Competition Dates Vacancies Qualified
Host nation 27 January 2011 1  Qatar
2013 World Champions 11–27 January 2013 1  Spain
2014 African Men's Handball Championship 16–25 January 2014 3  Algeria
 Egypt
 Tunisia
2014 European Men's Handball Championship 12–26 January 2014 3  Croatia
 Denmark
 France
2014 Asian Men's Handball Championship 24 January – 4 February 2014 3  Bahrain[8]
 Iran
 United Arab Emirates[9]
2014 Oceania Handball Championship 25–26 April 2014 1  Australia[7]
European qualification 7–15 June 2014 9  Austria
 Belarus
 Bosnia and Herzegovina
 Czech Republic
 Macedonia
 Poland
 Russia
 Slovenia
 Sweden
2014 Pan American Men's Handball Championship 23–29 June 2014 3  Argentina
 Brazil
 Chile
Wildcard 8 July 2014 1  Germany[7]
Wildcards 21 November 2014 2  Iceland[10]
 Saudi Arabia[10]

Qualified teams

Country Qualified as Qualified on Previous appearances1, 2
 Qatar 00Hosts 27 January 2011 4 (2003, 2005, 2007, 2013)
 Spain 01World champions 27 January 2013 17 (1958, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013)
 Denmark Finalist of 2014 European Championship 22 January 2014 20 (1938, 1954, 1958, 1961, 1964, 1967, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013)
 France Finalist of 2014 European Championship 22 January 2014 19 (1954, 1958, 1961, 1964, 1967,1970, 1978, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013)
 Croatia Fourth of 2014 European Championship 22 January 2014 10 (1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013)
 Algeria Finalist of 2014 African Championship 24 January 2014 13 (1974, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2013)
 Tunisia Finalist of 2014 African Championship 24 January 2014 11 (1967, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013)
 Egypt Third place of 2014 African Championship 25 January 2014 12 (1964, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013)
 Bahrain[8] Finalist of 2014 Asian Championship 1 February 2014 1 (2011)
 Iran Semifinalist of 2014 Asian Championship 2 February 2014 0 (debut)
 United Arab Emirates[9] Semifinalist of 2014 Asian Championship 3 February 2014 0 (debut)
 Australia[7] Winner of 2014 Oceania Championship 26 April 2014 7 (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013)
 Poland European playoffs 14 June 2014 13 (1958, 1967, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013)
 Russia European playoffs 14 June 2014 10 (1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2013)
 Czech Republic European playoffs 14 June 2014 5 (1995, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2007)
 Austria European playoffs 14 June 2014 4 (1938, 1958, 1993, 2011)
 Sweden European playoffs 15 June 2014 21 (1938, 1954, 1958, 1961, 1964, 1967, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2011)
 Slovenia European playoffs 15 June 2014 6 (1995, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2013)
 Macedonia European playoffs 15 June 2014 3 (1999, 2009, 2013)
 Belarus European playoffs 15 June 2014 2 (1995, 2013)
 Bosnia and Herzegovina European playoffs 15 June 2014 0 (debut)
 Brazil Finalist of 2014 Pan American Championship 28 June 2014 11 (1958, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013)
 Argentina Finalist of 2014 Pan American Championship 28 June 2014 9 (1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013)
 Chile Third at 2014 Pan American Championship 29 June 2014 2 (2011, 2013)
 Germany[7] Wildcard 8 July 2014 22 (1938, 1954, 1958, 1961, 1964, 1967, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 19903, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013)
 Iceland[10] Wildcard 21 November 2014 17 (1958, 1961, 1964, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1986, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2013)
 Saudi Arabia[10] Wildcard 21 November 2014 6 (1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2009, 2013)
1 Bold indicates champion for that year
2 Italics indicates host country for that year
3 From both German teams only East Germany was qualified in 1990

Draw

The draw was held on 20 July 2014 at 21:30 local time in Doha, Qatar.[11][12]

Seedings

The seedings were published on 11 July 2014.[13]

Pot 1 Pot 2 Pot 3 Pot 4 Pot 5 Pot 6

Squads

Each team selects 16 players for the tournament.

Referees

18 referee pairs are selected:[14]

Preliminary round

The schedule was published on 21 August 2014.[15][16] A new schedule was released on 12 December 2014.[17][18] The top four teams from each group advanced to the knockout stage.

Tie-breaking criteria

For the group stage of this tournament, where two or more teams in a group tied on an equal number of points, the finishing positions will be determined by the following tie-breaking criteria in the following order:[19]

  1. number of points obtained in the matches among the teams in question
  2. goal difference in the matches among the teams in question
  3. number of goals scored in the matches among the teams in question (if more than two teams finish equal on points)
  4. goal difference in all the group matches
  5. number of goals scored in all the group matches
  6. drawing of lots
Team advanced to the knockout stage

All times are local (UTC+3).

Group A

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Spain 5 5 0 0 162 127 +35 10
 Qatar 5 4 0 1 137 122 +15 8
 Slovenia 5 3 0 2 160 145 +15 6
 Brazil 5 2 0 3 146 143 +3 4
 Belarus 5 1 0 4 147 155 −8 2
 Chile 5 0 0 5 104 164 −60 0
Source: [citation needed]
15 January 2015
20:30
Qatar  28–23  Brazil Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 11,500
Referees: Milošević, Gubica (CRO)
Hassab Alla, Marković 6 (15–12) Chiuffa 6
Yellow card 4×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card
16 January 2015
17:00
Spain  38–33  Belarus Duhail Handball Sports Hall, Doha
Attendance: 1,200
Referees: Novotný, Horáček (CZE)
Aguinagalde, Maqueda 6 (21–17) Tsitou 5
Yellow card 2×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 3×number 2 in light blue rounded square 2×Red card
16 January 2015
17:00
Slovenia  36–23  Chile Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 1,500
Referees: Rashed, El-Sayed (EGY)
Gajić 9 (16–14) R. Salinas 10
Yellow card 8×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square

17 January 2015
17:00
Brazil  27–29  Spain Duhail Handball Sports Hall, Doha
Attendance: 800
Referees: Nachevski, Nikolov (MKD)
Ribeiro, Toledo 5 (14–15) Cañellas 9
Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 2×number 2 in light blue rounded square
17 January 2015
17:00
Belarus  29–34  Slovenia Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 4,000
Referees: Krichen, Makhlouf (TUN)
D. Rutenka 6 (8–17) Gajić 15
Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 8×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card
17 January 2015
19:00
Chile  20–27  Qatar Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 4,500
Referees: Reveret, Pichon (FRA)
Oneto 5 (9–15) Marković 11
Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 2×number 2 in light blue rounded square

19 January 2015
17:00
Spain  37–16  Chile Duhail Handball Sports Hall, Doha
Attendance: 500
Referees: Lee, Koo (KOR)
Rivera Folch 7 (14–7) Araya, Frelijj 3
Yellow card 3×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 1×number 2 in light blue rounded square
19 January 2015
17:00
Belarus  29–34  Brazil Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 3,000
Referees: Rashed, El-Sayed (EGY)
three players 6 (12–16) Ribeiro 9
Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square
19 January 2015
19:00
Slovenia  29–31  Qatar Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 9,500
Referees: Gjeding, Hansen (DEN)
Dolenec 8 (15–18) Capote 12
Yellow card 7×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square

21 January 2015
17:00
Slovenia  35–32  Brazil Duhail Handball Sports Hall, Doha
Attendance: 500
Referees: Reveret, Pichon (FRA)
Gajić 12 (19–18) Ribeiro 7
Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square
21 January 2015
17:00
Chile  23–34  Belarus Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 800
Referees: Hizaki, Ikebuchi (JPN)
R. Salinas 6 (11–14) Pukhouski, S. Rutenka 8
Yellow card 7×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card Report Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square
21 January 2015
19:00
Qatar  25–28  Spain Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 12,400
Referees: Nikolić, Stojković (SRB)
Marković 10 (10–8) Rivera Folch 7
Yellow card 1×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square

23 January 2015
17:00
Brazil  30–22  Chile Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 2,500
Referees: Krichen, Makhlouf (TUN)
Pacheco Filho 7 (12–13) five players 3
Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 7×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card
23 January 2015
17:00
Spain  30–26  Slovenia Duhail Handball Sports Hall, Doha
Attendance: 1,000
Referees: Geipel, Helbig (GER)
Rivera Folch 6 (14–10) four players 4
Yellow card 2×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card Report Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square
23 January 2015
19:00
Qatar  26–22  Belarus Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 10,000
Referees: Novotný, Horáček (CZE)
Marković 9 (7–12) D. Rutenka 7
Yellow card 3×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square

Group B

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Croatia 5 5 0 0 158 124 +34 10
 Macedonia 5 4 0 1 153 138 +15 8
 Austria 5 2 1 2 147 140 +7 5
 Tunisia 5 2 1 2 132 133 −1 5
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 5 1 0 4 118 128 −10 2
 Iran 5 0 0 5 127 172 −45 0
Source: [citation needed]
16 January 2015
15:00
Bosnia and Herzegovina  30–25  Iran Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 4,000
Referees: Koo, Lee (KOR)
Čelica 6 (12–16) A. Esteki 7
Yellow card 8×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 8×number 2 in light blue rounded square
16 January 2015
17:00
Macedonia  33–25  Tunisia Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 5,000
Referees: Geipel, Helbig (GER)
K. Lazarov 10 (18–14) Tej 6
Yellow card 7×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square
16 January 2015
19:00
Croatia  32–30  Austria Duhail Handball Sports Hall, Doha
Attendance: 750
Referees: Gatelis, Mažeika (LTU)
Čupić 11 (16–13) Szilágyi, Weber 7
Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 7×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card

17 January 2015
19:00
Tunisia  25–28  Croatia Duhail Handball Sports Hall, Doha
Attendance: 4,000
Referees: López, Ramírez (ESP)
Bannour 9 (13–14) Čupić 8
Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square
17 January 2015
19:00
Iran  31–33  Macedonia Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 1,000
Referees: Al-Suwaidi, Bamutref (QAT)
A. Esteki 9 (17–19) K. Lazarov 9
Yellow card 7×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card Report Yellow card 7×number 2 in light blue rounded square
17 January 2015
21:00
Austria  23–21  Bosnia and Herzegovina Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 1,000
Referees: Menezes, Pinto (BRA)
Szilágyi, Weber 4 (11–12) Malinović 6
Yellow card 8×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card

19 January 2015
19:00
Bosnia and Herzegovina  22–25  Macedonia Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 2,000
Referees: Gatelis, Mažeika (LTU)
Burić, Malinović 4 (11–13) Manaskov 6
Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card
19 January 2015
19:00
Croatia  41–22  Iran Duhail Handball Sports Hall, Doha
Attendance: 500
Referees: Geipel, Helbig (GER)
Horvat 12 (19–13) S. Esteki 6
Yellow card 3×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 3×number 2 in light blue rounded square
19 January 2015
21:00
Austria  25–25  Tunisia Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 4,500
Referees: Nikolić, Stojković (SRB)
Weber 9 (14–15) Sanaï, Tej 5
Yellow card 4×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square

21 January 2015
17:00
Iran  26–38  Austria Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 500
Referees: Rashed, El-Sayed (EGY)
S. Esteki 7 (13–18) Santos 8
Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square
21 January 2015
19:00
Bosnia and Herzegovina  24–27  Tunisia Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 5,500
Referees: Santos, Fonseca (POR)
Malinović 5 (14–15) Boughanmi 7
Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square
21 January 2015
19:00
Macedonia  26–29  Croatia Duhail Handball Sports Hall, Doha
Attendance: 2,000
Referees: Novotný, Horáček (CZE)
K. Lazarov 7 (14–15) Čupić 9
Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square

23 January 2015
17:00
Tunisia  30–23  Iran Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 4,500
Referees: Kliko, Johansson (SWE)
Touati 7 (12–12) Karamian 4
Yellow card 3×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square
23 January 2015
19:00
Macedonia  36–31  Austria Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 1,000
Referees: Gjeding, Hansen (DEN)
K. Lazarov 9 (16–16) Weber 8
Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 7×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card
23 January 2015
19:00
Croatia  28–21  Bosnia and Herzegovina Duhail Handball Sports Hall, Doha
Attendance: 800
Referees: Reveret, Pichon (FRA)
Karačić 6 (17–8) Toromanović 7
Yellow card 4×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card

Group C

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 France 5 4 1 0 143 128 +15 9
 Sweden 5 3 1 1 137 109 +28 7
 Iceland 5 2 1 2 127 135 −8 5
 Egypt 5 2 1 2 135 125 +10 5
 Czech Republic 5 2 0 3 145 138 +7 4
 Algeria 5 0 0 5 109 161 −52 0
Source: [citation needed]
16 January 2015
19:00
Algeria  20−34  Egypt Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 5,500
Referees: López, Ramírez (ESP)
Kaabeche 6 (9−17) Issa 5
Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 7×number 2 in light blue rounded square
16 January 2015
21:00
France  30−27  Czech Republic Duhail Handball Sports Hall, Doha
Attendance: 1,800
Referees: Gjeding, Hansen (DEN)
Guigou, Karabatić 7 (16−9) Horák 8
Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 10×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card
16 January 2015
21:00
Sweden  24−16  Iceland Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 1,000
Referees: Menezes, Pinto (BRA)
Ekberg 7 (12−7) Atlason 5
Yellow card 7×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square

18 January 2015
19:00
Iceland  32–24  Algeria Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 2,000
Referees: Milošević, Gubica (CRO)
Sigurðsson 8 (12–13) Berkous 5
Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card Report Yellow card 3×number 2 in light blue rounded square
18 January 2015
21:00
Czech Republic  22–36  Sweden Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 1,000
Referees: Geipel, Helbig (GER)
Babák, Sobol 5 (10–19) Andersson 10
Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card Report Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square
18 January 2015
21:00
Egypt  24–28  France Duhail Handball Sports Hall, Doha
Attendance: 4,500
Referees: Krstić, Ljubič (SLO)
Amer 5 (11–14) Karabatić 6
Yellow card 10×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 7×number 2 in light blue rounded square

20 January 2015
19:00
Czech Republic  24–27  Egypt Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 6,500
Referees: Al-Suwaidi, Bamutref (QAT)
Hrstka 5 (10–13) El-Ahmar 5
Yellow card 4×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 9×number 2 in light blue rounded square
20 January 2015
21:00
France  26–26  Iceland Duhail Handball Sports Hall, Doha
Attendance: 2,500
Referees: Santos, Fonseca (POR)
Karabatić 6 (12–14) Hallgrímsson, Pálmarsson 5
Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card Report Yellow card 7×number 2 in light blue rounded square
20 January 2015
21:00
Sweden  27–19  Algeria Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 1,000
Referees: Nachevski, Nikolov (MKD)
Källman 6 (15–6) Daoud 6
Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card Report Yellow card 4×number 2 in light blue rounded square

22 January 2015
19:00
Sweden  25–25  Egypt Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 7,000
Referees: Milošević, Gubica (CRO)
Ekberg 10 (10–10) El-Ahmar 9
Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 7×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card
22 January 2015
21:00
Iceland  25–36  Czech Republic Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 500
Referees: Lee, Koo (KOR)
Guðjónsson 5 (11–21) Jícha 11
Yellow card 7×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square
22 January 2015
21:00
Algeria  26–32  France Duhail Handball Sports Hall, Doha
Attendance: 2,000
Referees: Nikolić, Stojković (SRB)
Berkous 11 (12–19) Guigou 7
Yellow card 9×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square

24 January 2015
19:00
Egypt  25–28  Iceland Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 5,500
Referees: Nikolić, Stojković (SRB)
Issa, Radwan 5 (10–15) Sigurðsson 13
Yellow card 4×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 7×number 2 in light blue rounded square
24 January 2015
21:00
Algeria  20–36  Czech Republic Duhail Handball Sports Hall, Doha
Attendance: 500
Referees: Hizaki, Ikebuchi (JPN)
Daoud, Hamoud 5 (10–21) Jícha 7
Yellow card 1×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 3×number 2 in light blue rounded square
24 January 2015
21:00
France  27–25  Sweden Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 3,000
Referees: López, Ramírez (ESP)
Joli 9 (11–12) Källman 8
Yellow card 2×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card Report Yellow card 4×number 2 in light blue rounded square

Group D

Russia vs Denmark at the Lusail Sports Arena
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Germany 5 4 1 0 150 124 +26 9
 Denmark 5 3 2 0 154 127 +27 8
 Poland 5 3 0 2 135 121 +14 6
 Argentina 5 2 1 2 132 123 +9 5
 Russia 5 1 0 4 133 131 +2 2
 Saudi Arabia 5 0 0 5 87 165 −78 0
Source: [citation needed]
16 January 2015
15:00
Russia  27–17  Saudi Arabia Duhail Handball Sports Hall, Doha
Attendance: 500
Referees: Hizaki, Ikebuchi (JPN)
Dereven, Zhitnikov 4 (17–9) Al-Abbas, Al-Hannabi 4
Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card Report Yellow card 9×number 2 in light blue rounded square
16 January 2015
19:00
Poland  26−29  Germany Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 3,500
Referees: Nachevski, Nikolov (MKD)
Lijewski 7 (13−17) Weinhold 9
Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square
16 January 2015
21:00
Denmark  24−24  Argentina Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 1,000
Referees: Krstić, Ljubič (SLO)
Eggert 5 (13−8) Pizarro 8
Yellow card 7×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 7×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card

18 January 2015
19:00
Argentina  23–24  Poland Duhail Handball Sports Hall, Doha
Attendance: 3,000
Referees: Novotný, Horáček (CZE)
three players 5 (12–11) three players 5
Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card Report Yellow card 7×number 2 in light blue rounded square
18 January 2015
19:00
Germany  27–26  Russia Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 600
Referees: Kliko, Johansson (SWE)
Gensheimer 9 (9–13) Igropulo 6
Yellow card 7×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 8×number 2 in light blue rounded square
18 January 2015
21:00
Saudi Arabia  18–38  Denmark Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 600
Referees: Rashed, El-Sayed (EGY)
Al-Janabi, Moj. Al-Salem 4 (6–20) H. Toft Hansen 8
Yellow card 4×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 3×number 2 in light blue rounded square

20 January 2015
19:00
Poland  26–25  Russia Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 1,000
Referees: Krstić, Ljubič (SLO)
Rojewski 6 (12–13) Shishkarev 7
Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square
20 January 2015
19:00
Argentina  32–20  Saudi Arabia Duhail Handball Sports Hall, Doha
Attendance: 1,000
Referees: Krichen, Makhlouf (TUN)
Pizarro 7 (13–11) Al-Janabi 5
Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 12×number 2 in light blue rounded square 2×Red card
20 January 2015
21:00
Denmark  30–30  Germany Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 2,000
Referees: López, Ramírez (ESP)
Christiansen, Hansen 6 (16–16) Weinhold 8
Yellow card 3×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square

22 January 2015
19:00
Poland  32–13  Saudi Arabia Duhail Handball Sports Hall, Doha
Attendance: 800
Referees: Kliko, Johansson (SWE)
Syprzak 10 (17–6) Al-Abdulali 4
Yellow card 3×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 4×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card
22 January 2015
19:00
Germany  28–23  Argentina Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 5,500
Referees: Gatelis, Mažeika (LTU)
Groetzki 7 (13–14) Fernández 6
Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square
22 January 2015
21:00
Russia  28–31  Denmark Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 10,500
Referees: Nachevski, Nikolov (MKD)
Shishkarev 8 (8–16) Lauge 9
Yellow card 1×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 2×number 2 in light blue rounded square

24 January 2015
19:00
Saudi Arabia  19–36  Germany Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 3,500
Referees: Santos, Fonseca (POR)
three players 3 (8–18) Musche, Sellin 11
Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square
24 January 2015
19:00
Russia  27–30  Argentina Duhail Handball Sports Hall, Doha
Attendance: 500
Referees: Al-Suwaidi, Bamutref (QAT)
Shishkarev 7 (16–17) Pizarro 9
Yellow card 8×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card Report Yellow card 4×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card
24 January 2015
21:00
Denmark  31–27  Poland Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 6,000
Referees: Milošević, Gubica (CRO)
Lindberg 6 (16–12) Rojewski 5
Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 3×number 2 in light blue rounded square

Knockout stage

The final match, Qatar vs France

Championship

Round of 16 Quarterfinals Semifinals Final
B1  Croatia 26
A4  Brazil 25 B1  Croatia 22
D3  Poland 24 D3  Poland 24
C2  Sweden 20 D3  Poland 29
B3  Austria 27 A2  Qatar 31
A2  Qatar 29 A2  Qatar 26
D1  Germany 23 D1  Germany 24
C4  Egypt 16 A2  Qatar 22
C3  Iceland 25 C1  France 25
D2  Denmark 30 D2  Denmark 24
A1  Spain 28 A1  Spain 25
B4  Tunisia 20 A1  Spain 22 Third place
A3  Slovenia 30 C1  France 26
B2  Macedonia 28 A3  Slovenia 23 D3  Poland 29
C1  France 33 C1  France 32 A1  Spain 28
D4  Argentina 20

Round of 16

25 January 2015
18:30
Austria  27–29  Qatar Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 12,200
Referees: Milošević, Gubica (CRO)
Weber 8 (14–13) Marković 8
Yellow card 7×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 4×number 2 in light blue rounded square

25 January 2015
18:30
Slovenia  30–28  Macedonia Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 800
Referees: Gatelis, Mažeika (LTU)
Gajić 9 (16–15) Georgievski, K. Lazarov 7
Yellow card 9×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 4×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card

25 January 2015
21:00
Spain  28–20  Tunisia Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 5,500
Referees: Nachevski, Nikolov (MKD)
Ugalde 6 (18–9) Boughanmi 5
Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 3×number 2 in light blue rounded square

25 January 2015
21:00
Croatia  26–25  Brazil Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 800
Referees: Al-Suwaidi, Bamutref (QAT)
Kopljar 5 (13–15) Silva 5
Yellow card 1×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square

26 January 2015
18:30
Germany  23–16  Egypt Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 12,500
Referees: Novotný, Horáček (CZE)
Gensheimer 6 (12–8) El-Ahmar, Issa 4
Yellow card 7×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card

26 January 2015
18:30
Poland  24–20  Sweden Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 1,500
Referees: Krstić, Ljubič (SLO)
B. Jurecki, M. Jurecki 5 (10–11) Petersen 5
Yellow card 3×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square

26 January 2015
21:00
Iceland  25–30  Denmark Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 3,000
Referees: Reveret, Pichon (FRA)
Petersson 7 (10–16) Lauge Schmidt 6
Yellow card 2×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square

26 January 2015
21:00
France  33–20  Argentina Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 1,500
Referees: Gjeding, Hansen (DEN)
Porte 6 (16–6) Carou 4
Yellow card 4×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 1×number 2 in light blue rounded square

Quarterfinals

28 January 2015
18:30
Croatia  22–24  Poland Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 1,500
Referees: Gjeding, Hansen (DEN)
Duvnjak, Kopljar 5 (10–12) Jurkiewicz 6
Yellow card 3×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 3×number 2 in light blue rounded square

28 January 2015
18:30
Qatar  26–24  Germany Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 15,000
Referees: Nachevski, Nikolov (MKD)
Capote 8 (18–14) Gensheimer 5
Yellow card 2×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 3×number 2 in light blue rounded square

28 January 2015
21:00
Slovenia  23–32  France Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 2,500
Referees: Novotný, Horáček (CZE)
L. Žvižej 6 (10–18) Narcisse 6
Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 2×number 2 in light blue rounded square

28 January 2015
21:00
Denmark  24–25  Spain Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 9,000
Referees: Geipel, Helbig (GER)
Eggert, Hansen 6 (11–11) Rivera Folch 10
Yellow card 3×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 3×number 2 in light blue rounded square

Semifinals

30 January 2015
18:30
Poland  29–31  Qatar Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 15,000
Referees: Nikolić, Stojković (SRB)
Jurecki 9 (13–16) Capote, Mallash 6
Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 2×number 2 in light blue rounded square

30 January 2015
21:00
Spain  22–26  France Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 9,000
Referees: Krstić, Ljubič (SLO)
Cañellas, Ugalde 5 (14–18) Guigou 5
Yellow card 3×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 3×number 2 in light blue rounded square

Bronze medal game

1 February 2015
16:30
Poland  29–28 (ET)  Spain Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 9,400
Referees: Gjeding, Hansen (DEN)
Szyba 8 (13–13) Tomás 7
Yellow card 4×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 1×number 2 in light blue rounded square

FT: 24–24 ET: 5–4

Final

1 February 2015
19:15
Qatar  22–25  France Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 15,000
Referees: Novotný, Horáček (CZE)
Marković 7 (11–14) Karabatić 5
Yellow card 4×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 2×number 2 in light blue rounded square

5–8th place playoffs

 
SemifinalsFifth place
 
      
 
30 January
 
 
 Croatia28
 
31 January
 
 Germany23
 
 Croatia24
 
30 January
 
 Denmark28
 
 Denmark36
 
 
 Slovenia33
 
Seventh place
 
 
31 January
 
 
 Germany30
 
 
 Slovenia27

5–8th place semifinals

30 January 2015
16:00
Croatia  28–23  Germany Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 800
Referees: López, Ramírez (ESP)
Štrlek 8 (13–11) Gensheimer, Schöngarth 6
Yellow card 2×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 2×number 2 in light blue rounded square

30 January 2015
18:30
Denmark  36–33  Slovenia Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Al Rayyan
Attendance: 500
Referees: Al-Suwaidi, Bamutref (QAT)
Hansen 13 (19–15) Gajić 12
Yellow card 4×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square 2×Red card

Seventh place game

31 January 2015
16:30
Germany  30–27  Slovenia Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 1,000
Referees: Novotný, Horáček (CZE)
Gensheimer 13 (16–14) Natek 9
Yellow card 3×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 3×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card

Fifth place game

31 January 2015
19:15
Croatia  24–28  Denmark Lusail Sports Arena, Lusail
Attendance: 3,000
Referees: López, Ramírez (ESP)
three players 4 (11–15) Hansen 8
Yellow card 3×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 3×number 2 in light blue rounded square

President’s Cup

Placement semifinals

26 January 2015
13:00
Chile  31–32  Iran Duhail Handball Sports Hall, Doha
Attendance: 100
Referees: Hizaki, Ikebuchi (JPN)
R. Salinas 18 (15–17) three players 5
Yellow card 2×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 4×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card

26 January 2015
15:00
Algeria  25–27  Saudi Arabia Duhail Handball Sports Hall, Doha
Attendance: 100
Referees: Kliko, Johansson (SWE)
Hamoud 9 (14–12) Moj. Al-Salem 5
Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card Report Yellow card 7×number 2 in light blue rounded square

26 January 2015
17:00
Belarus  37–29  Bosnia and Herzegovina Duhail Handball Sports Hall, Doha
Attendance: 300
Referees: Menezes, Pinto (BRA)
S. Rutenka 9 (20–16) Burić 6
Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 4×number 2 in light blue rounded square

26 January 2015
19:00
Czech Republic  32–30  Russia Duhail Handball Sports Hall, Doha
Attendance: 300
Referees: Krichen, Makhlouf (TUN)
Zdráhala 8 (16–15) Dereven 8
Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card Report Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square

23rd place game

27 January 2015
13:00
Chile  30–28  Algeria Duhail Handball Sports Hall, Doha
Attendance: 100
Referees: Santos, Fonseca (POR)
R. Salinas 11 (10–16) Hamoud 12
Yellow card 4×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 7×number 2 in light blue rounded square

FT: 27–27 Pen: 3–1

21st place game

27 January 2015
15:00
Iran  26–22  Saudi Arabia Duhail Handball Sports Hall, Doha
Attendance: 150
Referees: Menezes, Pinto (BRA)
A. Esteki 6 (15–10) Al-Abdulali 6
Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square 1×Red card Report Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square

19th place game

27 January 2015
17:00
Bosnia and Herzegovina  28–42  Russia Duhail Handball Sports Hall, Doha
Attendance: 200
Referees: Hizaki, Ikebuchi (JPN)
Malinović 6 (16–20) Kovalev 6
Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 6×number 2 in light blue rounded square

17th place game

27 January 2015
19:00
Belarus  31–32  Czech Republic Duhail Handball Sports Hall, Doha
Attendance: 300
Referees: Rased, El-Sayed (EGY)
S. Rutenka 12 (13–14) four players 6
Yellow card 5×number 2 in light blue rounded square Report Yellow card 3×number 2 in light blue rounded square

FT: 28–28 Pen: 3–4

Statistics

Final ranking

The final rankings were used in the 2016 Summer Olympics qualification process. France, as World Champion, qualified for the Olympics. The next 6 teams earned a place in the Olympic Qualification Tournaments. Qatar and Germany, however, won their continental tournaments (qualifying them directly for the Olympics) and thus their spots in the Olympic Qualification Tournaments went to Slovenia and Macedonia.

Controversy

Withdrawal of teams

As mentioned under qualifications, Australia lost its spot in the tournament due to an IHF decision, being replaced by Germany, who had not originally qualified. Further, Bahrain and United Arab Emirates withdrew.[7][8][9]

Qatar player naturalisation

A large number of players in the Qatar team had been naturalised in the years leading up to the championship. According to IHF rules, to gain eligibility for a new national team, a player cannot have played for another nation for three years in an official match.[20][21] This allowed several foreign-born players, including Spanish-born Borja Vidal, Goran Stojanović and Jovo Damjanović from Montenegro, and Bertrand Roiné who previously played for France, to play for the Qatar team at the championship. According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine, only four of the 17 players in the squad were native to Qatar.[22]

Head of the Qatar Handball Federation, Ahmed Mohammed Abdulrab Al Shaabi, acknowledged the policy in a statement in June 2013, saying "We're a small nation with limited human resources, so we had to bring players from outside in the past." He also announced an end to the policy at the time, adding however that they "[might] make an exception only in the case of an experienced goalkeeper."[23] In January 2014, Danish sports agent Mads Winther said he had met with "contacts involved with Qatar" regarding the possibility of naturalising Danish players.[24]

The practice was criticised by Austrian goalkeeper after his team's loss to Qatar in the round of 16, saying "It [felt] like playing against a world selection team" and "I think it is not the sense of a world championship."[25] At a press conference during the championship, Qatar head coach Valero Rivera declined to comment on the matter.[25] Spanish player Joan Cañellas did not think it was an issue, saying "If they can do it, why not."[21]

After the controversial semi-final against Poland, and reaching the final as a result, the practice was even more criticised, with players such as Danijel Šarić having now represented four different national teams.[26]

Qatar flew in about 60 Spanish fans to cheer for Qatar during the championship.[27]

Refereeing

During the first 12 matches of the tournament, 143 two-minute suspensions were awarded by the referees, a figure that came under strong criticism from teams, who had not been informed of the IHF Referee Committee's instructions to referees commanding them to keep a strict disciplinary line.[28]

The referees were widely accused of being one-sided in favour of the hosts. Especially at the matches against Austria,[29][30][31] Germany[29][32][33] and Poland.[34][35][36][37] After the final whistle, the Polish players showed their discontent by ironically applauding the three referees.[38][39]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Qatar 2015 All Star Team announced". IHF. 1 February 2015. Archived from the original on 2 February 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  2. ^ "2015 World Championship hosts announced". EHF. 27 January 2011. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  3. ^ "France: World, Olympic and European Champions". IHF. 1 February 2015. Archived from the original on 1 February 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  4. ^ "France beat Qatar to win fifth world handball title". Gulf Times. 1 February 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  5. ^ "Bronze goes to Poland". IHF. 1 February 2015. Archived from the original on 1 February 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  6. ^ "Lusail Multipurpose Hall – 24th Men's Handball World Championship". qatarhandball2015.com.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g "IHF Council Meeting held in Zagreb". ihf.info. 8 July 2014.
  8. ^ a b c d e "Bahrain withdraws from the 2015 Men's World Championship". ihf.info. 7 November 2014.
  9. ^ a b c d e "The United Arab Emirates withdraw from the 2015 World Championship". ihf.info. 10 November 2014.
  10. ^ a b c d e "IHF Council decision on withdrawal of Bahrain and United Arab Emirates from 2015 Men's WCh". ihf.info. 21 November 2014.
  11. ^ "Draw for Qatar 2015 on 20 July in Doha". ihf.info. 12 March 2014.
  12. ^ "Groups of the 2015 Men's Handball World Championship drawn in Doha". ihf.info. 20 July 2014.
  13. ^ "Pots and procedure for Qatar 2015 draw on 20 July". ihf.info. 11 July 2014.
  14. ^ "Referee Nominations 2015 – Men's World Championship 2015 – Qatar". ihf.info. 2 January 2015.
  15. ^ "Qatar 2015 match schedule available for download". ihf.info. 21 August 2014.
  16. ^ Schedule
  17. ^ "The IHF publishes newest throw-off schedule for Qatar 2015". ihf.info. 12 December 2014.
  18. ^ "Match Schedule" (PDF). ihf.info.
  19. ^ "International Handball Federation". ihf-online.info.
  20. ^ "Player Eligibility Code" (PDF). ihf.info. International Handball Federation. p. 5. Retrieved 29 January 2015. They shall not have played in any national team of another country in the three years preceding their first appearance in the national team in an official match.
  21. ^ a b "Qatar's foreign legion primed for handball date with Germany". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  22. ^ "Falsche Fans simulieren Stimmung" [Fake fans simulate excitement]. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). Frankfurter Allgemeine. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  23. ^ "Al Shaabi says no to further naturalisation". dohastadiumplusqatar.com. Archived from the original on 6 July 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  24. ^ Wenande, Christian. "Qatar targeting Danish handball players ahead of hosting of 2015 worlds". The Copenhagen Post. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  25. ^ a b "Qatar handball team coach faces questions over foreign players". BBC. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  26. ^ "Danijel Sarić – to on "zabrał" Polakom finał MŚ". onet.pl. 30 January 2015.
  27. ^ "Qatar 'buys' noisy Spanish handball fans". thelocal.es. 16 January 2015.
  28. ^ "Dansk dommer om de mange udvisninger: IHF vil have en hård linje". dr.dk.
  29. ^ a b Team, Fans und Schiris gekauft? (German)
  30. ^ Handball-WM in Katar: Österreich hält sich für verpfiffen (German)
  31. ^ Österreich von Referees und Katar aus WM gekickt (German)
  32. ^ Reaktionen auf deutsches WM-Aus: "Man muss aufpassen, was man sagt" (German)
  33. ^ WM-Aus der deutschen Handballer: "Im Schiedsrichterwesen gibt es Grauzonen" (German)
  34. ^ Sramotno: Pogledajte trenutak kad su srpski suci pretjerali s navlačenjem za Katar Archived 1 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine (Croatian)
  35. ^ Polský smutek. Katar je ve finále MS v házené, pomohli mu rozhodčí (Czech)
  36. ^ Polska – Katar – czemu Katar awansował? Kontrowersje wokół drużyny gospodarzy, nie byli faworytami (Polish)
  37. ^ Michał Jurecki: Każdy wie, co tutaj się dzieje... (Polish)
  38. ^ "Radość Katarczyków, Polacy z pretensjami do sędziów". przegladsportowy.pl. 30 January 2015.
  39. ^ "Polish National Handball Team Sarcastically Applauds Officials After Controversial Loss to Qatar". thebiglead.com. 31 January 2015.

External links