Handball: African Beach Games 2019 |21 June 2019
The Seychelles team at the Games
Seychelles team exit after round one
Team Seychelles exited the beach handball competition after the first round, following defeat in their two group matches at the inaugural African Beach Games, a continental multi-sport event.
The ongoing competition is taking place in the village of Santa Maria on Sal Island, one of the 10 islands which make up Cape Verde and our national selection was drawn alongside Algeria and Togo in the nine-team line-up at the Games.
In the first match, they lost 1-2 to Algeria, while in their second group match, the players of coach Danny Philoé fell by the same scoreline of 1-2 to the Togolese side.
Headed by chairman of the Seychelles Handball Federation (SHF) Norbert Dogley who was the chef de mission, the local selection was made up of Michel Dugasse, Luthard Amblavaney, Alister Amblavaney, Curtis Esther, Andriano Belle, Claudio Gabriel and Kieran Dufrene.
Commenting on the team’s performance, Mr Dogley explained that for a first exposure, the team gave a good display, taking into account the experience of the other participating teams which he said boast some very skilful players.
He noted that our players are lacking in several qualities and knowledge which could have helped them perform better.
Mr Dogley further explained that one of the crucial elements which our selection was lacking in at the Games was the acrobatic skills which he said is very important, since the more acrobatic the goals are scored, the more the teams will earn points.
In beach handball, the score system is based around a 1 or 2 point structure.
What differentiates these two results is who makes the goal and how it was shot. A goal scored by any of the players, excluding the specialist or goalkeeper, is worth one point.
However, there are three ways for a goal to be worth two points. The first being an “alley-oop”. A goal is considered an “alley-oop” if the ball is passed to a teammate who catches and shoots the ball without their feet ever touching the ground. In other words, while the ball is in the air the player must jump, catch and throw the ball into the goal without letting any part of his/her body touch the sand until the ball has left his/her hands.
The second way to earn two points is if the goalkeeper or specialist scores a goal. The specialist is the fourth member of the offensive team and is designated by a different colour jersey.
The third and most impressive way to receive two points is by doing a ‘spectacular’ or 360 degree shot. As both names imply, these types of goals involve the offensive player doing an acrobatic aerial manoeuvre spinning their bodies at 360 degrees. These types of shots are awe-inspiring to witness in person and are frequently taken by players because of its additional point value and enthusiastic reaction from the crowd.
Regarding the future of the sport locally, Mr Dogley said it is a discipline with huge potentials if taken seriously at grassroots level.
He explained that since the older players are used to indoor handball, it will be a bit difficult for them to adapt to the rules and regulations of beach handball.
He said the SHF will soon come up with a youth development programme and will also start negotiating with the authorities and other sporting governing bodies on how to get and share venues for the development of beach handball.
R. D.