Handball Talks Vol. 3: Champions League Winners and Legends Share Insights
The Handball Talks conference, a project by Balkan-Handball.com and Handball-Planet.com, will have its third edition during the 56th TV Champions Tournament in Doboj on August 14 and 15.
The tournament, with an incredible history, will take place from August 13 to 16 and will host some of Europe’s best teams, including German giants Kiel and Gummersbach and Hungarian powerhouse Veszprém. Joining them are African giant Al Ahly, ambitious Turkish side Beşiktaş, and the traditional host Sloga. The rosters and coaching staff promise that Handball Talks Vol. 3 will also feature an impressive list of guests.
Across five panels, 12 top-level coaches and players will take part. Looking at their careers, the lineup includes eight EHF Champions League winners as well as World and European Championship medalists.
On the first day, at 12:00, the conference will open with the tournament’s promoter, legendary FC Barcelona right wing Víctor Tomás, who will share memories from the golden era of the most decorated club of all time, together with the tournament’s director, Danijel Šarić. The pair won two EHF Champions League titles with the Catalan giants in 2011 and 2015, under the guidance of the man who will speak at the second panel — Xavi Pascual, now coach of Veszprém and head coach of the Egyptian national team.
“Paski” will be joined by his colleague David Davis, former coach of Vardar, Veszprém, and Dinamo Bucharest, and now head coach of Egypt’s Al Ahly, to discuss “how to build a team.”
On the second day, Friday, August 15, the program will start at 11:00, with Kiel and Gummersbach coaches Filip Jícha and Guðjón Valur Sigurðsson talking about their Bundesliga experiences.
After them, from the players’ perspective, legendary Domagoj Duvnjak will share his thoughts about playing in the strongest league in the world, alongside his younger colleagues — Veszprém’s new right back Ivan Martinović and Gummersbach goalkeeper Dominik Kuzmanović.
The fifth panel is reserved for a trio from “Handball City,” as Veszprém is often called. Luka Cindrić, Dragan Pechmalbec, and Gašper Marguč will discuss all aspects of playing for a club that always strives for the highest goals.
The conference will be streamed live on Balkan-Handball.com’s YouTube channel. It will be held at Hotel Park in Doboj, and if you wish to attend in person — entry is FREE.
The third edition of Handball Talks will also be the first bilingual event (with most panels in English).
The first Handball Talks conference was held in March 2022 in Belgrade, featuring legendary coaches Vlado Stenzel and Lino Červar, along with champion players such as Dragan Škrbić, Goran Šprem, Darko Stanić, Rastko Stojković, Žarko Šešum, and many others. The second two-day edition took place in November 2023 in Našice, with top handball names from the region, including players, coaches, managers, club executives, and federation representatives.
Yet another reason to visit Doboj next week and enjoy unforgettable handball days.
