Aalborg in action: “In the Name of Hunger”
On Saturday, May 2, Aalborg Håndbold will take to the court without sponsor logos on the players’ jerseys. Without their own names. Only with the names of people the world rarely remembers or hears about.
The initiative will take place as the club marks its 15th anniversary. Not only with celebration, but with action.
On that day, every player on the team will wear the name of a person from one of the 18 countries most severely affected by hunger in the world. A name that would normally never be printed on a jersey. Never announced in an arena. Never celebrated.
This is what Aalborg Håndbold calls “In the Name of Hunger” — the core of the club’s partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the world’s largest humanitarian organization, which provides food assistance every year to more than 120 million people in 100 different countries.
All partners said yes — to making space
To make this possible, all of the club’s sponsors chose to give up their place on the jerseys. No logos. No exposure. Instead: the World Food Programme on the front, and a name on the back. The name of a person receiving food aid from the WFP in one of the world’s biggest hunger crises.
That means, for example, that Thomas Arnoldsen will wear a Nigerian flag and name on the back of his jersey, while Mads Hoxer will wear a Ukrainian flag and surname on his match shirt.
“We could have chosen simply to celebrate ourselves. That is often what you do for an anniversary. We chose something different — to use the platform we have built to give a voice to people who are rarely heard or seen,” said Aalborg Håndbold director Jan Larsen.
The jerseys will be auctioned — all proceeds go to WFP
The unique match jerseys will be worn during the game, signed by the players afterward, and put up for auction the same day. The auction will end live in Sparekassen Danmark Arena immediately after the match, and all proceeds will go directly to the World Food Programme.
Players such as Niklas Landin, Sander Sagosen, Mads Hoxer, Felix Möller and Juri Knorr will also use their own social media platforms to spread the message.
Fans and partners are encouraged to support the initiative through the auction or via the WFP’s innovative ShareTheMeal app.
“Aalborg Håndbold shows how sport can help shine a light on — and help solve — one of the world’s greatest problems: rising global hunger. More than 300 million children, women and men are going hungry, and I am proud that Aalborg Håndbold is using its big day to give some of them food and hope. It is an ambitious partnership that matches Aalborg Håndbold’s great ambitions and results,” said Andreas Hansen, Nordic Director of the World Food Programme.
Match facts
Game: Playoff match Aalborg Håndbold vs. Fredericia HK
Venue: Sparekassen Danmark Arena
Date: May 2, 2026, 16:00
Occasion: Aalborg Håndbold’s 15th anniversary
Partner: United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)
Fundraising: Live auction + donations via the ShareTheMeal app or by MobilePay through Stop Sult Fonden, number 68500
