Austrian national team has continued preparations for the upcoming World Handball Championship 2015 in Qatar. Icelander on Austrian bench, Patrekur Johannesson, still searching for the best roster to travel to Doha on January 14. Before that trip, Austrians will have to tests theirselves against Switzerland in Tullin and Krems (6 and 8 January), and than to move to Paris, where the last friendly match will take place against France on 12 January.
However, it is expected that Johannesson reduce his squad list from 23 names on which he counts now, to optimal before the team left the country on 10 January.
The tournament in Doha will be the fifth World Championship on which Austria will play. Without some major success, the realistic goal of this Austrian generation is a battle for TOP 16 place in a pretty equal group with Croatia, Tunisia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iran.
The biggest star is Viktor Szlilagyi from the German Bergischer HC. Experienced playmaker is a vital part of the squad and his healthy status is something what are Austrians worried about. His availability could determine the Austrian ambitions in Qatar.
Austrian roster 13 days before Qatar 2015:
BAUER, Thomas (TBV Lemgo)
HERMANN, Alexander (SG INSIGNIS Handball WESTWIEN)
HERMANN, Maximilian (Bergischer HC)
ZIURA, Vytautas (HC Fivers WAT Margareten)
SCHMID, Dominik (SG BBM Bietigheim)
BOZOVIC, Janko (HC Meshkov Brest)
WÖSS, Richard (TuS-N-Lübbecke)
MAYER, Lucas (Bregenz Handball)
MARINOVIC, Nikola (Frisch Auf! Göppingen)
SZILAGYI, Viktor (Bergischer HC)
POSCH, Fabian (SG INSIGNIS Handball WESTWIEN)
SCHLINGER, Roland (Alpla HC Hard)
WAGESREITER, Markus (SG INSIGNIS Handball WESTWIEN)
KOLAR, Markus (HC Fivers WAT Margareten)
WEBER, Thomas (Alpla HC Hard)
ASCHERBAUER, Dominik (HC LINZ AG)
KLOPCIC, Marian (Bregenz Handball)
WEBER, Robert (SC Magdeburg)
BAMMER, Dominik (Bregenz Handball)
BILYK, Nikola (HC Fivers WAT Margareten)
BOKESCH, Markus (HC LINZ AG)
SANTOS, Raul (VfL Gummersbach)
KIRVELIAVICIUS (SG BBM Bietigheim)
