For the first time in their club’s history Esporte Clube Pinheiros qualified for the IHF Super Globe. The Brazilian team won the final of the Pan American Club Championship, carried out in Sao Bernardo do Campo (Brazil), against their country fellows from team Unopar clearly 33:22. By taking this trophy, Esporte Clube Pinheiros will represent Pan-America at the IHF Super Globe in Doha (Qatar) and will meet European Champions League winner THW Kiel (Germany), Asian representative AL-Sad (Lebanon) and a team from Qatar, which is currently not yet known, in the Preliminary Round.
Esporte Clube Pinheiros won all their matches in the Pan American Club Championship. After two victories in the Preliminary Round, the Brazilians beat River Plate (Argentina) in the semi-final 42:26. Unopar – last year’s Pan-American representative at the IHF Super Globe – also won both matches of the Preliminary Round before beating Metodistas (Brazil) in the semi-final 30:28. River Plate took the third place by winning the bronze final 30:27 against Metodista. Also the top scorer of the tournament, Juan Francisco Ojea (22 goals), plays for the Argentineans.
Final ranking:
1. Esporte Clube Pinheiros (Brazil), 2. Unopar (Brazil), 3. River Plate (Argentina), 4. Metodista (Brazil), 5. Sociedad Villa Ballester (Argentina), 6. Universiada Americana (Paraguay)
