'LHD spectators can expect passion from abc braga'

December 21

Edition 2011 of Limburgse Handbal Dagen marks ABC Braga's debut in the tournament. The Portuguese side wants to make the most out of this experience.

"LHD offers us the chance to give playing time to all our players. This is valuable playing time, because the tournament is played at a high international level", ABC's head coach Carlos Resende says.

Resende, Portugal's most capped handball player, promises that ABC will remain faithful to their own identity and spectators "can expect a competitive, intelligent and passionate team which plays handball at a high pace".

The Portuguese coach has clear objectives for his team and sees every match "as a final that must be won".

Handball fans in Limburg will have the chance to see a team which consists of Portuguese players only. ABC is famous for its successful youth academy which is called School of Champions. According to Carlos Resende, this is the result of a combination of various factors: "there is a strong tradition of successfull young players which is passed from generation to generation. Together with the hard work, passion and dedication of coaches and directors, and the support of the Municipality of Braga, this tradition allows us to achieve great results."

ABC Braga will take on Dutch champions KRAS/Volendam, RK Porec from Croatia and Limburg side Eurotech Bevo Hc in group A of Limburgse Handbal Dagen 2011.

HC Meshkov brest PLAYERS IN NATIONAL teams

December 20

The head coach of Belarus, Yuri Chvestov, has called up three players from LHD-participant HC Meshkov Brest for the national team. Players Vitali Charapenka (photo), Maksim Baranau and Yuri Gromyko of were called up for the national team of Belarus for the World Cup qualifiers against Romania and Luxembourg. These games will be played in January of 2012.

Besides the three Belarusian players, Valdas Novickis and Vaidotas Grosas were called up for the national team of Lithuania for World Cup qualifiers against Italy and Switzerland which will also be played in January of 2012.
HC Meshkov Brest will take on OCI Nitrogen / Lions, HC West and RK West Zemaitijos Dragunas in group B of Limburgse Handbal Dagen 2011.
 

Old friends from Croatia last participant LHD

November 25

RK Porec from Croatia are the last participant of Limburgse Handbal Dagen 2011. The organization of the tournament managed to welcome back an old friend for this year's event. Porec already played at LHD in 2009 and reached the semi-finals. At this moment RK Porec leads the Croatian league.
 

HC West first Finnish participant Limburgse Handbal Dagen

November 21

The Finnish club HC West is the seventh participant of the Limburgse Handbal Dagen. HC West are champions of Finland and currently lead the national competition with sixteen points after eight matches.

HC West hail from the city of Kauniainen, in the south of Finland and in their squad many players can be found who played with the Finnish national team against the Netherlands earlier this month in Geleen. It is the first time in the history of the LHD that a club from this Scandinavian country participates in the tournament.

The 24th edition of the Limburgse Handbal Dagen will be played on December 27, 28 and 29 in three venues: Geleen, Panningen and Sittard. It promises to be a spectacular tournament which, besides HC West, counts with the participation of Dutch champions KRAS/Volendam, ABC Braga (Portugal), RK Zemaitijos Dragunas (Lithuania) and, from Limburg, OCI Nitrogen-Lions and Eurotech/Bevo. The list of participants is almost complete and the tournament organization will soon announce the eighth and last team. Shortly afterwards the match schedule will be published.
 

Lithuanian champions Zemaitijos Dragunas to Limburgse Handbal Dagen

November 14

The organization of the Limburgse Handbal Dagen has contracted RK Zemaitijos Dragunas from the Lithuanian town of Klapeida for the 2011 edition of the tournament. By contracting the Lithuanian team, the third foreign participant in the tournament is known.
Zemaitijos Dragunas has won both the national title and the national cup of Lithuania in the previous two seasons.

The team from Klapeida is coached by success coach Artūras Juškėnas and mainly consists of young players with a lot of experience. After six matches in the Lithuanian competition RK Zemaitijos Dragunas is the leader in the competition, without loss of points.

RK Zemaitijos Dragunas is the sixth participant in the 24th edition of the Limburgse Handbal Dagen. Previously it has been announced that KRAS/Volendam, the Portuguese ABC Braga and HC Meshkov Brest will take part in the international tournament held in Limburg on December 27, 28 and 29, 2011. Apart from that Eurotech/Bevo and OCI Nitrogen-Lions, both from Limburg, will be present at the LHD.

Spanish top referees present at Limburgse Handbal Dagen

October 30

The tournament organization of the Limburgse Handbal Dagen has contracted the Spanish referee couple Oscar Raluy and Angel Sabroso to referee during the 24th edition of the tournament on December 27, 28 and 29, 2011.

In 2010 the LHD spectators were firstly introduced to these referees from the Canary Islands. This proved to have been an excellent choice when a month after the LHD Oscar Raluy and Angel Sabroso refereed the final of the World Championship in Sweden.
Therefore the organization of the LHD is delighted that these two sympathetic Spanish referees have once again been designated by the Spanish referee executive to travel to Limburg.

Oscar and Angel have just returned from a Mexican adventure during the Pan America Games. “The Limburgse Handbal Dagen are an ideal preparation to us for the upcoming international and Champions League matches. We are delighted that we are allowed to attend the LHD once again and we are already looking forward to a fantastic tournament in hospitable Limburg. Angel and I are really looking forward to it and we will put our best foot forward”, said an enthusiastic Oscar.

At this moment five of eight participants in the Limburgse Handbal Dagen are known. Apart from OCI Nitrogen-Lions and Eurotech/Bevo, both from Limburg, the tournament organization has contracted the Dutch Champions KRAS/Volendam, HC Meshkov Brest from Belarus and the Portuguese ABC Braga.

Cupwinner Belarus participates in Limburgse Handbal Dagen

October 16

The second foreign participant in the Limburgse Handbal Dagen is known: HC Meshkov from Belarus.
By contracting this team the tournament organization once again provides the Limburgse Handbal Dagen with a renowned participant from Eastern Europe.

Meshkov, Cupwinner in 2011, is currently in second position in the national competition and makes its appearance in the third round of the EHF Cup Winners Cup in November.

HC Meshkov Brest was founded in 2002 and since then has won five national titles and six national cups. The team, coached by Vladimir Savko, has performed very well in the European Cup tournaments in recent years.

With HC Meshkov Brest the tournament organization of the Limburgse Handbal Dagen presents the fifth participant in the 24th edition.

Previously it has been announced that KRAS/Volendam and the Portuguese ABC Braga will take part during the international tournament held in Limburg on December 27, 28 and 29, 2011.
Apart from that Eurotech/Bevo and OCI Nitrogen-Lions, both from Limburg, will also be present at the LHD.

Portuguese top club ABC Braga first foreign participant LHD 2011

October 10

Académico Basket Clube from Portugal, better known as ABC Braga, is the first foreign participant of the Limburgse Handbal Dagen 2011. Last season ABC ended the Portuguese competition in fifth place, with the same amount of points as SL Benfica, the winner of the 2010 edition of the LHD. From the start of this season, the team from Braga is coached by Carlos Resende, Portugal’s best handball player of all time.

ABC Braga is a traditional top club in the Portuguese competition and has won ten national championships so far. Moreover the club is known to have the best youth training of the country.
After the earlier mentioned SL Benfica (2010), FC Porto/Visalis, winner in 2009, and Madeira SAD (2005), this is the fourth time that a Portuguese team participates in the Limburgse Handbal Dagen.

With ABC Braga the organisation of the Limburgse Handbal Dagen presents her first foreign participant of the 24th edition. Previously it has been announced that KRAS/Volendam, as the winner of the BeNeLux-liga, will take part in the international tournament that will be held in Limburg on December 27, 28 and 29 of 2011. Apart from that Eurotech/Bevo and OCI Nitrogen-Lions, both from Limburg, will also be present at the LHD. New international participants will soon follow.