The World Cup is now underway, and in just ten days, Croatian handball players will begin their journey to compete against Senegal in Gothenburg on the first day of December. Two days later, they will face China, and for the end of the group stage, they are hoping for a derby for first place against Sweden.
The team has a new coach, Ivica Obrvan, who has only had ten days to get to know the team and for them to get to know him. He is currently training some players in Podravka and met the rest of the team live before departure on a bus to Poreč. According to Obrvan, they are ready for the tournament despite injury problems that occurred a few weeks ago. Their goal is to refine small details and be among the top two teams that advance to the second round and reach the quarterfinals. This would mean qualification for Paris 2024.
The Croatia Cup in Novigrad will serve as preparation for this tournament against Congo and Montenegro. Despite challenges such as Ana Debelić’s absence after becoming a mother, the team remains focused on their ultimate goal of qualifying for Paris 2024. They have been together for a long time, which brings relief to Coach Obrvan as he works with them towards success in this competition.