A learning experience

When people hear the names Manchester and Trafford they probably think of football. That might be about to change.

The result was never really in question when Trafford Handball Club kicked off their participation in the Boys 18 tournament against Danish team Hjortshöj Egå IF.
The Danes led by 13 - 1 at halftime and the game ended at 25 - 2. But sometimes the experience is more important than the result.
– We want to learn from other European teams and take that knowledge back to England and develop the sport of handball there, says Sebastian Chan, the coach for Trafford Handball Club.

It was the first time the Trafford players faced international competition and coach Chan thinks they will improve the more games they play. 
– Our boys can pass and they can shoot but we really lack game experience. I think that the more games we can play against teams here in Partille Cup, the better we will become.

England as a whole does not have a great or famous handball tradition, it’s mainly been a sport played at universities, but more and more people are learning about handball.
– We have a Premier League for handball and four divisions all over the country. I would say we are improving all the time, says Chan.

The handball federation in England has started promoting the sport to young people in schools all over the country, but one obstacle has been the lack of indoor halls built for handball. Often teams will have to make do with basketball courts or other venues.

Trafford was established in 2018 and the club also has a team in the Girls 18 class .