Team Brutus: "The experience was totally amazing"
Team Brutus from Argentina loved their experience at Partille Cup this year.
The Argentinian team is already planning their return to Partille Cup next summer.
– My first goal with Team Brutus is to offer kids the opportunity to play and have international experiences, says the coach Gaston Mourino, who plays for the national team.
It’s been some months since Partille Cup 2023 now. How was the experience for the team? What did the players get to learn and experience in Gothenburg?
– The experience was totally amazing for all of us of Team Brutus. Me, as a team leader, can say that was a big transformation on each others life, as seeing and living a high level handball, a big and great tournament with people of all around the globe. The players have got the opportunity to know many different cultures, have made friends from other countries and were able to measure their handball with great teams from Europe.
What are your goals with Team Brutus? How do you want to develop the project?
– My first goal with Team Brutus is to offer kids the opportunity to play and have international experiences. Seeing how was our first experience, my feelings are so good that we will be able to keep offering this for many other kids. The project will always need families trust, because it’s not easy to cross the whole world with a big group of kids, but as I see in our first experience, we get a super and helpful group, with a lot of trust and confidence, giving us a good space to teach, interchange, learn and grow as a human, as an athlete.
What is the next step for the the club?
– Right now we are organizing the next trip to summer 2024, and we are so motivated to reach and bring a woman group as well. So, the expectations are good, we’re working on it to be able to bring as much players we can, boys and girls in under 18 categories.
How is the interest for handball in Argentina now? Is it getting bigger?
– I believe that in baby steps, we're getting little bigger. As a professional player from Argentina, I can say that we still are so far from where we want to be as an a commercial and product sport. I see that is a lot of investment that we still need, for one day be able to progress in many topics, but if there is one thing that I can say, is that Argentinians are passionate for sports, we have this in our culture. Much from that, is because we have so much history in football. But in general, I believe that we – since we were kids – learn to love and support the sport energy, so in that way, I feel a big and good support that is getting day by day stronger. My feelings are that the interest for handball is growing, people are getting more used to watch and follow handball leagues.
How big do you think Argentina can be as a handball nation? Do you think you can pass Brazil?
– Argentina have this big and emotional culture to support and live with all their hearts the sports. I believe handball is a great sport, having many goals in a match, having the capacity to be played in schools, in small ages, so the perspective is really good and interesting, it’s so difficult to see it really being a handball nation, but I like to dream about it. About passing Brazil, I believe that we are flowing in the same way, and speaking as a continent, South America need more attention from the federations, more professionalism and much more government investment, once South America grows in this aspect, we will see a really change in both countries, and maybe one day we will be able to compare it.
Do you think Team Brutus will come back to Partille Cup next year?
– Sure! We're totally convinced that in 2024 we will be there, says Gaston Mourino.
