The Icelandic national team in men’s handball tied Norway 34-34 in a friendly handball game in Reykjavík yesterday. Today, the team travels to Croatia to participate in the qualifying round for the Olympics in London this coming summer.
The Icelandic national team returns after winning the European bronze in 2010. Photo by Geir Ólafsson.
The tournament, in which Iceland will play against Chile, Japan and Croatia, kicks off on Friday and ends on Sunday; the game against Norway was the last of the team’s preparation phase back home, Morgunblaðið reports.
In yesterday’s game, Ólafur Stefánsson, the world’s highest earning handball player, scored his 1,500th goal for the Icelandic national team. He is the highest scorer in the team’s history.
Ólafur has played 316 games with the national team and scored 4.74 goals per average in each game. His achievement is said to be unique.
As for other experienced athletes, Katrín Jónsdóttir of the Icelandic national team in women’s football will play her 116th game for the team tonight when they face Belgium in Dessel in the European Championship pre-rounds.
Katrín herself is not preoccupied with her constantly adding to the record of national games played in women’s football. “Others remind me but I don’t think about it.”
“My goal is to qualify for the European Championship again and to participate in another large tournament,” she added.
Click here to read more about Icelandic handball and here to read more about football.
ESA
