The fourth annual Tyneside Handball Tournament returns to Temple Park Leisure Centre this Saturday 7 May.
Hosted by Newcastle Vikings Handball Club, who train and play their home matches at the South Shields venue, the fast-paced, action-packed Olympic sport will see teams from England and Scotland compete in the knockout cup competitions. Spectator entry is free for anyone to go along and watch the men’s and women’s matches at any time throughout the day, 9am – 7:30pm in the main sports hall.
Hailing from Norway, home of the Olympic, World and European women’s handball champions, Newcastle Vikings’ head coach and chairperson Marlen Slinning founded the club with a group of fellow handball enthusiasts in September 2012 in the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
“It’s really taken off and we’re developing rapidly as a club with the help of Sport England and Tyne & Wear Sport grant funding, establishing senior men’s and women’s teams as well as several promising junior players, while I also teach handball in local schools.“
She added: “We’ve got a good mix of experienced and new players of all ages at the club and we’ve just completed our third competitive season playing in the England Handball North Development League with our men’s and women’s teams both finishing in the top five. Our aim is to grow handball across Newcastle and the North East, so this third tournament in South Tyneside is another step towards that, and hopefully we’ll attract some new members to our club too. This is a great opportunity to come along and watch the fastest team ball sport in the world.”
The Tyneside tournament will see Newcastle Vikings’ men take on teams from Sunderland, York, Edinburgh, the University of Strathclyde and reigning champions Glasgow. In the women’s competition, the Vikings ladies will be looking to regain their title playing against Durham University, Edinburgh and the University of Leeds.
For anyone interested in getting involved and having a go at playing handball, Newcastle Vikings Handball Club’s junior and adult teams train on Monday evenings at Temple Park Leisure Centre and Wednesday evenings at the Percy Hedley Sports Academy in Killingworth, North Tyneside. ‘Have a Go’ taster sessions are free!