In Munich, we recently witnessed another huge global gathering (and, no, it wasn’t Oktoberfest). It was the 2019 World Men’s Handball Championship, which was an equally exciting event for many locals and European neighbors. Germany shared hosting responsibilities with Denmark, and, in total, the competition brought together 24 teams and over 900,000 spectators.
Handball may not share the same glory as its sister sport where they play with their feet. But, as a German-headquartered company, we’re just as proud of our connection to handball, so much so that NanoTemper sponsors a youth team at our local club, HSG Gröbenzell-Olching.
While our enthusiasm for handball may seem like it comes out of left field (wrong sports pun, I know), it shouldn’t. After all, the German Handball Association, or the DHB, is the largest handball association in the world. And, NanoTemper is proud to have many of the same values — like passion, respect, and teamwork — that are fundamental to handball.
To share our love of the sport, here are a few fun facts and lessons learned from handball that can make all our lives better.
Germany lost, but who cares…right? Handball is all about respect
For those of you who weren’t following the championship, Denmark won (congrats!), and Germany finished fourth, losing in the semifinals to Norway. Although — we’re not going to lie — the loss still burns, camaraderie and good sportsmanship are important components of handball. The game is exceptionally fair, which was on full display at the World Championship, where it’s very common for stars to help a fallen player from the opposing team after fouls.
Success only exists as a team
Handball is quite different from basketball and football (soccer). It’s a much more physical sport but just as exciting and fast. While that may sound scarier, it’s still a sport that everyone can join, from professionals to amateurs. Handball players know that success can only exist in a team. And, even the sport’s superstars are very down to earth (we’d like to think because of the spirit of the sport and not because their salaries aren’t as astronomical as those of their football counterparts).
Passion keeps the sport strong
Handball is no longer considered a top-class sport in Munich, although it was at one time. Nevertheless, players still remain equally passionate about the game. For example, there are about 400,000 active handball players in Germany. And even though it’s not a well-advertised sport, there are many volunteers, local organizations and clubs that help promote handball and keep enthusiasm for the sport strong.
It perhaps comes as no surprise that NanoTemper’s company values are very similar to those of handball. When you’re passionate and surrounded by people who are respectful and committed to working effectively, you can achieve great things.
