“It would mean the world to me” – Denmark’s Ditte Vind and her Chinese dream

Out of the top 32 goalkeepers in both the men’s and women’s beach handball competitions at The World Games Chengdu 2025, only four have more saves to their name than Denmark’s Ditte Vind.

Having stopped 22 of the 61 shots she has faced so far – a 36% save rate – she only lies behind Spain’s Patricia Encinas Guardado on 31 (76 shots faced/40% save rate), Portugal’s Ricardo Castro on 26 (106/25%) and the German pair of Nele Kurzke on 24 (81/30%) and Moritz Ebert on 23 (107/21%) in terms of volume of shots stopped.

Nearly a third (7) of those saves came in Germany’s quarter-final win over Croatia on Sunday (10 August), the last of which, while relatively tame, had to be made to ensure a 2-0 win and prevent the second set from going to a golden goal late on as Vind’s side ran out 20:18 winners, adding to their clear first set win, 19:8.

“In the beginning of the game, they (Croatia) couldn't really handle or grab the ball, so it was easy to just take a step back and see what was coming to me,” explained the 31-year-old about the game which was played in heavy rain.

“But by the end of the game, in the second set, they got the ball under control and it was just so anxious in the end for me because we couldn't really score that many goals. I just knew that I had to make a difference, and the defence had to do something to stop Croatia, so it was pure joy that we could stop their last shot, because before that, they got a few goals so I was getting anxious and a little bit nervous.”

But there is one thing to want and to know to make a difference, but how does it actually work on the court?

“We wanted to control the things that we could control, like opening up to a specific player, which we did most of the game, but they changed their player. Every third attack, or something like that, it would be another player,” she explained.

“The things that we could control are, even if they were still getting the same chances to score and even if they scored, we just had to keep pumping them for energy and hope that we might get something in the block, or I could save something and the things I had control over. I needed to look huge, have my arms stretched out and be prepared for anything, because when it is raining you don't know [what is going to happen].”

With Croatia 7:4 ahead in the second set after just three minutes, this was when Vind’s plan was put into action. Making four saves in a row, and no doubt contributing to two further missed shots from their opponents, by the sixth minute, Denmark were 8:7 ahead.

“It’s just pure joy. I don't know how to describe it,” said Vind about what her emotions are when she makes a save and then follows one up with more. 

“I feel hyper-focused on it. I feel excitement in my body. I'm so excited about it. I'm happy. I feel confident and confidence is the most important thing. The goal is the same size in training, so it's not that different to play a game. It's a mental thing and I need to be excited about it. I need to feel like I'm in control and I need to be synchronised with my defence.”

With five young debutants in the Danish side for Chengdu 2025, Vind is not only inspiring on court, but mentoring off court too, helping navigate – who she calls – “the newbies” through their first major championship, and now, two shots at a medal, starting with Germany in the semi-final.

“We have to prepare for the next game like it's any other day and any other game,” she said. “But we also have to get the rookies prepared for it as well, so they don't succumb to the pressure. They feel it more so [than me] because they're new to it.”

And does Vind allow herself to think about winning a medal and what it would mean to her?

“The world to me,” she says, without hesitation. “I haven't won a medal in beach handball since 2019 so I'm hungry for it. I feel like we deserve to be in the top spots one way or another. But sometimes it's also about luck.

“It would just mean the world to me to be able to get a medal, because I'm hungry for it. I've had finals, but it's not the same thing and 2019 is six years ago. I was a totally different person back then, and a different player as well. I was still a professional in indoor back then, and now I'm retired from indoor, living my own life and having more time for beach handball.”