2021 IHF Men’s Super Globe line-up takes shape

30 Aug. 2021

2021 IHF Men’s Super Globe line-up takes shape

The 2021 IHF Men’s Super Globe is just around the corner, scheduled from 5 to 9 October in Saudi Arabia, where the top club teams in the world will fight for the coveted trophy.

Ten teams from nine countries will take the court in Dammam, with nine sides already earning their tickets to the competition.

After the 2020 edition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the competition is back in full fledge and the reigning champions, Barça, were the first side to be confirmed for the competition after winning the IHF Men’s Super Globe in 2019.

Barça, who are also the reigning champions of the EHF Champions League Men, are the most decorated side in the history of the competition, with five titles, three of which were sealed in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

With the Spanish powerhouse already qualified for the event, the spot for the European team was clinched by Danish side Aalborg Håndbold, finalists of last season’s EHF Champions League Men.

Aalborg, the reigning Danish champions, will become the first Danish team to play in the IHF Men’s Super Globe and only the second Scandinavian side to take part in the competition since Drammen HK did in the inaugural edition in 1997.

Another European side, SC Magdeburg, has received a wild card place for the competition. Winners of the EHF European League Men, they will make their comeback in the competition for the first time since 2002, when they finished second in the round-robin tournament, conceding a sole loss against eventual winners Al Sadd.

Last week, two other teams were confirmed after winning qualifying tournaments in the United States of America and Brazil.

San Francisco CalHeat will represent the North America and Caribbean Handball Confederation (NACHC), booking their ticket after the first two match days of the tournament held in Fremont, California.

CalHeat are in after a 31:27 win against Mexican side Club Ministros de Monterrey and a 29:21 clear win against fellow American side New York City Team Handball Club.

The Californian team will represent the NACHC at the IHF Men’s Super Globe for the first time.

Brazilian side EC Pinheiros enjoyed two wins in the first two games, against Brazilian side Nacional (30:20) and Paraguayan team Olimpia (36:17), to set up a do-or-die clash against rivals, HC Taubaté.

With a narrow 27:26 win against the hosts, Pinheiros became the South and Central America Handball Confederation (SCAHC) representative, making their comeback in the competition for the first time since 2017.

Three Asians clubs will also take part in the competition, with the host country, Saudi Arabia, sending two teams, Al Wehda and Al Nour.

The other side was selected after the Asian Men’s Club League Championship, held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between 12 and 21 June 2021.

With seven wins in seven games, Qatari side Al Duhail stole the show, after defeating Al Kuwait in the final, 27:24.

Al Duhail will make their second appearance, after the one in 2019, when they finished eighth.

The African Handball Confederation’s (CAHB) representative will be decided on 10 September in the Men’s African Super Cup 2021 in Egypt that will be contested between Zamalek and Al Ahly.

The representative from the Oceania Continent Handball Federation (OCHF) will be Sydney Uni. 

Sydney Uni has participated in the IHF Men’s Super Globe every year since 2012 and has been one of the most successful Oceanian clubs in the past decade. Due to the ongoing health measures put in place by the authorities in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a large part of Australia and its major cities have been subject to snap lockdowns, thus making it difficult to organise a qualification tournament. However, with the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games in sight, the club and the OCHF have made huge efforts to be present at the 2021 IHF Men’s Super Globe. Therefore, the IHF has confirmed the participation of Sydney Uni, with an exemption of the limitation on short-term transfers and a waiving of the IHF transfer fees.