For a male handball player to be born in January usually means that his birthday is celebrated away from home, with his teammates. This is also the case for Tomáš Mrkva at the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship, with Czechia’s goalkeeper turning 36 years old, just one day after his team made it to the main round, despite conceding a loss against Germany, 22:29, in the last match of the preliminary round.

“It was a great birthday, to be honest, my family was also here, in Herning, at the match, so we got to spend some time together. And qualifying for the main round is also nice, that means we are still in the competition. In the previous European Championships, we were out and I was at home. So, all in all, it is a great birthday,” says Mrkva.

Indeed, Czechia drew the short straw by being sent to Group A of the preliminary round, where they faced Germany, Switzerland and Poland, in an all-European battle, which had only three teams from the four competing going to the main round. 

With a 17:17 draw against Switzerland and a 19:19 draw against Poland, Czechia went through to the next phase, but will only have a single point into the next phase, making a quarter-finals spot difficult to achieve.

But Mrkva is confident that this Czechia team has a bright future ahead of it, with many young players featuring in Xavi Sabate’s squad.

“I think we have a great team spirit. Many of the players are young, but they want to improve, to showcase their talent at this level, looking for a better future. And we have been doing better and better in the past years, so I think this team really looks promising,” adds Mrkva.

Indeed, Czechia are one of the youngest teams in the competition, with an average age of 26,39 years old. There are only five players aged 30 or older, with Mrkva, who turned 36 on Monday, being the most experienced player both from an age point of view and from his career.

The shot stopper started his career at Baník Karviná, the team his father also played for, but in 2010, when he was only 21 years old, he moved to Germany, where he played for ASV Hamm. This kickstarted a fantastic career, which saw Mrkva play at Frisch Auf Göppingen, HBW Balingen-Weilstetten, Berischer HC and, ultimately, THW Kiel, where he has been featuring since 2022.

“When I was a kid, I played tennis and ice hockey, but eventually, my life led my to handball. And it has been fantastic, to be able to play for so long in the Bundesliga and now to represent my country for the first time at the World Championship, I am very grateful for how things happened,” says Mrkva.

The last time Czechia were at the IHF Men’s World Championship was in 2015, when they finished 17th. Prior to that, Czechia finished 12th at Germany 2007, as the goalposts were manned by Martin Galia, Mrkva’s former teammate, and the current goalkeeping coach for Czechia’s national team.

But now, under coach Xavi Sabate, who will leave his position after the conclusion of the IHF Men’s World Championship, Czechia have prided themselves on an old-school brand of handball, with a defence-first mentality, which needs good performances from goalkeepers. And Mrkva duly delivered.

So far, Mrkva had an excellent performance, saving 27 shots for a 33% saving efficiency, including a 12-save outing against Switzerland, and two penalty saves against Germany, keeping Czechia in the match for most of the time.

“I am really happy we qualified. It was not easy, this is clear, but I think that now we can face different opponents and fight for a better finish at the end of the competition. We will face three different teams – Denmark, Italy and Tunisia – and I am really glad that we also play against a non-European team, because we want to measure our forces with other sides,” adds Mrkva.

Now at 36 years old, the goalkeeper is definitely not pondering retirement. Goalkeepers are built a bit different and the older the get, the better they are. Just like fine wine. Mrkva certainly fits into that category, having reached his peak late in his career, just as he did for the national team, making his debut at the IHF Men’s World Championship at 35 years old.

“I will say a cliché, sure, but age is just a number. I will play as long as my body allows me to, as long as I will feel the pleasure. If it is two years, five years or 10 years, we shall see. But now, I feel fantastic,” concludes Mrkva.