Three match days in each of the men’s Olympic Qualification Tournaments leave no room for error and make every game count in what is a competitive last stretch towards the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Norway have taken one step in the right direction and enter day two of Tournament 3 in Hungary on the back of a strong opening win, 32:29, which saw them lead Portugal throughout the opening match on Thursday.

It was a powerful showing from Norway, who had lost to Portugal 32:37 at the Men’s EHF EURO 2024 less than two months ago. That match was almost a reverse of Thursday’s clash in Tatabanya, where Norway had the upper hand from early on, led as clear as six goals and 18:13 at half-time, and held off a second-half comeback from Portugal. 

“Our defence was pretty good in first half. We also came to a lot of good chances. In the first half, we made a lot of goals but struggled a little bit in the second half to make those easy goals. The goalkeepers on both teams had a lot of saves. The lead from the first half was the main point,” said wing Kristian Bjørnsen following the match. 

“It’s extremely important. We need every goal and every point we can get. It’s a very, very tough group where everybody can beat everybody. We won today but it’s not over yet.” 

On Saturday, Norway will meet Hungary on the second match day in Tatabanya. Hungary also took a win in their opener, beating Tunisia 33:24. All three of the European sides in the tournament are ranked in the top 10 in their continent, with Hungary having clinched fifth at the EHF EURO 2024, Portugal seventh and Norway ninth. Meanwhile, Tunisia took the bronze medal at the African Championship, also played in January. 

The points gathered so far are important, but the competition is far from over, and will certainly come down to the last matches on Sunday, as no team can secure their passage yet. 

“It’s going to be at least as tough as this game [vs Portugal]. Hungary played a really good EURO and have a lot of young guys, common stars, so it’s going to be hard,” says Bjørnsen regarding the encounter against Hungary. 

For Norway, the EURO campaign was somewhat disappointing, as they dropped unexpected points in the preliminary round and only just made it into the next stage as one of the group’s top two sides. In the main round, the recorded two wins in four games, but it was far from enough to make it to the final weekend, where the last teams standing play for positions first to sixth. 

“We have a talked a lot and had a lot of meetings. We’ve talked a lot about how we want to look, how we want to perform, and showing the rest of the guys that we’re playing for the national team. It’s a big honour for us and it’s not like we’re only playing a normal handball game, so that was pretty important for us now — to show at least for ourselves,” says Bjørnsen regarding what the team have talked about since the EURO. 

If Norway make it to Paris 2024, it will be their second consecutive Olympic Games and third overall. At Tokyo 2020, they returned to the Olympic Games after a 49-year wait, having made their debut in Munich in 1972 when the men’s handball competition was introduced as an ongoing part of the Olympic programme. In 1972, they placed ninth, and at Tokyo 2020, they ranked seventh. 

“That would be really, really big. That’s something I guess all handball players dream of. If we can manage that for a second time now it will be amazing, and especially a normal Olympics, not as the last Olympics.” 

Bjørnsen refers to fact the Tokyo 2020 Games took place under strict COVID-19 restrictions, with no spectators and a tightly controlled environment for the participants as was necessary at the time. No doubt playing in front of spectators would change the experience, and with the Games taking place in France, Norway would be guaranteed to have some loyal supporters in the stands. 

A victory over Hungary would put Norway on the cusp of a place at Paris 2024, but nothing will be sure until Sunday, when the men’s line-up at the upcoming Olympics will be finalised as the last six teams join the fray.