This week saw an important step for the development of women’s handball in Switzerland, as the Swiss Handball Federation opened a Women’s Academy at OYM Sciences in Cham. The project begins with 10 players enrolled at the school specialised in the development of talented athletes, and a long-term target of the best performance possible from Switzerland at the 2024 European championship, which they will co-host with Hungary and Austria. 

“The association invests in women’s handball with conviction. The academy is a lighthouse on our way that is laid out with a lot of foresight,” OYM Sciences head of competitive sports Ingo Meckes told the official website of the Swiss Handball Federation. 

“We are aware that we cannot expect results from day one. With the EHF EURO 2024, which takes place in Hungary, Austria and Switzerland, we already have a milestone in our planning.” 

With this project, the Swiss Handball Federation aims to train the most talented athletes under professional conditions in order to connect their national squad with the world elite. The programme includes female players aged between 15 and 20 years. 

The early stages of the newly introduced handball programme will involve some weeks of tests to develop individualised profiles and training programmes, before the players settle into their ongoing routine. Alongside their specific individual and group training sessions, the first of which was led by national team coach Martin Albertsen, the players will undergo regular performance testing and be part of a physiotherapy and injury prevention concept. They will also continue playing matches with their regular clubs. 

“It’s a dream to work in such an infrastructure. We have the best conditions here for the development of our players, and together we will give everything every day to make progress with Swiss women’s handball. The academy is a huge opportunity for Swiss women’s handball and the only way to go,” says Albertsen, while project manager and former national team player Karin Weigelt adds:

“We are creating the conditions for a successful future and we offer our most talented players perspectives that are unique. With this training, we want to strengthen the national team in the long term and establish a connection with the extended world elite.” 

More information on the Swiss women’s training academy can be found here. 

Photos: SHV/FOTO WAGNER