Situated on the Mediterranean coast, Torrevieja is one of the four Spanish cities chosen to host the matches of the 25th IHF Women's World Championship.

It has strong handball traditions, as the local men's club CB Torrevieja has spent nine seasons in the Spanish top division, the ASOBAL League, and the women's team Torrevieja Salud – Mare Nostrum won a junior Spanish championship this year. 

21 matches of the event are being played in total at the Palacio de los Deportes de Torrevieja, which was reconstructed before the championship and now has a capacity of 4,500 spectators.

In particular, home team Spain have played all their preliminary and main round matches in Torrevieja, starting with the opening game of the competition against Argentina. 

ihf.info spoke to mayor of Torrevieja, Eduardo Dolon, about the impact of the women’s handball flagship event on the city. 

ihf.info: Spain are organising the IHF Women's World Championship for the first time ever, and Torrevieja is among the host cities. What does it mean for the city?

Eduardo Dolon: There are two main aspects. First of all, our city is very international and multicultural. We not only welcome a lot of guests from other countries, but there are people of more than 120 different nationalities living in Torrevieja. So, we try to combine all these cultures and communities, and therefore we are very open and happy about all the teams from different countries visiting our city during the World Championship.

Secondly, Torrievieja is a very sport-friendly city. Especially in the last five years, there has been a lot of progress in terms of sport and especially women's handball, as our team won the Spanish junior championship. And an opportunity to see not only 'Las Guerreras' but also other national teams here is like a gift for the young players here. They will be motivated to continue working and progress in order to make success in future.

ihf.info: The Spanish team play all their matches of the preliminary round and main round in Torrevieja. Is it a big honour for the city?

Eduardo Dolon: Absolutely. The city of Torrevieja is especially proud and honoured to host 'Las Guerreras'. And you can see that the crowd has been responding very well. There is a lot of support, the stands are full, and it is not only a pride but also a big joy for the people.

ihf.info: What were the biggest challenges that the city faced during the preparation for the event?

Eduardo Dolon: I can mention two of them. The first is the renovation of the arena. We have invested five and a half million euros to complete it during the past seven months, and I think we have turned it into a venue of a high standard. 

And the second challenge was to prepare and support all the volunteers. Obviously, Torrevieja used to organise international events on a high level, such as the opening stage of the cycling race Vuelta a Espana. But it was just a single event, and we had never hosted a long-lasting tournament. However, we tried our best to prepare the whole staff to welcome all the teams, all the guests and stage this World Championship well.

ihf.info: How difficult is it to organise such a big event during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Eduardo Dolon: It has been definitely a challenging time for us under these very special circumstances, which, in fact, affected the whole world. Until summer, we did not even know whether we could host the tournament with or without spectators. We were preparing two possibilities, two alternatives – one including spectators, and the other excluding them. But in any case, we tried to maintain the highest safety standards. At the end of the day, it was possible to stage the event with spectators. It was a challenge, but we are very happy and proud to have prepared it in the best possible way. I think we did a good job.

ihf.info: Will the city economically benefit from hosting the matches of the World Championship?

Eduardo Dolon: Absolutely. Of course, we had to invest a lot, but on the other hand, we are gaining money as well. Obviously, this is not a high season, but hotels, restaurants and stores can make a profit out of the tournament. For example, the hotels are full, even if this is off-season. We are very happy and grateful for that. 

ihf.info: How do you evaluate the level of the competition itself?

Eduardo Dolon: The level is very high. I used to play handball myself, therefore I have been inside the handball world for quite a while. In particular, I have been following the Spanish national team, 'Las Guerreras'. I think that what we see on the court now is of a very high standard. Even the teams who did not have a chance to participate at the World Championship before, have surprised me with their technical and tactical skills. 

ihf.info: Could you tell us a bit more about your handball background?

Eduardo Dolon: I was born in Torrevieja, and I have been living my whole life here. I played handball for 20 years, until the age of 28. I played for the local team CB Torrevieja in the second Spanish division, and I actually finished my career when the club was promoted to the ASOBAL league. Unfortunately, I did not have a chance to play at the World Championship arena, because it was still under construction at the time, and we played in another hall nearby which is now a training facility for the local teams. I was a wing player, a pretty fast one – but I am not that fast any longer. But when I got involved in politics, I had to stop playing handball.

Photo: RFEBM / J. L. Recio