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‘Handball is my life’ – a simple message from Argentina’s James Lewis Parker

16 Jan. 2023

‘Handball is my life’ – a simple message from Argentina’s James Lewis Parker

The 2023 IHF Men's World Championship in Poland and Sweden represents third time lucky for Argentina left back James Lewis Parker.

After being named by Manuel Cadenas in his provisional Argentina squad for Denmark/Germany 2019 but not making the final cut, he was named again, for Egypt 2021.

But disaster struck, an injury preventing him from appearing in North Africa and he had to wait another two years for his chance on the world stage.

Now, he has finally made it to the global competition after being selected by current Argentina coach Guillermo Milano in his final squad of 18 for Poland/Sweden 2023.

"I'm really happy to represent my country at a World Championship," said Parker to ihf.info at the Tauron Arena in Krakow, Poland.

"The last World Championship I had a knee injury, so I can only say that I'm really happy to be here now. I hope to play well in this championship, it's the first World Championship for me and I hope to pass through to the next round."

Five goals have followed for Parker in nearly 60 minutes of action so far, in losses against the Netherlands (19:29) on Friday (13 January) and a Sandor Sagosen-inspired Norway (21:32) on Sunday night.

This has set up a do-or-die clash against North Macedonia in their final preliminary group match on Tuesday (17 January), with the winners going through to the main round.

"It's an important match for us," said the 28-year-old from the San Luis province in the South American country.

"We just have to be thinking about that match and keep moving. Against Norway, we played really well in the first half, but in the second half we made so many mistakes in our defence and in attack, we lost the ball so many times, it was really bad.

"For me, Sagosen is the best player in the world. He's a really good player. Like Dika Mem, our team doesn't have players like that; for that, we have to play together. The level of our team is the best of us, but we have to work more."

And Parker knows about work. After switching from golf and basketball as a teenager, he focused on handball, playing in Argentina under Milano at the CeNARD national performance centre.

He went on to play for Mariano Acosta and then Polvorines, where he joined up again with Milano, who then brought him to the national team in his role as assistant to Cadenas.

The Mediterranean coastal team of Benidorm was a hotbed of Argentinean talent, not least with Pablo Simonet being based there at the time and the two becoming good friends.

And last September, the former Chile coach, Spaniard Mateo Garralda, terminated his contract with Benidorm, moving the player to work alongside him at the Egyptian powerhouse Zamalek.

"Mateo Garralda is a really, really good coach. He trusts me and lets me play in all the matches all the time," said Parker, who described seeing the pyramids for the first time after his move to Egypt as 'one of his best experiences'.

"I play with really good players like Hassan Kaddah, like Ahmed El-Ahmar, so it's really a big team, it's a great step for me and I'm really happy about that. I hope we can win the African championship."

With Parker also taking gold with Argentina in the South American Games and silver in the South and Central America Championship, it was a whirlwind 2022 and confirmation that his sports switch was the correct one.

"Yes, yes, I played professional golf tournaments in Argentina, across South America, but this is my last life. I was 16 years old," laughed Parker when asked about his previous sporting career.

"Golf is more difficult than handball for me, it's completely different, but my father likes golf a lot. He was a professional basketball player. I love basketball too, my shirt number (23) now is for Michael Jordan (Jordan wore the same number when he played).

"He was really angry when I decided not to play golf and basketball," smiled Parker about his father, also called James, a basketball player who played in Argentina.

"But I love handball, it's the best sport for me and I needed the change. I was really happy about the change. Handball is my life.

"He's really proud," said Parker about what his father now thinks about the decision to switch sports. "He tells me to play calmly and not fight, I love to fight, but he tells me to play happy."

James' father lives in Chicago with his brother, his mother lives in Argentina with his sister, and he now lives in Egypt with his new role at Zamalek.

Despite the geography separating them all, he regularly visits both and has a clear message to both of them and everyone who has supported him.

"Trust in me," he says, before admitting that hearing the Argentinean national anthem brings out special feelings.

"It's really emotional for us," he says. "Argentina people, we really, really love our country."