Job done for Norway as Greenland end 22-year absence

The motto for the 2023 IHF Women’s World Championship is ‘Aim to Excite’ and co-host nation Norway certainly did that in their 32-goal defeat of Greenland, 43:11, to throw off their quest for another gold medal.

Group C
Norway vs Greenland 43:11 (19:7)

This clash of continental champions went the way as expected as the European title-holders Norway breezed past the North America and the Caribbean champions Greenland in Stavanger.

Greenland were at the IHF Women’s World Championship for the first time in 22 years, bringing over 200 people on their 3,000km special charter flight to Norway.

The difference in quality on court was not surprising, with Norwegian media reporting Greenland having 1,200 active handball players in a country of 56,000 while Norway having nearly three times as many (135,000) in a country of just under 5.5 million.

Added to that, Norway are competition title-holders going for a record fifth gold in the championship with a medal-laden squad.

Despite the odds clearly stacked against them, Greenland kept in touch for the first quarter, buoyed by their vocal support in the DNB Arena which vastly drowned out the home crowd.

With 16 minutes on the clock, Greenland were just three down (6:9) but that is where their luck ran out as Thorir Hergeirsson’s Norway went on a 10:1 run – preventing their opponents from scoring for nearly 12 minutes – to kill the game by the half-time break (19:7). 

To further emphasise the difference, Norway ended the first 30 minutes with an 83% strike rate, averaging 24 seconds with each attack, while Greenland ended with 35% and 47 seconds.

Playing 7v6 for most of the match, Greenland gave all their energy, but the second half ended 24:4 to the hosts as Hergeirsson fully rotated his playing squad, including seeing Henny Reistad play without hassle, following some injury issues and resting Nora Mork and Katrine Lunde.

Despite the changes, Norway were business-like, ending with just three turnovers in the match (Greenland ended with 21).

But the day was about the visitors. Every Greenland goal was wildly cheered by their fans, their first coming from Andrea Marie Bertia Karina Heilmann in the opening two minutes, and every save too, with Rina Moller Lorentzen making the first save as the clock struck 13.

Both teams will have very different goals and paths at this championship but both will have learnt a lot from this opener.

hummel Player of the Match: Kristina Sirum Novak (Norway)