All Stars for Legends celebration in Czech Republic

The Czech Handball Federation organised the All Stars for Legends event from June 19 to 21 to celebrate a number of important national anniversaries – including the nation’s first world title won by the women’s side in 1957 and the men’s only World Championship gold medal, in 1967, both as Czechoslovakia.

All Stars for Legends includes three days of handball-related activities and events, featuring a ‘handball marathon’ starting on June 19 before the main event on June 21. The handball marathon began at seven o’clock on the morning of June 19, with the game running round the clock through to the final whistle at one o’clock in the morning on June 21. Various teams participated in the match, playing for one hour before being replaced by different sides for a game totalling 42.195 hours.

The main programme on Wednesday 21 June begins with a wheelchair handball match, before ‘Handball Hope 2017’ featuring young players, ‘Walking Handball’ for elder handball players with fitness restrictions, and a match starring famous non-handball athletes and performers. The day will culminate with the premier games, featuring all-star Czech and Slovakian men’s and women’s teams against a selection of handball’s most celebrated players from other nations.

The men’s match will see the teams coached by former France coach and multiple title winner Claude Onesta, and THW Kiel coach Alfred Gislason. Players participating include French stars Thierry Omeyer, Daniel Narcisse and Jackson Richardson, Germany’s Daniel Stephan and Henning Fritz, Polish Slawomir Szmal, Spanish Valero Rivera Folch, and Serbian Momir Ilic.

IHF President Dr Hassan Moustafa will take part in the celebrations on June 21, which will include presentations to the 1957 and 1967 World Championship winning squads, as well as the 1972 Olympic and the 1997 EHF EURO silver medal-winning men’s sides.