During any international handball tournament there is a whole army of people helping the game to be played, not least the timekeepers, table officials and scouters.

Brazil 2015, at both Uberaba and Uberlandia, is no different. A team of over 30 people worked hard to provide statistics, keep the time in check and help with all the official documentation that comes with playing an international match.

Many of those volunteers, who worked alongside the IHF Officials, will be at Rio 2016 doing the same job.

“I have never played handball, I am new to it,” said Renata Gianizella from Sao Paulo who is a statistics operator.

“You could call me an ‘outsider’ to the game, but I started doing statistics three years ago. I love the game but had to learn how everything about the game as I need to be able to know where the ball is going.

“To be part of Brazil 2015 is unbelievable and I am very proud of myself to be in this group and to be part of the handball family.”

Like Renata, Nathalia Hupsel from Santos in Sao Paulo is also a volunteer, but she works on the timekeepers table, making sure that the match, literally, ticks along.

“Brazil 2015 is a great experience for me because and I have really been enjoying the games,” said Nathalia, a referee, who will be taking her national exam later this year.

“I worked at the World Championship in 2011 in Santos, Sao Paulo doing the same job, and they invited me to work here with the possibility of going to the Olympic Games, so maybe this group will be in Rio 2016.”

But Rio is still a year away and for Renata, there has been much to do - and learn - in Uberaba, where she has been based.

“I have already done some other tournaments in Sao Paulo,” she said. “But here at Brazil 2015 we are learning a lot each game.

“Just being at an international event - the first time for me - is really, really amazing. For us here in Brazil we rarely have the opportunity to work at an international event and be involved with so many people from all different backgrounds.

“As the statistics operator, I worked with a partner who tells me what is happening in the game and I mark every goal, every action, every punishment, goals not scored - everything that happens in the game we input it - it is known as scouting.

“After each match we wait for the table officials to say everything is correct so we really are a group - our jobs depend on each other.

“We have to be right because our job is live and any mistakes can get beamed around the world so you get very, very tense. It’s a very responsible job but it feels great to do it right and it is a good feeling.

“It’s harder with the Brazilian games - it got very loud and you can’t hear each other so we started to make hand signs to each other to ensure we did everything right. We have to be focussed every time and have a rhythm with each other, getting used to each other, everyone is different.”

Nathalia, literally sits right on the edge of the court - the closest people to the players other than the referees and is part of the blood, sweat and tears that make up handball games, but despite all the action in front of her, she has to remain calm - well, at least when Brazil are not playing.

“It’s not difficult to focus on the job as I have done it before, but with the Brazil matches we had, it is a little bit complicated because sometimes the heart speaks loud,” she said.

“I did the Japan game and the Germany game, both games went to the last second and I sweated a lot, but the IHF officials help us lot. There are no problems so huge that is impossible to solve; we are a team, a handball family so we help each other do a good job.

“Once, the clock broke so we had to write down everything - you don’t have time for talking at all, but it’s really amazing to be here, I have no words to explain how I feel, I am counting the days to Rio.”

With just over a year left until Rio 2016 both Nathalia and Renata and the rest of their team will have the eyes of the handball focused on them, and they could be right in the heart of the action.

“Brazil 2015 is a very important step towards Rio 2016,” said Daniela Coelho, Handball Sport Manager, Rio 2016 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“It is important for national technical officials as they have the opportunity to work with statistics at several matches per day in a schedule at times - with six games a day - very similar to the Olympic Games.

“For Rio 2016 we will have 76 matches in 16 days and be working closely with IHF at the highest level of handball.

“For these volunteers to be part of the Junior Men’s World Championship is the best training for the Rio 2016 team.”

Scouters and timekeepers at Uberaba for Brazil 2015:

Geraldo Felix, Renata Gianizella, Patricia Lima, Marcos Nerys, Nathalia Hupsel, Carla Cavalcante, Claudia Mota, Henrique Godoy, Amanda Bahia, Caroline Machado and Adriana Garbin.