Interview: Axa Beach stars Budapest (Mr. Body Istvan)
In the first interview in new season we brought to you few words about AXA Beach stars Budapest team-double European champions and one of the best beach handball teams so far. We spoke with Axa team meanger, Mr. Body Istvan. Enjoy
1. For introduction, tell us something about your team. (number of winning trophies, , medals, number of present players, number of tournaments that you participated…)
AXA Beach Stars Budapest BHC was founded in 2002. At the beginning our name was Béres Vitalin, Credit Suisse, then Winterthur Budapest BHC. Since 2007 our name seems to be final.
Our best results:
National Championship:
1 rank: 2007; 2008; 2010
2. rank: 2004; 2005
Hungarian Cup:
1. rank 2004; 2005; 2006
2. rank 2007
(In 2008 Hungarian Cup was abolished.)
Central European Cup: 2. rank 2005 (Unfortunately this competition was organized just once)
EBT Masters: 1. rank: 2006; 2008
(In 2011-we will take part in the EBT Masters Finals for the 7th time)
EBT Masters: Fair Play Award: 2010
EBT rankings: 1. rank: 2010
Number of EBT tournaments: 24 ( 1. rank : 7x; 2. rank: 6x; 3. rank: 5x)
Since 2002 we take part on 8 tournaments yearly in average.
In the last three years our team organized 6 AXA EBT events.
Currently our team has 11 members. We have a Team B as well, where senior players and our leaders play.
2. You already participated on EBT Masters finals? What was your previous experiences?Which one do you find the best (organization, quality of the game…)
We are in the very fortunate situation that in 2011 we will take part in the Master Finals for the 7th time in a row.
In organization Paralia. (2006)
In standards Espino was the best (2010).
Experience: The locations ant the attitude of the teams on the Finals improved every year. Our discipline gathered so much experience that I’m sure, that the Final in 2011 will be the best Final ever! The qualified teams make it clear that this year final will be the strongest. I’m sure that for such teams the organizing county will give the biggest turnout ever!
Not so good experience With the exception of Paralia2006, Nagyatád 2007 and Korfu 2009 we couldn’t have the necessary preparation on the location of the competition. We travel to every Final 4-5 days earlier to be able to have training sessions. (In Hungary unfortunately because of the weather we don’t have opportunity for that before the Final.) On the other finals we didn’t have opportunity for that. It would be fortunate if the organizers could provide training fields for the teams who arrive earlier.
3. You are representing your state on this tournament,so are there any strong sponsors or media to help the team to promote you (some sport magazines or TV?) What is the situation with the popularity of beach handball in your state comparing the present situation with past time?
We have a potent sponsor AXA Group Hungary and 2-3 minor supporters too. Fortunately our annual budget is sufficiently provided every year. With the association of the Hungarian Handball Federation not just the matches of the National Championship but the EBT events are broadcast in the nationwide Sport TV. Unfortunately our discipline is not promoted on advertised elsewhere just on the homepage of the Federation and some teams. Initially the front-line handball clubs were dismissive towards the beach handball. They didn’t allow the players to prove themselves in the sand as well. They were afraid of possible injuries. Fortunately they are more flexible and more open nowadays. If this process continues, I hope that in some years, beach handball will be part of the summer training session of the clubs. This would be important because if the ‘big’ clubs would become fond of this discipline it would increase the popularity of beach handball in a huge amount. It would be necessary because nowadays beach handball is known and liked just in a quite small circle.
In our country it would be essential to watch out on a discipline that wants to get on the Olympics. On international competition both as clubs or as a national team gathered numerous victories and medals. They should be more honored and more noticed for beach handball could be not just known but recognized discipline in Hungary.
4. How long do you exist as a team,when did you start to play and what was the beggining like?Was it difficult to create a beach handball club?
In 2002 two circles of friends decided to form a common team. Hence everyone knew everyone the fusion was easy. Our aim was the good atmosphere and the increase of the fondness of this discipline. We didn’t have extraordinary aims. We still managed to get the right to take part in the final of the National Championship. To our own surprise we finished on the 4th place. Then we decided that if we take beach handball seriously we can reach everything we couldn’t in the indoor handball. Everyone managed to find the right position on and beside the field. We started to work consciously and the results can be seen in the first part. We had a lot of difficulties but or success always showed that we are on the right path and we should continue what we started. Our players and leaders became members of the National Team. In the person of Tamás Neukum even EHF has a recognized member who is member of our team.
5. Where do you have trainings? How many courts are per city? Do you use maybe indoor courts during winter?
We have a railed off beach handball field behind a ca. fifty years old football field where we have training twice a week in the off season period (if it doesn’t rain.) In the in season period we can have a training once a week. We have opportunity to have trainings on 5 locations ( 8 fields ) in and around Budapest. Ca. 50 teams have to share the possible training times. Competitions can be held on three locations. We cannot play beach handball in winter, in that period we don’t have training opportunity.
6. Do you,as a team, play only beach handball or do you play also indoor handball and just play together during the Summer? Is there any professionall players in the club that are living from handball/beach handball?
Everybody plays indoor handball as well. Some members of or teams play in the team of Vác in the second league.. They are semi professionals, this year they play to reach the top league. Other members of our team play in various second league teams. Most of them have a history in the top league as well.
7. How is the national championship organised in your state? How many tournaments do you have?
Our championship has two levels.
There is a Seeded Championship where the participants are the z8. best male and female teams of the country. Those, who reach the 7th and 8th rank fell out of this league and continue in the National Championship next year. For the best teams of the country the championship is just one weekend. This is not sufficient, so the teams take part in the Hungarian EBT events. In Hungary 6-8 EBT events are organized every summer. On those there are much more opportunity to play. There are qualifying competitions organized at 5 weekends and altogether on 10 locations in the country where anyone can enter (except Seeded Teams). The winners get in the Final. The 1st and 2nd ranked team of the Final continue in the Seeded Championship next year.
8. How many tournaments do you play per year, do you often play in other countries in Europe or maybe on other continents?
We begin every year with the EBT Final.
In the National Championship there is one round and beside that we participate on 2 EBT events organized by on our own and on 2-3 EBT events organized by other teams. Of we have an opportunity we visit Croatia as well. We were often in Pag, Novi Vinodolski, Crikvenica and Zagreb. In 2007 we tried out winter beach handball, which was an amazing experience. This was the first EBT event organized in winter. The location was Leuggern, Switzerland.
9. Are there any players in your team that play for the national team?
At the moment three of our players are members of the National Team.
In Hungary the Men’s National Team was founded in 2003, there are 3 of our players as well. In the last 7 years we gave 13 players and 4 leaders to the National Teams altogether.
10. How do you see the EBT tournaments and direction in which beach handball goes? Is there any problems at this moment related with the EBT system of competition? Do you think that there are more important things then catch nets behind the goals for evaluating the tournaments?
In my opinion the point system should be seriously reconsidered. There are some elements what don’t have a place there and I would dismiss from there.
I would put a greater emphasis on the number of international teams. I would make the EBT more qualified and more colorful by making the event international. I would give more points to each country as well. I would give higher scores on the number of the international referees. I would give points for the free meals and reduced prized and nearby accommodations. I would give points everything what tempts international teams.
I organized 6 EBT events and gathered a lot of experience. I’m sure there are a lot of other organizers who have great ideas what they would make if there events would be scored. I think it would be great if the EHF would ask those organizers who already proved their knowledge. Their experience, opinion and ideas would be very useful. I would maybe also listen to those team leaders who participate on Masters Finals often. There should be more emphasis on the professional and qualified competition.
11. How do you see the differences between indoor and beach handball?
Beach handball has a great effect on the indoor handball. It can bring out many skills and that are in indoor handball as well. It can provide such experience of success (European and world competitions) what they maybe couldn’t achieve in indoor handball. Those experiences can give self esteem and strength. I think there are a lot of territories what could be integrated. The problem is that this is something that just we, beach handball players know. The difference is that the top ranked indoor teams (the idols, whom everyone would like to follow) don’t take beach handball seriously, they consider it ads a good joke. Until we can’t persuade them about the usefulness, beauty and opportunity of this discipline there will be always a huge riff between the indoor and outdoor handball.
12. Do you have some program of creating young beach players,or everyone just plays indoor and for fun beach? Do you think that it is necessary to develop beach handball as independent sport,not so connected to indoor handball and players?
We don’t have supply players. We watch for young talents all the time and go for them. In the first year they will play in the Team B and then if they proved their talents they can get in the Team A. It’s hard to manage beach handball as independent. Until it grows itself out, it’s necessary to stay with indoor handball. But it should get a much bigger role.
Let me tell one example: There are a lot of young and talented sportsmen who finish handball at the age 16-20 because they cannot reconcile the daily trainings and matches with their studies. They could be a great store for beach handball. They could continue the sport with 2-3 trainings a week. If they would have trainings in the off season regularly, and would take part on competitions in the winter and spring break how good they could be by summer? They could be special players. We could be independent if we would have sponsors and supporters of our own and we could finances the above mentioned ideas. But it would be just the first step…