São Paulo – The Tunisian national women’s handball team came to Brazil for the first time to play the world championship. To them, winning the title is no longer feasible, considering the results of the team’s first three matches. Still, the 16 girls who comprise the group remain enthusiastic about the sport, which they chose to play while still very young, and which they intend to remain involved in even when they can no longer be athletes.
Sihem Aouini, aged 29, started playing at 9 years old, inspired by her older sister. The sister quit the sport, but Sihem kept on. By 1997, she had already made the national team. She explains that she got her parents’ approval and that, in her country, support to women’s sports has grown over the last few years.
“In the past, only a few girls played it, but women’s sports became successful in several modalities, and won support [from society],” she says. Sihem lived in Spain for five years, where she played for three different teams. In October, she went back to Tunisia to tend to her mother, who has health issues. “I have been training with the national team since. After [the world championship], I might stay for the African Cup and then I’ll look for a team to play in.” The African championship will be held from January 11 to 21 next year.
Many of the Tunisian handball players play in European teams, making it harder for them to play well with one another during international tournaments. “I have communication issues with the players because we spend little time together, sometimes a week, other times three days,” says coach Muhammad Ali Sghir. Countries such as France, Denmark and Norway are the main destinations for Tunisian players.
“Many players are leaving Tunisia, so the [Tunisian handball] federation is starting to provide more support so athletes will stay in the country,” says the coach. Nonetheless, he still has trouble bringing his players together, because he depends on the European clubs they play for to clear them. Prior to becoming a coach, in 1990, Sghir was a professional player for ten years.
Out of the group currently in São Paulo, eight girls play in Tunisia, and the remainder play in Europe. They have been together for the championship for only three weeks. While training for the championship, their routine includes four daily practice hours, which are brought down to around 1 hour during the actual period in which matches are played.
Raja Taoumi, 33, is the team captain. She started playing at 15 years of age, while still in school. Later she played for a team in the city, or better yet island, in which she was born. After she turned 26, she earned her degree in Physical Education and went to play for a professional team in Norway, where she still lives. “My dream is getting to the podium and lifting the African Championship trophy. Once my career as an athlete is over, I want to be the coach of the Tunisian national team,” she says.
Jihene Ben Cheikh, 25, started playing handball in school, at 16 years of age. By 2003 she had made it to the national team. “I enjoyed the sport since I was little. In school, whenever I had to choose between playing volleyball, basketball or some other sport, I always preferred handball,” she says. She also says she is pursuing a university degree in Sports. “In the future I want to be a coach, I want to teach at children’s schools.”
The Tunisian team’s last match in the world championship was scheduled for Friday (9th), the day on which this article was written, against Brazil. Because winning the tournament was impossible, the Tunisians were waiting for the coming matches, which will define their final place in the championship.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
