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WPH Press, 12/11/20
While this pandemic has deprived us of watching the best handball players in the world compete in the game’s biggest events, we’ve been able to sit down with so many of handball’s legends and current pros to discuss their inspirations to play handball, their greatest handball memories, their favorite players to watch, what handball has meant to them and so much more.
On this Friday’s WPH Interview Mash-Up III, we’ll examine handball’s legends and current pros most satisfying moments in handball.
Maybe by now we all probably know the Pro Stop in Tucson to me is memorable because of the timing of it. Before we decided to move to Southern CA, I borrowed money from a few of my friends. The names that come to mind are Memo Correa, Elias Carrillo, Antonio Monreal, Chuy Burrola, Richie Fernandez and especially Naty Gonzalez. They all gathered some funds to help my move to Southern California. When it was time to play in the qualifier at the Tucson Pro Stop tournament I was diving, digging, and I played my heart out. When I won my first Pro Stop all my hard work had paid off. It was an unforgettable feeling I felt that day.
As soon as I got to Pomona, CA I cashed my winnings and sent them their respective monies that they raised for me. How can I ever thank them for their faith and belief they had in me.
Albert Apuzzi
Breaking the doubles records and of course beating Durso in the singles just because we played in the same park & he was so …… trying to find a nice word. . lol …. arrogant.
There are so many. Like I said, probably playing my brother Michel from 12 to 17 – it’s weird because I was losing all the time and it was the best of times. Then again the best times are all defeats. Every time I had the chance to play the best player in the world were the best times in the court. The 10 times I played Naty Alvarado and the 11 Times I played David Chapman added up to 21 defeats all together but a lot of close matches and five or six tiebreakers between the two.
The most memorable is at the NYAC when David was at his prime. Sports Illustrated was there to make a big interview with him. We played in the quarters and there were probably 40 Quebecers in the stands cheering for me. We were at 9-9 in the tiebreaker and I was serving, I looked at David before I served and I told him that it was fun. He looked at me and I wasn’t sure if it was fear in his eyes or determination. I then served and we had a long volley and I was in control, making him run around the court and then I made the perfect pass shot – he had to run toward the back wall and dive to get the ball back from the back wall at 1 millimeter from the ground, he made the get because I saw it very clearly and the ball was travelling slowly toward the front right corner and I was right there to make an easy get and he was still on the floor against the back-wall but that dam ball rolled out right in front of me, I guess my pass shot wasn’t that perfect for David Chapman!
The crowd couldn’t believe he made the get because the way the stands are at the NYAC is impossible for the crowd to see the low back-wall part.
I gave him a hand while he was going back in the service box and he served two points to win the match.
Of course, I had a lot of wins to be proud of as well that provided me some of the best moments in the courts.
What I enjoy the most is always the people. Going to the tournaments and winning nationals titles is a plus. I also love the pro stops and like I had said, traveling and being able to visit and go out to eat at different places with friends who also enjoy the game handball has been great for me in my life. If I didn’t have it, I don’t know where I would be!
Anna Christoff
I’d have to say the 1994 World Championship finals in Dublin, Ireland against Lisa. It was a typical Anna/Lisa match going down to the wire, with Lisa winning in the tiebreaker. What really stood out though was the fact that there were over 300 people in the stands watching, with more in an overflow viewing area. I was awestruck to say the least. The way the crowd cheered and supported us both was incredible. The Irish treated us with appreciation and respect throughout the whole event. Their enthusiasm for the sport astounded me.
Lucho Cordova
Winning the Atlanta Race Stop in 2018 for sure
I met my wife through handball. Colleen doesn’t play now ,but is President of the CHA . She co-chaired the World Handball Championships in Winnipeg in 1997 with Henry Traa. I have a lot to learn about volunteering from her.
Suz Entzeroth: There are a couple but one was winning the Women’s Classic in 2018 against Jen Schmitt who had beat me in the finals the year prior. I hated that court, it was something I knew I could overcome and had to get my focus. That was a focus win, and those are the games I’m most proud of. The other most satisfying moment was the win against Danielle Daskalaskis at NYAC 2018 to win the semifinal. This was the furthest I’d ever been in a WR48 stop and then to win the semifinal to go on to play Catriona in the finals was as shocking to me as it was to probably anyone else. I proved to myself what hard work can do. I was practicing and playing in all the big tournaments and it made all the difference.
Rick Hatcher: My biggest win in singles was my first National title in the 35+ singles. I beat Doug Glatt in the final in two games after beating Frank Postillion in the semis in the tiebreaker. Doug and I were good friends off the court. And I definitely respected his game. He was tough and tenacious. In doubles, I’d have to say the best win was with Jamie vs the Morones’ in the National’s. But winning the Masters Doubles Nationals with Joe Berman over Vern and Chris Roberts on my home court in front of my family and friends was very special too.
Tyler Hamel
Quite a few, beating both Robles and Naty Jr in Dallas, getting runner-up against Duxie Walsh at the Irish Nationals, (maybe 1995), beating John Bike and Tony Healy at the U.S. Nationals in Minneapolis, besting David Fink in Seattle to qualify for the 50K tournament in Seattle,…these were just all tough matches, everything just happen to click for me, in the zone, Hamelmania, lol
Jaime Paredes
Bob Peters then called to ask me to play doubles for the U.S. in Ireland (World Championships 1984) with Dennis (since we finished second at the Nationals in 1983). I went to Ireland in early May for two weeks and played the best handball of my life, I don’t think I made a mistake in the two weeks. Haynes and I won the world doubles title, I lost in the semis of the 60×30 singles in a limit match- I ran out of gas, 15 minutes, no timeouts, and lost in finals of the 60×30 doubles
Right after the Ireland trip I traveled to Quebec for the next pro stop and beat Sabo, Kendler, Hofflander, Vern to win the event. I did not lose a game in the tournament. The two weeks in Ireland and Quebec reminded me of going on a hitting streak when the baseball looks like the size of a softball. The handball looked really big and nothing fooled me. My serve was on and I was able to beat Vern pretty good in the final.
Tough question to answer, because I feel like there’s been so many. My father and I won the last 1-wall tournament held in Maryland in 2004. He made a sweeping re-kill to get us to nineteen in the second game, and I can still see how happy he was when that shot went in. Every national title was satisfying, although there’s something particularly great about a singles win. Beating Robles and Watkins in Atlanta 2012 with Schad as my partner has to be at the top. We were down 2-10 in the tie-break.
Andy Shad and I have played some terrific singles and doubles matches. In 2012 we played against each other in the 3-wall National Masters Singles Final. He won the first game and came back from 6-20 to serve at 19-20 in game two. I think I got him out and scored on junk, then cramped half way into a back-and-forth tie-breaker in Toledo’s hundred-degree heat. At 10-9 he returned my serve down the right wall and I hit a diving kill to win the match. Even thinking about it now, seeing my shot go in and Andy not quite able to get to the retrieve, I get this feeling of joy, relief, elation, and amazement at the battle we fought.
Thank you to the game’s current pros and legends for reliving their most satisfying moments in the Interview Mash-up III!
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer