"It would break my heart not to play for my country"

Things have moved quickly for Holly Lam-Moores this summer. Not only has the 21 year old winger changed from Danish league newcomers Sønderjyske to one of the absolute top teams in Denmark, Viborg HK – she also represented Great Britain at the summer Olympics in London.

ehfCL.com: What was it like for you to play the Olympic tournament in your own country?

Holly Lam-Moores: It was simply an amazing experience, and I was really honoured to get that chance! The atmosphere was fantastic, and even though we lost all our matches, the crowd still celebrated each and every goal we scored!

ehfCL.com: Your team´s participation at the Olympics has led to an enormous interest in handball in Britain. Have you felt that interest too?

Holly Lam-Moores: Yes, absolutely, but I do not think that we in the British teams can take all the credit for that. All the best handball players in the world came to Britain to play a tournament, and that has never happened before, so I simply think that people fell in over handball in general and not only on the British teams!

ehfCL.com: Now it all seems to be over, though, as the British sports minister seems to be going to take away the financial support, because he does not expect the British teams to be able to qualify for any major tournaments. How does that make you feel?

Holly Lam-Moores: The fact that we do not get any money does not necessarily mean that we won´t have a team! However, I don’t understand what they expect to gain by taking away the money. How do they expect us to improve and ever be able to ever win any medals, if they do not give us any money?

We have been without money before, though, and if the minister won´t give it to us, we can get it somewhere else. It would sure break my heart, if I could not play handball for my country.

ehfCL.com: On club level you have joined one of Denmark´s most ambitious clubs, Viborg HK. What has that change been like for you?

Holly Lam-Moores: It has just been amazing. I look around me and see fantastic players everywhere. I have been used to playing in a club at the bottom of the Danish league and in the second best league, and I never really though that I would get the chance to win a title, but that is the chance I get here in Viborg, and that is fantastic.

ehfCl.com: With Viborg going to play in the qualification tournament for the Women’s EHF Champions League, you also have the chance to be the first British player ever to play in the Champions League. How do you feel about that?

Holly Lam-Moores: I have not had the time to give it much though yet, as I have been busy with the Olympics and getting settled in here in Viborg. 

Of course, we have to qualify first – and, by the way, I am pretty sure that Viborg would have qualified even without my help -  but I am just so honoured to have the chance to win a title and probably to play in the Champions League!

Viborg HK's route to the Women's EHF Champions League

In order to qualify for the Group Matches of the Women’s EHF Champions League, Viborg wll have to win their qualification group at home on 22 and 23 September, where they meet LC Brühl from Switzerland in the semi-finals. 

The event's other participants are Vistal Laczpol from Poland, LC Brühl from Switzerland and Bera Bera from Spain.

Follow the Viborg HK and Great Britain player on Twitter hollyhandball3.

Photographs: Michele Davison (top left), Bogdan Maran (top right).