Lindberg: "I simply enjoy beach handball"

This man knows how to find the back of the net: Not only did Hans Lindberg became top scorer of the VELUX EHF Champions League 2012/13 which he won with HSV Hamburg just one month ago, but the 31-year-old also was Denmark's top scorer at the 2011 European Championship in Umag, Croatia.

Therefore, it came to no surprise that Denmark´s national coach Lars Møller was a happy man some weeks ago, when it became clear that Lindberg would again be part of the Danish team for the upcoming 2013 European Championship from 9 to 14 July on home sand in Randers.

"We are talking about our top scorer at the European Championship two years ago, so it is obvious that he will be a great reinforcement to our team," Lars Møller told eurohandball.com on that occasion.

And these expectations are shared by Lindberg who has found the time and the energy to play the championship after a long and tough indoor season.

eurohandball.com: You hardly had any summer vacation last year due to the Olympics, which were followed by a long and demanding indoor season, and now the European Beach Handball Championship is waiting. Where do you find the energy to continue playing almost without vacation?
Hans Lindberg: I really enjoy playing beach handball, the sport is great fun. At the same time it is a really good way to stay in shape, as it is actually pretty hard to run around in the sand.

eurohandball.com: What else do you get from playing beach handball? Is it a way of winding down after a long indoor season?
Hans Lindberg: Yes, I suppose you could say it is a way of winding down. I am the type of person who simply cannot lie still on a beach in the sun. I need some action. However, although it is winding down after a long season, I cannot play without taking the game really serious – just like the rest of the players in our team. We definitely play to win every time.

eurohandball.com: Does it mean something special to you to play the European Championship in your home country?
Hans Lindberg: It means that I hope a lot of spectators will show up and support us. This is a great opportunity for people to watch beach handball at the highest possible level, and I think that the Danish Handball Federation has done everything possible to make this event a great experience to those who turn up.

eurohandball.com: You are the most prominent player in the Danish team, maybe in the entire tournament. Does that put any particular pressure on you?
Hans Lindberg: No, I do not feel any pressure, I am simply looking forward to getting stared with the games.

eurohandball.com: Sustaining an injury during the championships would probably be the worst that could happen just before the start of pre-season training ahead of the Bundesliga season. Do you fear that?
Hans Lindberg: I do not think about being injured, but you are absolutely right, that it would probably not be smart coming back to my club with an injury. However, I believe that the risk of getting injured during the summer would be bigger, if I played tennis or squash for instance. Here I stay fit at a sport which I know and am used to.

Eurohandball.com: What are your expectations on behalf of your team ahead of the championship?
Hans Lindberg: That is a really good question. We are starting to become a really experienced team who has played together at the previous four major tournaments, but in order to beat the absolutely best teams we will have to play really well. Therefore, I really do not know how far we can get. Very small things may decide between win and defeat.