"Family gathering" on the golf course

On handball courts they were opponents, on the golf course of Gut Veldenhof nearby Cologne they have fun together: The list of former handball stars, who teed off for the cause on Saturday morning, is long: Danish record international and record scorer Lars Christiansen, the German World Champion Christian Schwarzer, former World Handball Player of the Year, Daniel Stephan or former Polish international and national team and Kielce coach Bogdan Wenta were part of the Charity Golf Tournament on the fringes of the VELUX EHF FINAL4.

And they faced other highest ranked opponents from the field of handball organisation like EHF President Jean Brihault, EHF Secretary General Michael Wiederer or Uwe Schwenker, President of the German Bundesliga and former player and manager of THW Kiel.

And all started in the same outfit – in green polo shirts. “Nobody will see us on the golf course in this colour,” joked Schwarzer, who is part of the golf event for the third time. His former German national team colleague Daniel Stephan is a well known person on golf courses too – and he likes the VELUX EHF FINAL4 Charity event.

“It is always fun to see all those old mates in a very relaxed atmosphere. It is a perfect combination of playing golf in the morning and to attend a handball spectacle in the afternoon,” Stephan said.

“I am well prepared for those nine holes,” EHF President Jean Brihault said before the start, adding: “This charity event correspondents perfectly with the FINAL4. It is a competition among good friends of the handball family – and the good cause is in the focus.”

The new charity partner of the golf event and the VELUX EHF FINAL4 is the Play for Change foundation. The main goal of Play for Change is to empower children all over the globe through sport and physical education.

“It is great that we can help people by being at the fresh air and meeting friends on the golf course,” Lars Christiansen said, whose main task that weekend is being the official VELUX ambassador in Cologne.

“The weather is great, the FINAL4 will even be greater – and I am just trying to get used to playing golf again”, said Bogdan Wenta.

The award ceremony takes place on Saturday evening during the “Cologne Handball Night” in the Palais Flora. And the winners in the different categories received high-class golf equipment from Taylormade, a company of EHF and Charity Golf Event partner adidas.

Click here to check more pictures from the charity golf tournament