You’ve been playing handball for 15 years, can you tell us how you got involved in the sport here? In Europe handball is very big, but when I came to Beijing I could not find any handball whatsoever. I looked everywhere. Then I met the man who started a team here and I now help promote us in the city.

So, why isn’t handball popular in English-speaking countries? I don’t know actually. It comes from Germany, and is very popular in Spain, France as well as eastern and northern Europe, and now even in Jamaica and Tunisia.

How does China Handball work? We practice and play against the Chinese handball teams and have both a men and women’s team. We’re not just an expatriate team. There were already several teams in Beijing before Handball China started, so for us it is always about making the connections with the Chinese teams.

What makes the best handball player? You’ve got to be able to run fast and catch the ball. Those are the two basic skills one should have. In handball, everyone plays both offense and defense. This is a total team sport. And playing both sides of the ball is a very important aspect of the game. The best players shoot strong and can jump very high.

What’s coming up? We’ll attend a tournament in Shanghai in May and possibly head to either South Korea or Singapore for matches. Right now we’re looking for more players.

Interview by Zachary Franklin

What: China Handball When: Every Thursday Where: Beijing Mu Xi Yan Sports Technology School Contact: www.handballinchina.org