(Greenland at the 2018 Pan American Championships)
In 2018 Greenland hosted the last Pan American Championship featuring nations from both North and South America and with the backing of the home crowd they came ever so close to qualifying for the World Championships, narrowly losing the bronze medal match to Chile 39-36 in extra time. In 2020 the new North American and Confederation Handball Confederation (NACHC) was all set to host it’s first fully independent championship, but the COVID-19 pandemic eventually led to the cancellation of the tournament.
Now with the pandemic receding, Greenland is really looking forward to this first NACHC senior men´s championship with and World Championship slot on the line. The national team has had the opportunity to train regularly for the past several months, but the team has had fewer opportunities for travel competition.
Greenland’s new head coach, Swede Johan Zanotti, has selected a mix of veterans and newcomers for the tournament. Experienced players he will rely on include Minik Dahl Høegh, Akutaaneq Kreutzmann, the Heilmann brothers (Miki and Nuka) and goalkeeper Isak Olsen. Additionally, Aqqalu Sørensen is making a comeback after a pause due to injuries and education commitments.
Here’s the full Greenland roster as reported in the Sermitsiaq AG : Link
Goalkeepers:
- Isaac Olsen
- Josef Chemnitz
- Inuk Højgaard
Backs:
- Akutaaneq Kreutzmann
- Aqqaluk Sørensen
- Minik Dahl Høegh
- Marxwell Frederiksen
- Miki A. Heilmann
- Nuka B. Heilmann
Right wing:
- Malik K. Andersen
- Archibald Lennert
Left wing:
- Aqqalu Sandgreen
- Pele Lynge
Line players:
- Noah John Davidsen
- Milan Olsen
- Inuk Olsen
Quotes:
Team Captain Minik Høegh: “We can’t wait to get started with this tournament after close to 2 years without competitive handball and look forward to experiencing the level of the different teams. We are now at a training camp in Denmark and will arrive to Mexico City the 23rd of June to adjust to the climate there.”
Head Coach Johan Zanotti: “I look forward to the tournament with this team – we have many young players on the team, but I think we have a good mix of young and experienced players. Due to the Covid19 its difficult to say, how our level is compared to the other participants, but we look forward to getting started having matches again. After the first day of the competition, we know more about the level of the different teams, but I am sure it is a strong tournament”.
Greenland Historic Record
- World Championship Participation: 2001, 2003 and 2007
- North American & Caribbean Championships
- 2014 (1st), 2018 (Did not participate since they hosted the Pan American Championships)
