Vikings' big hand for clinching title

THE metro had reason to celebrate after the PE Vikings clinched the handball national title in Cape Town.

The Vikings, who went through the entire competition unbeaten, showed Gugulethu Handball Club what they are made of by hammering them 42-12 in the final.

A year ago the Vikings made it to the final before being beaten by Soweto Handball Club, whom they exacted revenge on by dumping them out of this year's tournament at the semifinal stage by a 15-8 margin.

By claiming the title, the Vikings have now become the first team from the Eastern Cape to win a handball championship at national level.

"It is very rewarding to see all their hard work paying off and to show they can do anything they set their minds to no matter the circumstances," public relations manager Athi Lupondwana said.

Their reward would have been a trip to the All African Championships in the Democratic Republic of Congo later this year, however, this looks like it might not happen as funding for the trip has been an issue.

"A lot of fundraising went into making the Cape Town trip happen, most of which was done by the players. They were also sponsored kit by Continental as well as other donations," Lupondwana said.

"The club has 36 members, 14 of whom are women. Most of the players have been playing since 2005 and there have been very few additions to the team since then.

"Most national team players come from this team, but it is the first time they have won something so important," Lupondwana said.

German volunteer and team member Pit Leo Rissiek moved from Germany to live in South Africa and has been playing handball since he was six years old.

"I moved to SA to support the handball movement and also help those from the townships who were interested in handball, to give them a chance to make their dreams come true," Rissiek said. - Amir Chetty