A “Happy Day” for Handball

The floor of the court is patched here and there with blue duct tape. Its entire surface is blotchy with unremoved stains from the wax that players apply on their hands. The stands are small, with a capacity of only 1,000. The general lack of interest in Korean handball over the past years can be seen clearly in the state of the handball stadium at the Daegu Citizens’ Gymnasium, which is hosting the 2004 national pro handball league.

But on this particular day, the handball stadium enjoyed a rare moment of bustle and activity. At the women’s division match between the newly-established Hyomyung Construction team of Incheon and the Daegu City Hall team—a “stellar” group composed of numerous international-level athletes—spectators thronged the stands a good while before the game even began. The crowd included 280 seniors from Seongmyeong Girls’ Middle School in Daegu and 600 freshmen and juniors from Joongang Information High School of Business Administration. Also present were the cheering squad for the Hyomyung Construction team, consisting of over 50 members, and the families of the players, as well as 100 or more general spectators. Some had to watch the game on their feet, because there were no more seats available. Throughout the match, the stadium rang with the high-pitched cries and cheers of young students.

Coach Lim Young-chul of Hyomyung, who had commanded the national team, wore an excited flush on his face. “This is the first time since 1995 that a domestic match has drawn such a crowd of spectators,” he remarked with amazement. Back in 1995, there had been eight professional women’s handball teams, but the financial crisis of 1997 caused many teams to be disbanded and the handball scene suffered a subsequent decline. Today, there are only five women’s teams and three men’s teams in the professional league.

After the game, Daegu’s main offense player Huh Soon-young was surrounded by students clamoring for an autograph. Students were busy taking photographs of their favorite players using their cell phones. “It’s been a very long time since I’ve played a match with so many people looking on,” Huh said, repeatedly thanking the crowd for their support. Lee Jeong-eon (16) of Somyung Girls’ Middle School said, “This is my first time at a handball match, and it’s a lot of fun!”

Unfortunately, the stadium returned to its usual quiet when the school groups filed out en masse after the first match ended. There were only 200 or so left in the stands for the game that followed, between Samcheok City Hall and the Busan Sports Association.

Coach Lee Jae-young of the Daegu City Hall team, who is a board member in the Professional Handball Association, said, “Before the game, there were a lot of queries from people who asked whether the game could be moved to the evening, because they wanted to see it after they got off work,” and explained that “the time could not be changed because of the broadcasting schedule.” It was speculated that the match would have drawn a much larger crowd of sports fans had it taken place during the evening hours.

The 2004 Olympic Games in Athens has revived the dying embers of Korean handball. But it will take much reflection and effort to nurture this spark into a roaring flame.

Sung-Kyu Kim kimsk@donga.com