Spain's Victor Tomas becomes EHF EURO ambassador
Spanish right wing Victor Tomas has become the latest in a host of handball stars to throw their weight behind the Men's EHF EURO 2024 in Germany, joining the likes of Luc Abalo, Uwe Gensheimer, Stefan Kretzschmar, Emily Bölk and Johannes Bitter as an ambassador for the tournament.
Tomas retired from handball in 2020 after a career that saw him win EHF EURO bronze in 2014 and silver in 2016, adding to his 2013 IHF Men's World Championship title, bronze at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, and three EHF Champions League titles with Barça.
Among his best memories are matches against fellow EHF EURO ambassador and right wing Luc Abalo of France - including the 2014 semi-final, when Abalo's eight goals helped send France to the final past Tomas's Spain.
“2014 remains one of the best memories of the EHF EURO for me. We played against Norway in the group phase in Aalborg, and Norway is the country from my wife. I usually had bad games against them or Norwegian clubs. But this time I scored eight, we won, and that was very important for us progressing to the main round,” recalls the left-hander.
Even after retirement, Tomas does not remain far from the handball courts. He tries stay healthy - jogging, running half-marathons and playing padel every other day - but he also has a business linked to handball.
“I am now a players’ agent, I’m trying to use my experience to give them the best advice. I am also commentating the Barça games on Catalonian TV, and it’s fun to see handball a different way, analysing things almost like a coach,” he explains.
Tomas will be attending the next EHF EURO in the stands while trying to spread the word beforehand.
“I always said to myself, what can I do to help handball grow after my career? To be an ambassador is an honour as well as a good opportunity to keep spreading the word, to keep enjoying handball in a different way.”
There is no doubt what Tomas is most looking forward to about the tournament: “The games at the LANXESS Arena.”
With Barça he won the Champions League there twice, in 2011 and 2015, and coming to Cologne makes him relive these crazy memories.
“This is an arena that every handball fan knows about across Europe. This is an iconic one. And I’m sure that all the games will be played in an amazing atmosphere there.”
EHF EURO 2024 day tickets are available via tickets.eurohandball.com and heretoplay.com, the championship’s official website.
