"It’s a joy to share these moments with your brother"

A cheerful group of Danish fans filled the stands on court 2 on Tuesday morning when Denmark stepped onto the sandy court of the Alanya International Beach Sports Centre for the very first time, facing Malta in the preliminary round. The opponent didn’t manage to surprise one of the tournament favourites, as Denmark easily passed through Malta 2:0 (27:14, 24:10) to open the tournament in winning fashion.

Among the enthusiastic fans were, no doubt, the proud parents of the two brothers playing for the Denmark men’s beach handball national team. Rasmus Staerk Just and his five-year-younger brother Mikkel, travelled to Alanya with high hopes, ready to help the two-time European champions make their mark on the Mediterranean coast this summer.

“That’s really nice to be able to play with your brother. Our family is here as well, cheering for us. So, of course it’s nice to share these moments together with your brother. It’s big joy,” says Rasmus.

“When we’re playing, when we’re on the court, I don’t really think of the fact we’re brothers. On the court we’re teammates, we’re there for each other, like we are for other teammates.”

The two brothers grew up together, played next to each other in both clubs and the national team, and already had the privilege of winning a Beach Handball EURO medal side by side. Two years ago in Nazaré, Denmark celebrated the bronze medal, with both players contributing to the success.
 
“To have the moments together where things go well, but also when things go badly, and you have the other brother to talk about with. That’s amazing,” says Mikkel who also felt the emotions of lifting the trophy when the Danes were crowned European champions in 2021.

Spending so much time together, both on and off the court, fosters an understanding that often transcends the need for words. “Yes, I think we have in general good feeling about what the other brother is in need of,” agrees Rasmus.

“Rasmus is more vocal than me, so I often know what he’s yelling about, because you can hear what he yells,” Mikkel laughs, making his brother smile, too.

And how do they see each other as players?

Mikkel: “I describe him as smart, defensive player who can get his other defensive guys to do what he wants because he’s that vocal.”

Rasmus: “Like a cannonball or something like that, haha… Just one of the best spin players in the world. It’s amazing to see him every time he spins.”

Both spins and saves will be crucial if Denmark are to fulfil their wish of progressing deeper into the tournament. Alongside Malta, they are placed in group A with the strong teams of Croatia and Poland. Beach handball is known for its unpredictability, so the Danish approach is to take it step by step.

“Our ambition is of course high. We have been here for many tournaments now, always competing for the medals. But we also have a lot of respect for our opponents,“ says Rasmus.

“We take one by one opponent and of course, we want to go through the main round with many points as possible, but we take one match at the time.”

And how well prepared is the team?

“We came here some days ago, so we had both trainings and training matches, and that was really good for us to play a lot together and get to know how we play at the heat and take the rest when we need it. So it was really good to prepare like that,” concludes Mikkel.

The high temperatures will definitely be a challenge for all teams, but with fans and family cheering from the stands, it’s a much-needed wind in the back. And you can be sure that Denmark will give their all to see themselves lifting the trophy on Sunday 13 July.

Photos © kolektiff