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.”