Sport

ACTION MAN: Handball wizard Joe Trent with the victorious GB team

Big hand for Joe and his teammates

by Lorraine Gibson

British handball has been making great progress since the 2012 London Olympics, and now it’s brought home its first-ever trophy after a string of wins in Kosovo. Local payer, Joe Trent from Corfe Mullen, was part of the triumphant under-20 GB handball squad that has now returned home with plans for even greater success. “The win is exceptional for British handball, seeing them qualify for the Intercontinental Trophy in March next year,” says Joe’s proud mum, Stephanie Trent. “It’s a fantastic sport, something different to team sports like football, rugby or cricket. “They made history by taking their first-ever tournament trophy, with a commanding performance of four wins out of four, beating Bulgaria, Kosovo, Malta and Andorra.” Joe’s handball journey began at Lockyer’s Middle School, Wimborne, where he took part in after-school sessions run by Poole Phoenix Handball club. From there, he progressed into the Regional Academy, then the England youth team. “Joe has trained hard to achieve his dream of playing for Great Britain and after taking his A-levels at Corfe Hill, he spent a year developing and improving his skills playing for Ikast under-19s in Denmark,” says Stephanie. In the wake of his team’s success, Joe hopes that more young players will take up the fast-paced and exciting game which is already one of Europe’s most popular team sports.

Youths prove a model team

Wimborne Town Youth Football Club’s Under-10s paid a visit to Wimborne Model Town to size up their new kit, writes Lewis Davies. Two teams play at this level, one plays in Bournemouth Youth League sponsored by Bournemouth-based Kortext, and the other in the Dorset Mini League.