Macedonian Handball Team Receives Presidential Order of Merits

Photo by: Ognen Teofilovski

The handball team’s level of success has rarely been achieved by national athletes. The results have secured the team entry into the forthcoming Olympics in London, the first time that Macedonia will be represented in an Olympic contest in team sports.

The medals will be awarded for the “promotion of Macedonia in the world by achieved top results in handball and outstanding contribution for the development and popularisation of the sport in the country” the presidential cabinet said.

Upon their return from Serbia on Saturday, the handball players received a hero’s welcome in Skopje.
 
There was a large celebratory party and parade in the streets of the city. Thousands watched as the team walked through the Triumphal arch to Skopje’s main square.

The celebrations resembled those that followed the national basketball team’s high fourth place result at the EuroBasket European Basketball Championships held in Lithuania in September. In that competition, Macedonia was also seen as an outsider.

Macedonia’s men’s handball team had never before come close to achieving such a positive result, and was considered an underdog at the championships. The team secured the fifth place slot on Friday after defeating Slovenia 28 - 27.

In the battle for the gold medal on Saturday, Denmark won their second European Championship title after overpowering the host team of Serbia 21 - 19.