The German Sports Aid Foundation have voted the Germany men’s handball team as the ‘Athletes of the Month’ for January, following their top-four performance at the 26th IHF Men’s World Championship.

 

“The men's handball national team, which sparked a euphoria throughout Germany at the World Championship, have been selected by the German Sports Aid Foundation as the athletes of the month of January,” says the statement on the official website. “Even without a World Championship medal, the team of national coach Prokop caused sustained enthusiasm through their team and fighting spirit.”

 

Germany ranked fourth at the World Championship after a last-second, one-goal defeat to France in the bronze-medal match. Although that loss was disappointing for the co-hosts, the fourth place also marked a return to the top of the World Championship, where Germany had not reached the semi-finals for 12 years prior to the event in January. More than 500,000 spectators attended the matches held in Germany during the World Championship.

 

The German Sports Aid Foundation Athletes of the Month are selected by voting among the 4,000 athletes sponsored by the Foundation. The handball team won with a 64.5% vote in their favour. In second place was para-alpine skier Anna Schaffelhuber (19.8%), while luge duo Toni Eggert and Sascha Benecken received 15.7% of the vote to place third.

 

The German Sports Aid Foundation is a private sports promotion initiative providing financial support as well as career planning and personal development opportunities for athletes is a variety of sports, including 50 Olympic disciplines. The athletes supported by the Foundation have brought Germany a total of 261 Olympic gold medals and 350 Paralympic gold medals since founding in 1967.