40 years from the memorable Panamericano 1981 at Luna Park

Forty years ago, on November 9, 1981, the II Pan American Tournament, which classified the winner for the World Cup to be played in Federal Germany the following year the following year began in the Luna Park in Buenos Aires.This is a transcendental event in the growth of our Argentine National Team.

The Argentine Handball Federation was chaired by Juan Mainzhausen and had the experience of having organized several international competitions in the country (Pinheiros 1971, Gummersbach 1972; American World Cup Cup 1973; and Copa Latina 1975).

For this new adventure, things prepared better than ever before.Work began, in collaboration with Femebal, since May.There was the support of the Ministry of Sports, in charge of the DR.Santiago Leyden and with the decisive intervention of Tito Lectoure, owner of Luna Park, who facilitated everything to be played in that stadium, with the best possible conditions.

However it was about to have querenunción at the headquarters in favor of the US.UU., when successive devaluations of the Argentine peso reduced, in practice, the subsidy granted by the SDN.

When everything finally seemed resolved, a very serious injury suffered by the outstanding German player Joachim Deckarm determined that the IHF prohibited the realization of official matches on rigid floors.Discarded, due to its very high costs, the possibility of acquiring a synthetic floor, the exceptional authorization of the International Federation was achieved, and the II Pan American was the last official contest of the world handball played on hard floor.

Finally, and for the court to reach 40 meters long regulations, the gate that separated the game sector from the northern head tribune, which was disabled for the public.

Manuel store León, Konex, Bank Province and Adidas were the main sponsors.There was no television, but for the first time the videos of Argentina's matches were privately recorded, through Salvi s.A.Press and dissemination services were treated by a professional journalistic team, a modality used previously by FAH.The official launch of the tournament was completed through a mass conference at the Hotel President.

A group of thirty volunteer collaborators was fundamental for the optimal result achieved by the organization, which deserved the explicit recognition of delegations, international leaders and the media that covered the tournament.

Collection for ticket sale and advertisements compensated part of the expenses.The contest cost eighty thousand dollars.The State subsidized fifteen thousand (also provided the accommodation in Cedena) and the surplus called the six thousand of the US currency.

While all this was happening, the national team, which had begun to prepare in July, did it in the way you could in the eighties: without scholarships, training at the exit of work or faculty;Alternating the gym gymnasium Don Bosco in Florida, which had been especially rented, with Cedena (current Cenard) and a third day a week where possible, many times outdoors.There was an endowment of their own balls and the medical services of the property could be used.

In addition, three concentrations were carried out in the National Center in which it was usual.The Argentine handball was so naive amateur that, despite its precariousness and being far from the ideal, these conditions were better than those that had been arranged in previous calls, in any of which were regularly training on a court of... palette ball.

Competitively the panorama was not hopeful.Twenty months ago the national team was inactive and in the last ten years he registered barely fourteen matches against selections and twelve against clubs, mostly Brazilians.Only five of its members had international experience (Ponzio 19 meetings; Bayer 16; Simonet 12; Müller 7 and Nicoloff 5), the other eleven and the coaching staff headed by Jorge Rossi and José Torres, Erandebutantes.

Anyway, the tournament was reached with a cohesive set that had won the confidence of all from a huge collective delivery and personal sacrifice, but that gave the advantage of having played preparation matches only before Femebal clubs.

Cuba with a technical physical capacity and experience much superior to that of the rest was the favorite.The endearing and remembered Roberto Casuso was one of his main figures.The United States was no longer invincible as in the previous decade and Brazil was shot.Mexico and the debutants Chile and Paraguay were very accessible.It was decisive to overcome the United States in the debut to avoid Antillians at the semifinal crossing.

The moon looked like in his best nights and Argentina did not disappoint.The Crónica newspaper said on November 10, “in a dramatic end, with three thousand people standing shouting, Argentina beat the United States in supplementary by 23 to 22.The regulatory time had concluded matched 18 to 18 ".“A goal from Simonet."

Never before had he won those of the north.It was feat, but now everyone wanted more.36:14 against Paraguay and 26:15 before Chile, there were little less than administrative procedures.The newspapers highlighted the performances of Schunk, Bayer, Ponzio, Strafe and Simonet.They also pointed out the official international debut of Argentine arbitration when Horacio Romero and Ricardo Ghering directed Paraguay - Chile.

On the other Cuba area, Brazil took ten and both postponed Mexico.The semifinals would be the desired: Argentina - Brazil and the United States - Cuba.The public continued to respond, the press, especially the graph, supported as never before, the organization did not offer fissures.

On November 13 Cuba clearly exceeded the United States and before an impressive Argentina and Brazil frame.Errors and successes were distributed.The stands were a delirium.Anyone could have won but the end was tied at 22.At the start of the Argentine supplementary dominated and arrived at the change from side to a goal in favor and possession of the ball.But Brazil did not surrender and Sergio Portela became unstoppable (17 goals!).Some losses in attack prevented definition.

Below by one, the visit forces a foul in the six meters.I stop the clock, there are six seconds left !!!There is an attack barrier for the free kick.The moon is a hotbed.The whole stadium knows that it will define bearing.There is whistle, the ball reaches its hands, the Argentine defense reacts a fraction of second afternoon.The executioner rises in suspended and the crossed nail down.It had the effect of a dock.It is 27-27.It's silence, it's disappointment.Appearance players and public suffered the second supplementary.The opportunity had escaped and 35:30 in the end was devastating for a team without experience in the end of this type.

The next day and unable to recover, the albiceleste fell 22:25 in front of the US who stayed with the bronze.In the final, Cuba won 34 to 20 against Brazil and was floating the unknown of what would have happened if the opponent had been Argentina with all the audience in favor.But the story is not written with what could be, but with what effectively happened.

On December 21, 1981, and in the absence of competencies planned for the national team, the FAH CD resolved the dissolution of the campus and the cessation of the coaching staff that had demonstrated capacity and commitment but did not enjoy a second chance.Once again, a good job would lack continuity.Once again the circumstances, and perhaps the leading limitations, prevented it from continuing to progress.The selection would not return to the activity until November 83.

The Argentine team: Bayer, Gerardo;Ponzio, José;Nicoloff, Nicolás;Simonet, Luis;Müller, Esteban;Schunk, Norberto;Talpone, Héctor;Strafe, Claudio;Mihail, Carlos;Sánchez Montero, Fernando; Bauer, Guillermo;Furment, Miguel;Garcia, Néstor;Kulzer, Claudio;Ponce, Daniel;Argumedo, Rafael. DT: José “Pepe" Torres y Jorge Rossi.Delegate: Strafe, Juan.

JUAN CARLOS RENNISHISTORY AND STATISTICS-CAH