The Argentine National Team is preparing to play its fourth Olympic Games. On July 27 they face Norway in the first group stage match. It won’t be easy for Los Gladiadores to advance to the next round, but it will be a good opportunity to measure themselves against the best in the world in the 33rd edition of the Olympic Games.
The Argentine team is currently touring Europe to prepare for Paris 2024 in the best possible way. The training has different activities, they play two hours of ball every day and intensify the tactical and technical part. With respect to physical preparation, a schedule was drawn up with hard, challenging routines and the practice of other sports disciplines such as judo, canoeing and running in the sand. “ In order to achieve different things, we have to prepare in a different way”said Federico Pizarro, Argentina’s national team fullback.
Pedro Martínez, team centerback commented: “…I have been working with a sports psychologist for a few months now, he is making me grow as a player and as a person”, He emphasized the importance of training the mental and psychological part for the high performance athlete, especially in high level tournaments.
Martinez, one of the 17 players on the tour roster, added: “… I am giving my all to arrive at my best. It is a great responsibility to represent the country and be part of a delegation with great athletes.
Federico Pizarro, one of the best players in the Asobal League (Spain), recalls that when he joined the national team in 2006, being in the Olympic Games seemed a long way off since they had never qualified.
The first qualification came at the Guadalajara 2011 Pan American Games, “… what we experienced in London 2012 was incredible. Today Argentina will be in its fourth consecutive Olympic Games, and I can assure you that each qualification was special because of the way it happened and because once you are an Olympian you want to continue being one, and you want to continue being one.I think we are going to go down in the history of the Argentine national team, Pizarro affirmed and added: “The group is well, happy and united. We know it will be tough, but we are preparing ourselves to stand up and fight them all. In addition, he assured that it will be his last participation in the Games, “ It is time for the youngsters to start taking charge of the national team”.
Within the squad, only two players have participated in London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and will be in Paris 2024 and they are Federico Pizarro and Federico Fernandez, also the coach Guillermo Milano, the kinesiologist Guillermo Cazón and Dr. Carlos Marino who are part of the coaching staff.
The Paris 2024 target
The Olympic Games are the most important competition at a sporting level and also the most difficult, with the twelve best teams in the world. The tournament raises its level in each edition, there are no weak teams, all of them are strong.
Argentina is in Group B with Denmark, Norway, Hungary, France and Egypt, “… it will be will be very hard but we will try to qualify and advance to the next round”, said Pablo Simonet.said Pablo Simonet. The youngest of three brothers with a surname synonymous with Handball.
The experience of living an Olympic Games is something incredible for any athlete, but for some it is even more special. The youngest of the Simonet family lived and played for 3 years in Paris with his brother Sebastian, the eldest of the Simonet family, with whom he shared the last edition of Tokyo 2020. This time in Paris 2024 Pablo will play alongside Diego Simonet and it may be their last participation together.
In this edition the public will once again be present in the stands, adding color to the most important sporting event in the world, Pedro assured that this motivates them, “... friends, family and the public that will come to support us are always an extra motivation”.friends, family and the public that will come to support us are always an extra motivation”.
With a different, strong, intense preparation and two test-matches played against Spain, the Argentine national team coached by Guillermo Milano will arrive in Paris and will seek to advance to the next round and make history in the Olympic Games.
Photos: CoSCABal/Germán Paez.
By Rocío Mariel García Sigüenza
