Delyne Leiva, Paraguay’s captain, is looking forward to the South Central Senior Handball Championship to be held in the city of Niteroi, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, from November 26 to 30.
The Paraguayan national team, under the command of coach Marizza Faria, is preparing to face the South Central tournament, which is a qualifier for the World Cup in Germany/Netherlands 2025.
International captain
Captain Delyne Leiva, who has been playing for Club Puerto Del Carmen in Spain since the 2022/23 season, says that playing outside her country is an enriching experience.
“… it has allowed me to grow as a player and to face different styles of play that have given me a broader vision of the sport”.
Leiva is a central player in the national team “… it is a position that allows me to coordinate the game, the team, make quick decisions and work together with my teammates to generate opportunities in attack.”
Delyne is currently competing in the Spanish club. “I join the team on November 22nd to officially start training. I am looking forward to being on track and working together to achieve our goal”.
How are you physically?
- I feel in good shape, I’ve been training intensely with my club to make sure I’m at 100 percent and that I can contribute the most to the national team.
Representing Paraguay
What does it mean to you to be called up and wear the colors of Paraguay?
- It is an indescribable honor, it is a dream come true to be able to wear the colors of my country. To give my best in every training session, in every game, whether on or off the court.
He further added: “It is also a great responsibility and a huge motivation to make everyone who has always supported us proud of the work we are doing.”
Do you consider that there has been an exponential growth in recent years with respect to the level of play of the Paraguayan national team?
- I believe that we have experienced significant growth in recent years, the team has shown a continuous process in all aspects of the game: tactically, physically and in terms of team cohesion. We have several players playing in Spain, in Brazil and this helps a lot to gain experience in international competitions and also allows us to raise our level of play.
Leiva maintains that the Paraguayan national team has no ceiling, each player is very committed and that is key to ensure that they continue to advance at a very good level.
South Downtown in Rio de Janeiro
What are your expectations for the next South Central Championship, which will have 3 places at stake for the World Championship?
- Expectations are high and we are motivated, we know that a South Central is never easy, that it is very hard.
We also know that this is a great opportunity to continue demonstrating everything we have worked for in recent years and with three places the competition will be intense.
What will be Paraguay’s main objective in South Central?
- Paraguay’s main objective is to qualify for the World Cup, we know it is a huge challenge.
Finally, the captain expressed: “We trust in our essence, in our game and in all the effort we have put in so far.”
“Our goal is to achieve the top positions and obtain that qualification. We will go game after game giving our best and we will fight until the end.”
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Photos: CoSCABal / Germán Paez
By Loly Coria
