Fernando García, coach of Sedalo at Voces SCA, talks about the title and the organizational impact of the Handball Libertadores tournament held in Asunción.
Following a successful 2026 edition of the South Central American Club Tournament, Fernando García, coach of the women’s championship team, shared his thoughts on his experience in Asunción.
After an exciting and unforgettable week for the Sedalo team, García praised their efforts and acknowledged everything that goes into organizing such an important tournament.
Organization and Planning
“We really appreciate all the work that goes into organizing this tournament; anyone who has been involved in this field for a long time knows what goes on behind the scenes and understands the effort required to put on a tournament of this magnitude.”
“We loved the tournament; we felt very comfortable in every way. The people in Paraguay were always very helpful, and the courts were excellent.”
One point the coach highlighted was the proximity to the courts, and he made it clear that this was a big plus, as was the fact that breakfast, lunch, and dinner were served at the same place where they were staying.
“This means the players are more rested because they spend more time in the same place, which makes everything much easier.”
“The kitchen staff made sure to check if any of the players had special dietary needs or requirements, and that was exactly what we all needed.”
“We also managed to get a space to watch videos. To be honest, the tournament exceeded our expectations, so we were very happy.”
“It made our job a lot easier—we trained on the same field where we played. We felt very comfortable, and that makes things go more smoothly and, in turn, helps us get results.”
Many coaches agree that Paraguay is establishing itself as a powerhouse in continental handball. García commented on this, saying:
“Paraguay has really raised the bar, and I congratulate them. You can see how much Paraguay has grown, and that’s great because the idea is for us all to keep growing so that this becomes more and more competitive—and the fact that they were able to organize the tournament so excellently makes it even better.”
Go for it, SCA champion!
How many years has Sedalo been thinking about that trophy that’s now on display in its showcases?
“Five years—it’s been five years since I started with this team in 2022. Five years in one week. That’s roughly how long it took us as an institution to achieve this monumental goal—the first time a women’s team from Argentina has ever done so.”
“Last year we made it to the final but couldn’t pull it off; this goes beyond Sedalo—for Argentine handball, it was the most important achievement in club history.”
He is joined on the coaching staff by his wife, María Jose Vázquez, who works with the youth teams.
Ezequiel Sánchez Viamonte serves as an assistant coach, Ignacio Perillo as a strength and conditioning coach, and Alejandro García is in charge of all the goalkeepers across the club’s various age groups.
The Chosen Ones
“It’s always hard to decide which 18 players will make the roster; there are 10 others who are training, and it’s hard to tell them who’s making the cut.”
“In this case, some of them went to the Junior World Championships, so it wasn’t that difficult to announce it because our roster was smaller.”
“It took us a lot of effort to win the cup. We’ve realized that players need to train outside the club as well; otherwise, it’s impossible to compete with professional teams.”
In the dream photo, an excited Fernando García said:
“It’s an image I’ll always carry in my heart because we managed to take Argentine handball as far as it could go. For Sedalo, winning this tournament was like touching the sky.”
Dialogue and Exchange
In his closing remarks, Fernando García mentioned the exchange of ideas and dialogue with the other coaches during the competition. It’s a time when they catch up on the current situation in each country and at each club.
García highlighted the professionalism in all aspects of Brazilian clubs such as Pinheiros and FMO Portugués.
“The reality for clubs in Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, and Paraguay is that we’re very amateur, and that amateur spirit brings us closer together because each of us is making a huge effort to get to play in this very important tournament.”
“As for Pinheiros and FMO Portugués, they are role models for us as amateurs; we look up to them with great admiration for their organization.”
Their achievement has made headlines in Sedalo, and in the coming days they will receive well-deserved recognition at the handball arena in Parque Roca in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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If you liked Fernando García, Sedalo’s coach on Voces SCA you can also find more information at Handballsca.com
Photos: COSCABAL / Jorge Olmedo
By Loly Coria
