Londoners take European Handball crown
A group of Londoners have been crowned champions of Europe after beating hosts Spain in a tense final at the European One-Wall Handball Championships in Valencia.
The England team, made up of Londoners Peter Cohen and Dan Grant and supported by substitute Adrian Lee, stormed through the early rounds of the competition, dominating Belgium, Holland and Italy without dropping a set to secure a showdown with the Spanish hosts in front of TV cameras and over 1,000 fervent home fans.
Feeding off the home support, the Spanish took the first set 11-5 and quickly surged to within two match points in the second. Determined not to be overwhelmed however, Cohen and Grant fought their way back into the game, remarkably taking the set 11-10.
Buoyed by momentum, the pair exploded into the tiebreak, overwhelming the deflated Spanish team and romping home to a deciding 7-0 win in front of the startled crowd. The fantastic performance from the team, deserving of their formidable form throughout the tournament, is sure to provide a needed boost for the niche sport's profile in the UK.
