US athletes hope showcase will launch beach handball into next Olympics: Racing Toward Paris

[KARAH RUCKER]

FINALLY THIS MORNING – AS TEAM USA MEMBERS PREPARE TO COMPETE AT THE SUMMER GAMES IN A FEW DAYS – THERE IS ONE GROUP OF AMERICAN ATHLETES READY FOR ANOTHER TYPE OF COMPETITION. ONE WHERE THE GOAL IS TO SEE THEIR SPORT MAKE IT INTO THE NEXT OLYMPICS. BUT AS SENIOR PRODUCER BROCK KOLLER TELLS US THEY ARE STILL “RACING TOWARD PARIS.”

[BROCK KOLLER]

WHEN THE OLYMPIC GAMES OPEN THIS WEEK IN PARIS, YOU’LL BE ABLE TO WATCH BEACH VOLLEYBALL AT THE EIFFEL TOWER STADIUM.

BUT FOR USA’S CHRISTINE MANSOUR AND EBIYE UDO-UDOMA, THEIR ATTENTION WILL BE ON ANOTHER BEACH SPORT 15 MILES AWAY — BEACH HANDBALL.

“LET’S GO! (TWIRLS) PARIS! LET’S GO! PARIS!”

EBIYE UDO-UDOMA | USA HANDBALL PLAYER

“IT’S A DREAM COME TRUE. THERE ARE STILL SOME PREPARATIONS. I DON’T THINK THE MAGNITUDE OF PLAYING IN PARIS HAS HIT ME BECAUSE I’M STILL FOCUSED ON TRAINING.”

MANSOUR — FRESH OFF GETTING HER MBA — MEANS BUSINESS WHEN IT COMES TO GIVING BEACH HANDBALL ITS DUE.

CHRISTINE MANSOUR | USA HANDBALL PLAYER

“I ALWAYS VIEW IT AS A STARTUP SPORT. NOT THAT MANY PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT IT, ESPECIALLY IN THE STATES. IT’S SO INTERESTING BECAUSE ONCE I EXPLAIN THIS SPORT TO PEOPLE AND SHOW THEM A CLIP – THE INTEREST IS IMMEDIATELY PIQUED.”

[BROCK KOLLER]

JUST LIKE THE SPORT ITSELF – UDO-UDOMA IS BETTER KNOWN OUTSIDE THE US – OFTEN REFERRED TO INTERNATIONALLY BY HIS NICKNAME HANDBALL NINJA.

EBIYE UDO-UDOMA | USA HANDBALL PLAYER

“I REMEMBER SHAKING HANDS WITH AN OPPONENT. I SAID MY NAME’S EBIYE. HE SAID NINJA, YOU DON’T HAVE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF, WE ALL KNOW WHO YOU ARE. I JUST CHUCKLED.”

[BROCK KOLLER]

UNLIKE THE INDOOR VERSION – BEACH HANDBALL IS NOT YET AN OFFICIAL PART OF THE OLYMPICS.

BUT THIS YEAR IN PARIS — BEACH HANDBALL IS AN EXHIBITION SPORT — PLAYED ALONGSIDE THE OLYMPIC GAMES –

MANSOUR AND UDO-UDOMAH ARE AMONG 64 OF THE WORLD’S BEST ATHLETES FROM 18 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES PLAYING IN A SHOWCASE WITH HOPES FOR THE SPORT TO BE GRANTED A PERMANENT SPOT.

“IT’S VERY IMPORTANT TO ME THAT YOU HAVE THESE MEDIUMS IN LIFE LIKE SPORT WHERE YOU CAN TRANSCEND BARRIERS WHETHER THEY ARE POLITICAL, SOCIAL OR GEOGRAPHICAL, ITS NICE TO HAVE SOMETHING TO CONNECT YOU TO OTHER HUMAN BEINGS INDEPENDENT OF SUPERFICIAL RESTRICTIONS.”

AFTER PLAYING DIVISION 1 BASKETBALL AT HARVARD

– MANSOUR FOUND BEACH HANDBALL WHILE LIVING IN CALIFORNIA AND EXCELLED – BECOMING THE TOP SCORER IN THE 2022 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP –

MOVING TO THE NETHERLANDS AND CREATING A DUAL-NATION TEAM

— AND NOW BEING NAMED THE ONLY FEMALE PLAYER FROM NORTH AMERICA FOR THE SHOWCASE.

“WE’RE ALL ENTREPRENEURS IN THE SENSE. WE’RE ALL DOING OUR PART TO BUILD THIS COMMUNITY AND BUILD THIS SPORT, BUILD AWARENESS, SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO REACH HIGHER LEVELS AND WITH THAT THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS REACHING THE OLYMPICS.”

MANSOUR SAYS ONE OF THE BIG DIFFERENTIATORS – SETTING THIS SPORT APART FROM OTHERS – THE POINTS FOR SPECTACULAR GOALS.  THE ALLEY OOPS AND THE SPIN SHOTS.

“WHEN YOU HAVE THE BALL, YOU JUMP UP, YOU SPIN 360 IN THE AIR, YOU SHOOT AGAINST THE GOALIE AND IF YOU MAKE IT BEFORE YOU LAND, THAT’S 2 POINTS…”

IT WAS THOSE MOVES THAT FIRST CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF THE FUTURE HANDBALL NINJA —  PLAYING AT OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY AND JOINING THE NATIONAL TEAM A DECADE AGO.

“FOR REALLY A COUPLE DECADES WORTH OF WORK TO CULMINATE INTO SOMETHING LIKE GETTING THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY UNDER THE RINGS THE FLOOD OF EMOTION THAT INITIALLY HIT ME WAS IMMENSE”

OLYMPIC GOLD IS NOT THE GOAL THIS YEAR FOR THESE AMERICANS.

THEY ARE JUST OUT TO PROVE BEACH HANDBALL BELONGS AT THE OLYMPICS

AND THEY’RE NOT GOING TO MISS THEIR SHOT – SPINNING OR NOT – TO SHOWCASE THAT

“SO TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY AS WE SHOOT TO GET IT ON THE PROGRAM FOR LOS ANGELES 20-28 – 2032, AND TO BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE HISTORY OF SOMETHING THAT’S SOMETHING THAT HAS EVEN MORE VALUE ON TOP OF WHAT I ACCOMPLISH AS AN INDIVIDUAL ATHLETE OR AS A COMPETITOR – TO BE PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER THAN ME.”

“FOR ME TO BE PART OF AN OLYMPIC SHOWCASE OF A SPORT THAT I’M OBSESSED WITH, THAT I LOVE, AND I WISH THE WHOLE WORLD KNEW ABOUT —  IS THE GREATEST HONOR.”