Int'l Handball: Disappointment for Israel against Slovenia
Israel's national handball team humbled 36-28 by Slovenia at Rishon Lezion.
By ALLON SINAIhandball(photo credit: Courtesy)
Israel's national handball team was humbled 36-28 by Slovenia at Rishon Lezion on Wednesday in its first European Championship 2010 qualifier.
Gilad Maor's side was no match for the Slovenians and, despite Avishai Smoler's 10 goals, was well beaten long before the match was officially over.
"We believed we could win, but the differences between the teams are much bigger than they seem," Maor said. "We tried our best and I'm proud of my players."
Israel, which visits Bulgaria in its next qualifier on Sunday, has little chance of advancing to the European Championships, with only the top two from each group progressing to the tournament in Austria.
Besides the strong Slovenian side, Israel was also drawn with world champion Germany, and Bulgaria and Belarus complete the five-team group.
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