The Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Handball Federation of Russia Sergey Shishkarev shared his impressions following the results of the Cup of Friendship which ended this week and was won by the national team of Russia.
— The Handball Federation of Russia started 2026 with the Cup of Friendship, a traditional international tournament. It turned out to be interesting, we were able to see the performance of the Russian national team’s reserve, assess the progress of Chinese handball players and, of course, enjoy another bright confrontation between Russia and Belarus. It proved to be exciting and finished with a confident and, most importantly, well-deserved victory of the Russian national team. Our Belarusian colleague also noted it when he congratulated me after the tournament.
I critiсized the national team of Russia after the loss in Minsk in November, now it deserves the highest ratings. Key lineup changes, variability in attack, well-played defense, goalkeeping saves led to a positive result, I congratulate the players and the coaching staff with it. We expect the leader of the national team Sergey Mark Kosorotov in the squad, who was unable to be at the court in Moscow due to an injury, unfortunately, but worked with others at the training session in Novogorsk.
It’s very important to stay in good shape and be ready to return to the international arena. It’s the main task at the moment, the work on its solution is well underway, — the press service of the HFR quotes Sergey Shishkarev’s words.
Photo: the HFR press
