European handball championship in sight: Tabea Schmid is already a national team player at the age of 20

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After the European Championship, the European Championship follows: While the men played their record tournament in Germany in January, our national women’s team is preparing for the home European Championship in November and December.

“Now it’s going to happen very quickly. We only have three or four match dates left for the national team,” said Swiss national player Tabea Schmid. Despite her young age, the 20-year-old from Mörschwil SG is already one of the top players in Knut Ove Joa’s team. At the front it is placed on the circle, at the back the center of the cover holds it together.

No speaker

The fact that she already has so much responsibility on the field suits Schmid. And she also has to become more and more of a leader in the dressing room – especially because Nati coach Joa gives his players a lot of say. «I am absolutely not a speaker by nature. But I think I’m still growing into this role.”

Schmid takes everything in her career step by step. And she has been doing quite well so far: in 2021 she was voted the best young player in Switzerland, in 2022 she gained her first experience abroad during a language stay in the second French competition and in 2023 she led the LC Brühl to the double as MVP. The next move to Copenhagen followed in the summer.

In Denmark, one of the strongest women’s competitions ever, she is already playing a key role in her first season. “It’s going even better than I expected,” says Schmid. “The game here is simply more physical and faster than in Switzerland. But the biggest difference is the goalkeepers, who are better trained.” She also feels at ease in Copenhagen in her private life. “The people are open and helpful.”

“At home European Championship is ubiquitous”

If Schmid joins the national team for the two test matches against Hungary, as she did this week, her new life in Denmark will take a back seat. “The European Championships at home are already ubiquitous,” she says. “We discuss a lot among ourselves about how we can encourage handball fever even more.”

Does the tournament in Basel (from November 28) come too early for the very young team? “Not necessarily,” says Schmid. “A European Championship is always a highlight. And we boys hopefully have a long career ahead of us in which we can perhaps experience another home tournament.”

Source : Blick