Who are the Dujshebaev brothers: their renowned family in handball and their relationship with their coach

The championship, in which 32 teams participate, has been held since January 14 to February 2and for the first time in history it is held in three countries: Croatia, Denmark and Norway. In Oslo is the headquarters of the ‘Hispanos’, renamed in honor of the protagonist of the movie Gladiator, and from there they will not move if they pass the main phase and manage to reach the playoffs to fight for the coveted metals. . Spain will face Chile, Japan and Sweden in the preliminary phase in group F.

Spain’s aspirations in this tournament depend among other things, in addition to the saves of the brilliant Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas, in the performances of Alex Dujshebaevand his brother Dannybig references of the ‘Hispanics’. Both players for Polish Kielce and were born in Santander. The first of them in 1992, and the second in 1997. Both trained in our handball sport even though they packed their bags to play in Macedonia, Slovenia and Poland.

Alex is the leader of the ‘Hispanics’and for many the most talented player in the world. He speaks six languages ​​and has two Dujshebaevs as children. He went through Naturhouse Rioja and Balonmano Aragón before emigrating to Vadar when the economic crisis of the ASOBAL League began to tear apart historic clubs. “I don’t know if I’m a leader, but in any case leadership is assumed thanks to the team’s confidence to play the decisive goals,” he recently reflected in an interview.

A family that brings together six Olympic bronzes

Both, left-handed and right-handed, are the children of the mythical Talant Dujshebaevhis coach at Kielce in Poland and a legend in the development of handball in Spain. According to the International Handball Federation (IHF), the second best player of the 20th century. Talant arrived in our country in 1992 to play for the now defunct Teka Cantabria. Three years later, in 1995, he became a Spanish national and began to defend the Spanish national team’s shirt in international tournaments while he was living a glorious stage as a BM Ciudad Real player.

His incorporation into the national team was the piece that a golden generation needed to start winning. In total, Talant Dujshebaev won three Olympic medals during his career as a centre-back. The first of them won gold in 1992 as part of the Unified Team, the identity under which several countries of the former Soviet Union competed in the Barcelona Games.

Later, the bronze in Atlanta 96 and Sydney 2000 already with Spain. In addition to his sporting legacy, the Kyrgyz man also raised a family in our country. Three guys who have won six Olympic bronze medals with Spain. Alex and Dani Dujshebaev won the bronze medal at Paris 2024, and also before that at Tokyo 2020.

As a coach, Talant’s record is no slouch either. He won the title of Champions League with Ciudad Real in his first season as coach (2005/06). In total there are four in the Champions League. The last one was achieved in 2015/2016 with Kielce, his current team and where he trains his two children.

«I was a son of a bitch on the track, but off I was different from the image that there was of me. Dani was always very big (1.97 meters). I didn’t have the need, it was too good. Álex (1.87 meters) had to fight a little more, but he was left-handed and understood the game differently. He grew up in Ciudad Real and I grew up in Kyrgyzstan, where there was no handball. Álex, tactically, is a thousand times better than me. And Dani, at his age, is better than me. My children may earn more than me, but they will never have that character due to necessity,” the coach and father of the Dujshebaevs reflected last year in an interview.

Alex and Dani’s mother, Olga Duishebaeva She was also a handball player. She played as a goalkeeper and became an international player for the Soviet Union. What’s more, she was going to have competed in the Barcelona 92 ​​Olympic Games, however she missed the event when she became pregnant with Alex a few months before. Handball clearly runs in the family.

Denmark, once again will be the rival to beat

In one more tournament, a wide range of candidates for medals appear. Denmarkone of the three hosts, is one of the big favorites to lift the trophy, which would be its fourth consecutive title, without two stars like Mikkel Hansen or Niklas Landin. Behind them are another series of contenders for the final podium such as Francewhich recovered Dika Mem and Elhoim Prandi; Swedenthe talented Egypt by the Spanish Juan Carlos Pastor; Germany; the other organizers like Norway and Croatiaand, of course, Spain.

Where to see Spain in the World Cup

The meetings of the ‘Hispanics’ can be followed live at via RTVEeither on Teledeporte or streaming on RTVE Play. Spain debuts against Chile on January 16 (6:00 p.m.), while its second match will be Japan on the 18th, also at 6:00 p.m.

The quarterfinals will be played on Tuesday, January 28 and Wednesday, January 29 in two shifts: at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. The semifinals will take place on Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st at the same time as the previous round, while the final will take place on Sunday, February 2 at 6:00 p.m.

Finally, Jordi Ribera’s team will face Sweden on the third day of the preliminary phase on the 20th, at 8:30 p.m. The top three finishers from each of the groups qualify for the main round and carry over the points earned in the first phase.