by Helga Margrét Reinhardsdóttir
The Icelandic National Men's Handball Team will compete at the 2023 World Championships in Poland and Sweden, January 11 through 29, 2023.
The Icelandic handball website announces: The men's team, VALUR Reykjavik, has won the "Team of the Year" award! They are in second place going into the World Championship. This is the first handball club to win in the ten years this award has been presented. Valur has won the National Championship 24 times since 1940. 1980 was the last time they were in the championship final.
The Valur club was founded in 1911. Valur is an Icelandic word for gyrfalcon. They first played just football (soccer) until 1940, when they added men's handball. They are a successful sports club with both men's and women's handball, basketball, and football (soccer).
Ómar Ingi Magnússon received "Player of the Year." He also received it last year.
PHOTO FROM RUV - https://www.ruv.is/frettir/ithrottir/2022-12-29-omar-ingi-magnusson-er-ithrottamadur-arsins
For Icelandic Roots members, you can see how you are related to them by using the powerful Relationship Calculator in Icelandic Roots. The IR numbers are included below.
Coach: Guðmundur Þórður Guðmundsson - I259158
Captain / Left back:
Aron Pálmarsson - I414037
Goalkeepers:
Björgvin Páll Gústavsson - I367860
Viktor Gísli Hallgrímsson - I641527
Ágúst Elí Björgvinsson - I143243
Pivot:
Arnar Freyr Arnarsson - I98769
Elliði Snær Viðarsson - I650875
Ýmir Örn Gíslason - I612330
Left wing:
Bjarki Már Elísson - I415453
Hákon Daði Styrmisson - I751939
Right wing:
Sigvaldi Björn Guðjónsson - I635621
Óðinn Þór Ríkharðsson - I458502
Centre back:
Elvar Örn Jónsson - I220598
Gísli Þorgeir Kristjánsson - I132028
Janus Daði Smárason - I383222
Ólafur Andrés Guðmundsson - I612327
Elvar Ásgeirsson - I724735
Right back:
Ómar Ingi Magnússon - I635628 Note: Sportsman of the year 2022 (also 2021)!
Kristján Örn Kristjánsson - I694806
Viggó Kristjánsson - I480318
Additional info: The 3 matches all played in Kristianstad, Sweden:
(Leikir Íslands í riðlakeppni HM 2023)
12. janúar Ísland – Portúgal kl. 19:30 (Local time Iceland)
14. janúar Ísland – Ungverjaland (Hungary) kl. 19:30
16. janúar Ísland – Suður Kórea kl. 17:00
Áfram Ísland!