20th Handball World Cup - Everything Thread

[Aureumterra]

ANC News

Handball Aureumterra (HA)
Reporter: Today in Abanhfleft, our national team suffered a 5 point defeat against Hudson Islands. Aureumterra scored 27 points, lagging behind Hudson’s 32. The team started with a fortified defense 6-0 formation in which Zadoch Gaėr took the lead at first running ahead into the Hudson’s goal area and leaping without touching the floor, putting Aureumterra in the lead. Things were looking really good for our team early into the game, with Gaėr scoring 8 more points, while Hudson got 4. Gaėr was performing extremely well in the match, however, Hudson managed to catch up, with their LW scoring 6 pints, putting them in the lead. Vos Rodckè, although blocking many shots, still was slow when it came to Hudson’s epic Double. The two wingmen from Hudson rushed forwards and confused our team with their unpredictable movement, the RW jumped into the goal area just as the LW passed him the ball, and he shot in a motion so swift, it will go down in history books. Rodckè was unable to block that one. Once the 2nd half began, Aureumterra switched to a 5-1 offense formation where our star player, Corôl Wæsha, was brought out. He unleashed hell onto Hudson, putting Auremterra in a brief 2 point lead, when Hudson took it back, having 29 by that point. Our team couldn’t score any more goals for the rest of the game, and suffered a defeat from the first game. Our team wished to take the defeat positively, and hope they learn from their mistakes and improve. Eyðileggja þá Aureumterra!

[Greater vakolicci haven]

Attention turns to obscure sport: sadly, not enough of it

Handball has never been a major sport in the Haven, and even as a Vakolicci Haven and Celeria team enters the handball world cup for the first time, news of their progress is only really available to the sports small but dedecated fanbase through a 3rd-page stream from v.net. The multimedia website, known for providing professional and in depth coverage of every sporting event the Haven participates in (and quite a few it doesn't) is the only media outlet with video capability monitoring the very young ameture side competing for the Haven in abanhfleft.
However, those that were able to find the stream witnessed a spectacle today as the Haven defeated one of the finest teams in the competition, from Costa de ouro.
This nation, the veteran of several finals, had picked a relatively young and inexperienced side to replace their aging one from previous years, and it showed.
The first half started with a truly dominant display from the Havenic side, with Kral-Doni on the left wing standing out as a potentially world-class player and making a mockery of their defence. Chants of 'Who are you?' rang forth from the Havenic faithful as goal after goal was slotted in: a slight breakdown in the second half allowed the former greats to make a comeback, but the damage was done: the Haven had claimed a major scalp in its very first competitive international handball game.
Head coach Lucia Ventris referred to the win as a 'magnificent display,' and stated that it proved her detractors in Havenssport wrong: the Haven truly could mix it with the worlds best in handball, as in every other sport. Ventris, 33, who is listed herself as a reserve player for the team, is a veteran of several underwhelming havenic Olympic handball displays and appeared to be overwhelmed and exuberant as she gave her interview: for a team as new as the Haven, this victory was, as she said, like winning the final.

What became painfully obvious from listening to international broadcasts of the game is just how little it is supported by the Havenssport organisation. In fact, the support was so lacking that the traditional havenssport press release that informs the worlds media of such minor details like what the players are actually called was not even submitted intime: as a result, we at v.net have decided to lend them a hand and make it completely obvious now to the whole world.

The goalkeepers name is Pattrick Dunne. He is 31 years old, plays for the Iros Black Cats, and stands at 1.85 meters in height. His traditional job is as a carpenter.
At left back we have Stephany Baker. She is 15 years old and the youngest member of the team, also a black cat. She goes to school, unsurprisingly, and does not work; her aspirations, however are to become a doctor.
At center back is our captain, Daniel Rusakri. He is a Celari handball Dragon, part of the massive Dragons organisation that also boasts rugby union and gridiron football clubs amongst many others. 23 years old and 1.80 meters tall, he happens to be the only ginger on the team as well as the only member from Celeria. He is a post-graduate university student at Roma Technical university, working for his masters in chemical engineering.
Our right back is Helga Rukins, a 27 year old player for the Vrarnastachti hurricane. Like most Vrarnastachti her English is very limited, and she will likely refuse interviews. However, she is a junior partner in a law firm, and stands at 1.6 meters tall; she also loves chocolate sundaes and feels this is an important fact for everyone to know.

On the left wing is Isaac Kral-Doni, the star of this team. He is also its oldest player at 33, and is a computer scientist from Iros. Another black Cat player, he is the tallest havenic player at nearly 2 meters tall. He is also the only member of the team who has stated a desire to play informally.
On to the right wing, we find Felix Loveitla. 19 years old, he is not a native of Celeria but is still a Celari dragon. Like many players, he likes to play all over the court however right wing is his favoured position. He is 1.79 meters tall, and a tree surgeon.

Finally our pivot forward is Sara Ranger. She plays for the western isles, and like most of her compatriots is a hard and physical player. This is helped by her other part-time sports hobby, ameture boxing; shemixes that as well as her handball with her career as a sound engineer. She is 23 years old and stands at 1.59 meters in height.

Our replacements do not have a fixed position, and their are but 4 of them. They are head coach Lucia Ventris, Defencive-minded western islander Peter Zinkler, aggressive Tolman forward Marcus Branders, and tricky all-rounder Juan Lecrand.

[The Greater Nordics]

"Welcome back to the GNTV late night news. We now go to reporter Emma Ranta who is in Abanhfelt with our team for the Handball World Cup."
"Thats right. Its been an exciting day here as the Greater Nordics competed in an international sporting event for the first time. The team did remarkably well for their first time with a final score of 29-29 against Melbergia. There were strong performances by Malin Isaksson and Stig Janson but it was GK Lukas Ottoson who was the player of the game. He made some great saves today and he kept the score tied with a great save in the final minutes. Manager Matteus Olsson said he was proud of the way the team played and he was looking forward to the match against Natanians and Nosts. He said that teh team should be prepared and not overlook them just because they lost today.This is Emma Ranta signing off from Malabon, Abanhfleft."

[Filindostan]

No Nonsense Sportswear Office
San Marco, Filindostan

Niki Samonte decided to re-evaluate his options in NNS after incurring substantial losses in an out-of-court settlement with the North Prarie baseball team for their uniforms. He decided to close the online storefront of NNS for the meantime, after they provided the New Sangti Indios with a throwback uniform with a nod to their WBC 27 past. He decided to watch television to clear his mind of NNS stuff, and saw the live footage of the Filindostani handball team facing the Hinodejins in a very tightly-contested match.

He noticed something weird on the jerseys of the handball players.

The numbering on the kits of the Filindostanis were peeling off. Niki thought that they just outsourced their kits from some local company and plastered it with weak adhesives. It was embarrassing to see it at live TV, and more talking points will have that as topic than sharing the spoils with the Hinodejins.

He quickly got his phone and dialed a number of a close friend working for the handball team.

[Abanhfleft]

Gaelic Gamers
Presents...

Hungry for Handball
with Aisling Keane

Oh, crap. How do I do this again? It's been so long since I watched some handball (that didn't have anything to do with outfield football players putting their hands on the ball or the other kind of hands on balls). All right, girl, buck it up and let's do this.

Might as well call it the Lamont Lamberti Show, this game 1 of the 20th Handball World Cup against the Bjornoya Islands. (I know that their Os got some kind of slashes in them but my keyboard can't handle those symbols so I'm not going to put 'em in there. So there.) Lamont was responsible for over eighteen of Abanhfleft's 35 points in the game against the Bjornoyas, scoring eight and assisting ten. Janna McHale also chipped in ten contributions of her own (five goals, five assists) despite being already 30 years old. And Lorraine Gregory is making a name for herself as well, what with her seven goals being the second most a Fleftic player has scored in this game.

God, I'm getting really, really poor at this. Things are swimming in and out of my head right now. At the very least, Abanhfleft scored 5 unanswered points before a Bjornoyan player finally curled in a shot to put the Bjornoyas on the board. Abanhfleft then scored three more points before Bjornoya Republic finally got a penalty after Alfonso Imler stepped into the goal crease, and another Bjornoyan player converted the resulting penalty. But Abanhfleft just kept pouring in the goals until it finally ended 18-11 at half-time.

Things weren't going to get any easier for Bjornoya Islands. Five more unanswered points to start off the second half, three of them goals for Lamberti and two of them assists. Bjornoya Islands did their best to come back into this game, they really did, but the host nation just had the significant backing of the home fans to egg them on, and Abanhfleft finished 35-24 winners.

Quite a bit boring for a handball report, I know, but I've been away for so long that I can't describe the action of handball much more than necessary. Oh, I can already hear the national anthems for the next round of games. See you later.

[Abanhfleft]

Everyone can do whatever you like, but will it send your country through to the next round? Or will have to wait until the final day to know your fate?

---

Group A
Bjørnøya Republic 28–26 Aureumterra
Abanhfleft 33–22 Hudson Islands

  Group A                           Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Abanhfleft                          2   2  0  0   68  46 +22    6
2 Hudson Islands                      2   1  0  1   54  60  −6    3
3 Bjørnøya Republic                   2   1  0  1   52  61  −9    3
4 Aureumterra                         2   0  0  2   53  60  −7    0

Group B
Kita-Hinode 23–29 North Prarie
Filindostan 24–29 Free Republics

  Group B                           Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 North Prarie                        2   2  0  0   55  45 +10    6
2 Free Republics                      2   1  0  1   51  50  +1    3
3 Filindostan                         2   0  1  1   48  53  −5    1
4 Kita-Hinode                         2   0  1  1   47  53  −6    1

Group C
Equestrian States 23–26 Vakolicci Haven and Celeria
Qasden 27–30 Costa de Ouro

  Group C                           Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Vakolicci Haven and Celeria         2   2  0  0   53  45  +8    6
2 Costa de Ouro                       2   1  0  1   52  54  −2    3
3 Qasden                              2   1  0  1   57  59  −2    3
4 Equestrian States                   2   0  0  2   52  56  −4    0

Costa de Ouro ahead of Qasden on H2H results

Group D
New Doltania 28–22 Maltta
Lisander 24–29 Banija

  Group D                           Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 New Doltania                        2   2  0  0   55  40 +15    6
2 Banija                              2   2  0  0   57  48  +9    6
3 Maltta                              2   0  0  2   46  56 −10    0
4 Lisander                            2   0  0  2   42  56 −14    0

Group E
Melbergia 30–27 Royal Kingdom of Quebec
The Greater Nordics 24–23 Natanians and Nosts

  Group E                           Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Melbergia                           2   1  1  0   59  56  +3    4
2 The Greater Nordics                 2   1  1  0   53  52  +1    4
3 Royal Kingdom of Quebec             2   1  0  1   54  54   0    3
4 Natanians and Nosts                 2   0  0  2   47  51  −4    0

Group F
Ethane 29–24 Humaliwo
Savojarna 32–20 United States of Devonta

  Group F                           Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Savojarna                           2   2  0  0   63  36 +27    6
2 Ethane                              2   1  0  1   45  55 −10    3
3 Humaliwo                            2   0  1  1   48  53  −5    1
4 United States of Devonta            2   0  1  1   44  56 −12    1

Group G
Alpine Union 24–27 Northwest Kalactin
Drawkland 29–29 Quantilia

  Group G                           Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Northwest Kalactin                  2   2  0  0   56  52  +4    6
2 Drawkland                           2   1  1  0   57  53  +4    4
3 Quantilia                           2   0  1  1   57  58  −1    1
4 Alpine Union                        2   0  0  2   48  55  −7    0

Group H
Soltsteed 24–30 Kosovakia
Juvencus 29–24 Ordo Cardinalis et Papa Sonneliae

  Group H                           Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Kosovakia                           2   2  0  0   57  47 +10    6
2 Soltsteed                           2   1  0  1   53  57  −4    3
3 Juvencus                            2   1  0  1   56  53  +3    3
4 Ordo Cardinalis et Papa Sonneliae   2   0  0  2   47  56  −9    0

Soltsteed ahead of Juvencus on H2H results

[Banija]

OOC: This takes place after the most recent Banijan national elections, detailed here. It is not a direct continuation of that series, but it provides the setting for what will take place here
Also, to find out what Banijan political titles mean in English, see my signature.

A Path Forward, Part I
These are the scenes from Election Night in Lakiska, Busoga Islands, the capitol city of the islander region of Banija.

Ebrahim Razav, a member of the informally named Islander Parliament, formally known as the Busoga Islands Regional Assembly, was watching the election results, stunned. A massive corruption scandal had hit the national government in Busoga, and he was shocked as he listened to the rolling results on television. A far-right, nationalist government was being swept into power. Feeding off of Banijan frustration with emigrants, and disgust at the major parties for their role to play in the corruption scandal with the Regional Transit Corporation, they were able to get the votes of many who would have never even considered voting for them in the past, and sweep their way to political office. '

Matthias Mutebi would become the Katikkiro, as his party was well on its way to becoming the largest party inside the Lukiiko. They were on track for well over 150 seats at this point, and naturally, of course, not a single seat would be won on the Busoga Islands. The other far-right party, though focused more on religion than on ethnic nationalism, the Christian Patriots League, was looking like as they'd also win triple digits in seating, and it would be no surprise if the two parties were able to quickly form a coalition government. Razav quickly turned off the radio and sat there, in his house, with his wife. The Busoga Islands were a region many considered to be distinct from the rest of the Banija, and that was certainly true, though it had always been a part of Banija since Banija declared independence in 1906.

The Busoga Islands were very different from Banija, especially culturally. The total population of the country was 87 million, and an estimated 5.5 million people lived on the Busoga Islands, at least since the results of the last census. Racially, all the native Banijan tribes were dark-skinned, separated not by outward appearance, but simply by mother tongue and heritage. They were all Bantu peoples. Busogans, on the other hand, were more ethnically Persian. The islands both having large deserts, these people developed separately and distinctly from the Banijans throughout the history of both places. The Busoga Islands were never conquered by the Banijans, who were not a seafaring people. No Banijan emperor, titled formally Maharaja, dared to try to send ships across the water. They simply did not have the ability to become a seafaring people, and they simply lived in peace, away from each other.

The Busoga Islanders lived peacefully among themselves, with their King known as a Shah. They did that until the fateful year of 1815, when Banijan history changed forever. That was when the Royal Kingdom of Quebec showed up, and quickly colonized Banija. They formed a singular colony in Banija, and since they took over the Busoga Islands around the same time, and, of course, geographical proximity, the Busoga Islands were made part of the Banijan colony. When the Royal Kingdom of Quebec left in 1835, Banija quickly dissolved into civil war, with warring tribes violently going after one another, all looking to sit at the throne of power- Busukuma. While the mainland was locked in a bloody civil war, the Busoga Islands left the mainlanders to themselves. They wanted, however, access to the mainland. They temporarily took a foothold in Herzegovina City, the ancient capitol of the Kasanke, the largest ethnic group in Banija, in 1838.

This was quickly a strategic mistake. The Kasanke violently expelled the Islanders, and for good measure, slit the throat of the Shah and all of his sons, who had all gone to Herzegovina City. Those remaining went back home, said that Banijans could have the mainland for themselves, and then went home to focus on themselves. Not all was well on the islands however. Two different nephews of the Shah, with all of his sons dead, claimed their right to the throne. There was internal fighting for 2 years, until the Kasanke people showed up on warships in 1840. The Islanders, shocked, as the Kasanke generally never had warships, were not prepared, as the Kasanke people slaughtered many Islanders. Estimates range wildly, but guesses go from 20,000 all the way to 150,000 Islanders dead, when the Islands, at that point in time, had a population of just over 700,000 people. When the Kasanke conquered, they left a garrison behind, and, for good measure, slaughtered anybody with a claim to the Islander Throne. That line, was dead.

This made for an interesting arrangement for about 7 months. The Kasanke, just as the rest of the mainland, were Puritan Mormons, while the Busogans were Shia Muslims. That, of course, did not make for a good mix, as both communities were strong in their faiths. It was all put on hold, however, in 1841. With the war raging in Banija, the Royal Kingdom of Quebec finally had to come back and make sure things settle down, so the country did not turn into a valley of blood. They reconquered the Islands and the Mainland, and this time, were here to stay, The Quebecois ruled for 75 years, though they were very benovolent colonizers. They established things like freedom of religion in the nation, so that Busoga's Muslims could worship in peace, much to the behest of the most conservative Mormon establishment on the mainland. At the end of the 75 years, however, in 1906, Banija, with the support of the Royal Kingdom of Quebec, peacefully declared independence.

The Chief of the Kasanke people was the King, or Kabaka, of Banija, and the Busoga Islands would be one of 8 provinces(plus, of course, the National Capitol Region). This started a period of what would remain tense relations between Busukuma, the national capitol, and Lakiska, the capitol of the Busoga Islands. The nation-state was founded as a Mormon nation, with direct influence from the Church onto the affairs of the state with the Guardian Council, though the Busoga Islands were granted certain constitutional protections- Busogans legally required tithes were allowed to go to local mosques, rather than Puritan Mormon temples, for example. They had continued a decent relationship for all the years since. Busoga Islands were slowly integrated into the rest of Banija, though some things remained distinct. For example, the Islanders preference to rugby & cricket, as opposed to gridiron, for example.

But this recent election had exposed the growing chasm between the mainland and the Busoga Islands, and it was all that clear to Ebrahim Razav. The Christian Patriots League, long a fringe party based in rural Moravica, had long opposed the Busoga Islands legally required tithes going towards mosques, rather than the Puritan Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It seriously worried Razav that the Christian Patriots League would likely be entering government. What would that mean for the Muslims on the island? What would that mean for the ones off the island? The major parties were polling extremely poorly on the islands as well, as they took bribes from the RTC to specifically not build a bridge between the North and South Islands, just two miles apart, and renew the exclusive ferry that the RTC operates between the two islands.

Razav knew what he had to do. The major parties were done. He was an independent member of the Assembly, but he wanted to form a movement- one so strong, that Busukuma would be forced to listen. Would Busukuma launch attacks on their way of life? You bet they would. It was up to him now, to make sure that the Islanders had access to a party that represented their interests. That didn't bow to the interests of the powers that be in Busukuma. What did that mean- did that mean he would have to form a pro-independence party? That's exactly what he was thinking, and he then made a phone call, to the other independent in the body, to pitch this crazy idea....

I edited the title of this RP series, because it needed some serious updating. The actual RP itself did not change. Thanks!

[North Prarie]

North Prarie undefeated at handball! Wait, what is handball, anyway?

---

by Nat Copperson

The North Prarie handball team is on a good run. The team, who has only played before at South Pacifician tournaments at high schools, has clinched a spot in the Playoffs at the Handball World Cup. But you may ask: What is handball? Well, handball is basically a mix of Superball and Soccer. Teams throw to eachother, then try to get the ball in the opposing team's goal. The North Prarie Sports Commision has stated that should NP get past the Round of 16, they will start a North Prariean handball league. Because of this preformance, handball may majorly grow in North Prarie in the future. Anyways, Go Prarie!
Follow the Stonebridge Times' Chirper account @sbt and Nat's account @natcsbt on Chirper.

[Filindostan]

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NATIONAL | BUSINESS | PROVINCIAL | INTERNATIONAL | SPORTS | ENTERTAINMENT

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MOTORSPORTS
HWC 20: Jerseygate - Filindostani Handball on shambles as numbers tear off during games

RIUWIEE, ABANHFLEFT - What an embarrassing day for Filindostani handball.

The shambolic jersey tearoffs and tape-ons have added salt to the wound that is their winless run in the 20th Handball World Cup here in Riuwiee. After a stalemate with Kita-Hinode on matchday 1, they were not able to break down a superior Free Republics team, losing 24-29, and in both games, jersey numbers fell off their jerseys like a dropping stone. Players had to be subbed in and out for the Filindostanis during the matches, which did not help their cause, and one of these unfortunate events led to few goals scored by their opponents.

The Filindostanis round up their group stage against North Prarie at the Fleftic Arena, while hoping that Kita-Hinode beat the Republicans narrowly on their next match.

Written by FSNA Staff.

---

No Nonsense Sportswear Office
San Marco, Filindostan

Niki called Jesa Bondong, a close friend of his, and is currently the kitperson for the handball team.

Niki: Hi Jesa!

Jesa: Oh, Niki, t'was you.

Niki: What am I hearing that your jerseys are a bunch of shitpile?

Jesa: Sorry for that. We were not prepared for the World Cup, having assembled our players at the last minute, and the kits we just got from a thrift shop.

Niki: Hmm, I'll commission one for your team then.

Jesa: It may be too late, friend. We're one game away from elimination. We'll just order for one for the next World Cup.

Niki: I'll have a deal for you. If you advance to the playoffs, We'll commission one for the team. Deal?

Jesa: Your call... Okay. Deal.

Niki: I'll have my people work quick. See you soon.

Niki did not realize that her number was a roaming one, and thus, he await a large chunk of phone charges on his next bill.

[Costa de Ouro]

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Handball: Costa de Ouro notches solid win over Qasden
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Story by Aleixo Roberto Gomes

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The Costenho handball team notched the thirty-goal milepost in a 3-point win over Qasden in the second group stage match of the Handball World Cup to move into second place in their group.

The Qads started off the game with a high-paced tempo, forcing Costa de Ouro to make substitutions and moves quickly to match their opponents' pace. The Vans, an offensive team, scored solid goals straight off the bat, but it was Pedro Soares who was the man of the match, tearing around Qasden's defense with ease and opening up plentiful scoring opportunities for Aurea-Vera Costa and Ernesto Alves along the wings, while Octavio Bonaventura did just well enough on the defense to keep the Qads from scoring at key moments during the match, which allowed Costa de Ouro to take home the win.

With the win, Costa de Ouro will move into second place in their group, good enough to secure progression to the elimination rounds of the tournament for now, ahead of Qasden on head to head results. A win over Equestrian States, currently 0-0-2 after the first two matchdays, would guarantee a place in the Round of 16; if they continue in second place, they would likely face the winner of the New Doltania-Banija match in Group D, as both teams have secured their advancement. A loss would certainly be disappointing, but unlikely considering the Ponies' poor record as of late (and, well, their lack of hands). In the other match of the group, Vakolicci Haven defeated the Ponies 26-23.

Coach Alberto Costa was happy with the performance of his team, but noted they could still improve. "We played a quick offensive game today, easily able to counterattack against Qasden without too much of a problem. We matched them, goal for goal, and then some, and the pace of our offense was good. For that, I praise our team. However, I think we're still working out the kinks of our offense, and we need to have more playing time together to make sure everyone works together like a well-oiled machine. Nevertheless, I have hope for our men and women."

[Abanhfleft]

Gaelic Gamers
Presents...

Hungry for Handball
with Aisling Keane

The final day of the group stage of the Handball World Cup approaches. Abanhfleft sits pretty atop Group A, with only one more challenger to fend off before they can think about advancing to the next stage of the Handball World Cup. Aureumterra are a great handball nation but things haven't been falling into place for them at the moment so we can probably expect an easy win from our handballers, right? Of course this is the moment when our boys and girls choose not to show up and let the Aureumterrans run rampant all over us and somehow knock us out of the competition. (That's unlikely as we are going to be ahead on head-to-head against the other teams in our group if we do somehow lose against Aureumterra).

But let's turn our attention first to our game against Hudson Islands before we take a trip across the rest of the Capital Islands and the mainland. The Hudson Islands have just created a new code of football that's said to be very popular in their country, and I believe there was already a world cup for it played or something like it. They say that Hudsonian football's similarities to rugby league are so great that they are recruiting rugby league players (our very own Clinton Aguinaga included) to spread the good news of Hudsonian football to the rest of the multiverse. However, when it comes to other sports like handball, it doesn't seem like the Hudsonians are up to the task. How could they let Lamont Lamberti score four goals by himself unanswered before they finally bothered going for goal? (They scored on that attempt, by the way.)

I mean, how far into this game do you want me to go? Lamberti was responsible for eleven of Abanhfleft's 32 goals this game (seven goals, four assists). Alfonso Imler surprised everyone with his own contribution of three goals and seven assists, while Catherine Hetherington capped off this fine display from the boys and girls of the Democratic Republic with two goals and two assists to close out the game. This means that Abanhfleft should of course be prepared to face off against Aureumterra, by which case this actually means that Abanhfleft will lose to Aureumterra and some old handball law from over two hundred years ago will rule that the host nation actually cannot qualify for the round of 16 if they lose on the last matchday of the group stage or something like that. Such is life in Abanhfleft.

Out in the rest of the Handball World Cup though, Filindostan is making waves about the quality, or rather lack thereof, of their uniforms. Numbers were peeling off of their shirts, causing numerous delays as players had to substitute themselves off to get the numbers fixed. Adidulas, you know what to do. (I'm just kidding; Adidulas doesn't handle anything beyond soccer and basketball.) But I gotta tell you, the Filindo jersey numbers issue has caused quite a stir over in Riuwiee. Something about violations of the no-littering ordinance. I kid, I kid. Don't kill me, Filindo fans.

In other handball news, New Doltania and Banija are actually the first two sides to book their tickets to the round of 16 of the Handball World Cup. We're still waiting on who the other fourteen will be, but don't worry because all that is about to come soon, so don't worry. Keep tuned in to your number one source of handball news in Abanhfleft, Gaelic Gamers' Hungry for Handball by yours truly. See you on the other side.

[Abanhfleft]

My heart burns for those teams who won't make it to the next round.

---

Green = advances to Round of 16

Group A
Hudson Islands 23–24 Bjørnøya Republic
Aureumterra 21–33 Abanhfleft

  Group A                           Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Abanhfleft                          3   3  0  0  101  67 +34    9
2 Bjørnøya Republic                   3   2  0  1   76  84  −8    6
3 Hudson Islands                      3   1  0  2   77  84  −7    3
4 Aureumterra                         3   0  0  3   74  93 −19    0

Group B
Free Republics 27–24 Kita-Hinode
North Prarie 19–25 Filindostan

  Group B                           Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 North Prarie                        3   2  0  1   74  70  +4    6
2 Free Republics                      3   2  0  1   78  74  +4    6
3 Filindostan                         3   1  1  1   73  72  +1    4
4 Kita-Hinode                         3   0  1  2   71  80  −9    1

North Prarie ahead of Free Republics on H2H results

Group C
Costa de Ouro 32–24 Equestrian States
Vakolicci Haven and Celeria 29–24 Qasden

  Group C                           Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Vakolicci Haven and Celeria         3   3  0  0   82  69 +13    9
2 Costa de Ouro                       3   2  0  1   84  78  +6    6
3 Qasden                              3   1  0  2   81  88  −7    3
4 Equestrian States                   3   0  0  3   76  88 −12    0

Group D
Banija 27–21 New Doltania
Maltta 25–30 Lisander

  Group D                           Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Banija                              3   3  0  0   84  69 +15    9
2 New Doltania                        3   2  0  1   76  67  +9    6
3 Lisander                            3   1  0  2   72  81  −9    3
4 Maltta                              3   0  0  3   71  86 −15    0

Group E
Natanians and Nosts 29–26 Melbergia
Royal Kingdom of Quebec 22–31 The Greater Nordics

  Group E                           Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 The Greater Nordics                 3   2  1  0   84  74 +10    7
2 Melbergia                           3   1  1  1   85  85   0    4
3 Royal Kingdom of Quebec             3   1  0  2   76  85  −9    3
4 Natanians and Nosts                 3   1  0  2   76  77  −1    3

Royal Kingdom of Quebec ahead of Natanians and Nosts on H2H results

Group F
United States of Devonta 29–21 Ethane
Humaliwo 23–24 Savojarna

  Group F                           Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Savojarna                           3   3  0  0   87  59 +28    9
2 United States of Devonta            3   1  1  1   73  77  −4    4
3 Ethane                              3   1  0  2   66  84 −18    3
4 Humaliwo                            3   0  1  2   71  77  −6    1

Group G
Quantilia 23–29 Alpine Union
Northwest Kalactin 29–27 Drawkland

  Group G                           Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Northwest Kalactin                  3   3  0  0   85  79  +6    9
2 Drawkland                           3   1  1  1   84  82  +2    4
3 Alpine Union                        3   1  0  2   77  78  −1    3
4 Quantilia                           3   0  1  2   80  87  −7    1

Group H
Ordo Cardinalis et Papa Sonneliae 24–25 Soltsteed
Kosovakia 24–25 Juvencus

  Group H                           Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Juvencus                            3   2  0  1   81  77  +4    6
2 Kosovakia                           3   2  0  1   81  72  +9    6
3 Soltsteed                           3   2  0  1   78  81  −3    6
4 Ordo Cardinalis et Papa Sonneliae   3   0  0  3   71  81 −10    0

Juvencus ahead of Kosovakia on H2H results
Kosovakia ahead of Soltsteed on H2H results

[Abanhfleft]

20TH HANDBALL WORLD CUP
ROUND OF 16 MATCHES

Abanhfleft v Free Republics
@ The Fleftic Arena, Riuwiee

Bjørnøya Republic vs North Prarie
@ Nails Center, Riuwiee

Vakolicci Haven and Celeria v New Doltania
@ Mall of Abanhfleft Arena, Releinthi

Costa de Ouro v Banija
@ First National Bank of Abanhfleft Arena, Wanda Island

The Greater Nordics vs United States of Devonta
@ RadomedixPharm Garden, Malabon

Melbergia v Savojarna
@ Tamarao Center, Effelenendro

Northwest Kalactin vs Kosovakia
@ Magbanua Coliseum, Suwkpel

Drawkland v Juvencus
@ The Antarctic Forum, Uranium City

[Quantilia]

It was a rough week for Quantilian handball, as they kept losing and losing. With a bleak ray of sunshine after tying Drawkland, the faithful Falcons just didn't put up a show during their 29-23 loss to Alpine Union. Despite immense efforts to make the playoffs (which would only have been achieved if Quantilia beat Alpine Union and Drawkland got crushed by Northwest Kalactin), we just didn't come hard enough. We will probably be back next time, though. Go Green-and-Navy!

[The Greater Nordics]

This is Emma Ranta reporting from Malabon, Abanhfleft.In their first ever international competition the Greater Nordics handball has qualified for the round of 16 in the Handball World Cup. The team defeated Natanians and Nosts on Wednesday by a score of 24-23 and they beat the Royal kingdom of Quebec 31-22 today. They advance from group E along with Melburgia. Manager Matteus Olsson is pleased with the way that the team is playing and he says that the team believes that this run can keep going for a while."We play the United States of Devonta next right here in Malabon. They are a good team but they have a weak defense having a -4 goal differential so I believe that our offense can put up some points against them and Lukas can stop their shots."This is Emma Ranta reporting from the Handball World Cup in Abanhfleft

[North Prarie]

In a bar in downtown Stonebridge, people were partying.
Wait, isn't that most bars?
Anyway, the handball die-hards in Stonebridge were all gathered at The 4th Street Bar and Grill, celebrating the fact that North Prarie had clinched a spot in the HBWC20 knockout stages. North Prarie didn't have a handball league, so the players on that team were from college teams, semi-pro, or even just neighborhood teams. Some were even like the partiers at 4th, the self-proclaimed Eagan Hills Handball Associaton. There was many associations like that around North Prarie, from Loon City to East Lake. Should North Prarie make it past the round of 16, the associations planned to gather in a convention center and form a official North Prariean handball association. These partiers at the bar were the future of hanball in North Prarie.

[Costa de Ouro]

---

Handball: Costa de Ouro secures HWC octofinals berth
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Story by Aleixo Roberto Gomes

---

The Costenho handball team notched the thirty-goal milepost for the second time in this Handball World Cup after a dominating 32-24 performance against the Equestrian States to secure a place in the Round of 16 in Handball World Cup 20, held in Abanhfleft.

Equestrian States looked out of it as the Costenho team exploited their defensive weaknesses. Seeing the team's own weaknesses play out in the Qasden and Equestrian States games, coach Albert Costa decided to adopt a more fast-paced offensive style, focusing on quick passes, avoiding dribbling, and a pressing strategy to keep the defense off guard. On the defense, Costa decided to have more defensive players stay on the pitch instead of constantly switching between specialists in order to guard in case of a quick turnover, as well as trying to force quicker turnover. This strategy seemed to work as Equestrian States seemed entirely outclassed, and for the first time this cup, Costa de Ouro looked like they were playing like a team. As a result, the team scored thirty-two goals, as opposed to only twenty-four for the Ponies.

Despite their solid win, though, for the first time in quite a few cups, Costa de Ouro head into the knockout runs without the benefit of being first place in their group or even being the nominal favorites in their knockout round match, which will be held on Wanda Island against Banija, who notched three wins in an admittedly easy group containing newcomers New Doltania, established Lisander, and relatively unknown Maltta. On paper, Banija might seem like an easy victory, but, considering the team's poor play against Vakolicci Haven and Celeria in the first round, there are some lingering doubts concerning the Costenho team's ability to win.

In other knockout matches, hosts Abanhfleft, who dominated their group with a goal difference of 34 and 101 goals in total, will play Free Republics in one of the more highly anticipated clashes; Drawkland, contenders to assume the "Red-and-Black" mantle after the departure of Red Blackiland, will face Juvencus at the bottom of the second half. Other teams in Costa de Ouro's half include groupmates Vakolicci Haven, New Doltania, North Prarie (no, that's not a misspelling), and Bjornoya Republic, all relative unknowns in the world of handball.

"If we can make it past Banija, I think we have a solid shot at making the semifinals," said coach Albert Costa. "However, I think Banija will be one of the harder Round of 16 matchups, so we will need to be on our guard to have chances of advancing." Asked for his impression of the overall favorites for the tournament, he would have to say Abanhfleft. "They've been in real solid form throughout the group stage, and I think it would be a massive upset if they failed to reach at least the semifinals. It's too bad they have to be in our half, as I think they can beat our new team any day of the week." It's a disappointment that Costa thinks Abanhfleft can beat the 3-time World Champions in handball, but it's a testament to how little the team has played together. "They are growing into this tournament, that is true, but I think it will take at least another Cup to be back on top again."

[Abanhfleft]

Gaelic Gamers
Presents...

Hungry for Handball
with Aisling Keane

So we actually made it past the group stage of the Handball World Cup. That's actually quite better than I expected. Which can only mean that we're being set up for bitter, bitter disappointment later on. But why wallow in our future disappointment when we can still enjoy this brief period of optimism while it lasts?

I have to say that by the end of the game, I was rooting for Aureumterra to at least make this a more exciting game. But our team was just doing their job, and quite efficiently at that. Third consecutive game that we hit the thirty mark and went beyond it as well, can you believe it? I know I can't! I'm always expecting the other shoe to drop anytime soon. And soon might very well be this round of 16 game against the Free Republics. This is just the prime opportunity for Abanhfleft to slip up right in front of the home fans. It doesn't matter who our opposition is; whether it's a big strong sporting nation like the Free Republics or some middling new nation on the scene like North Prarie. Abanhfleft, like life, will find a way to screw this up.

Lamont Lamberti dominated the headlines for our last group stage game once again, scoring eight goals and assisting two. Some might complain about Lamont getting a little bit too selfish for his own good but at the current goalscoring form that he's in right now, I believe that he's entitled to be a little selfish. Eugene Haak made a number of crucial saves against Aureumterra when the score was tied at 5 apiece after the Aureumterrans went on a goalscoring run of their own to cancel out Janna McHale's quickfire hat trick. Corôl Wæshā was the star of the show for Aureumterra, scoring ten of the visitors' goals and assisting five others in what was an ultimately futile effort. But the Aureumterrans showed heart and fire and never gave up against the overwhelming odds, and for that the home crowd began cheering for them as well. It's all that they deserve and more. I hope they'll be back for the next edition of the Handball World Cup, and I verily hope that they finally make it far in the next one too.

Now on to the Round of 16 games, and at first glance it's obvious that we've got two very juicy games in our hands, excluding the one between Abanhfleft and the Free Republics because that game is obviously going to be a loss for us. First up is Costa de Ouro versus Banija. Costa de Ouro are, as you all know, have been champions of the Handball World Cup from 14 to 16 and then runners-up from 17 to 19. They're aiming to get right back to the top of the heap in this edition of the World Cup but then hit a very unexpected stumbling block in the form of Vakolicci Haven and Celeria. The Costenhos bounced back with wins over Qasden and the Equestrian States to set up their meeting with Banija, who have dominated Group D by winning all three of their games against their group opponents. This contest is sure to be a tight one, but there is always the off chance that at least one of these teams will fail to read the script and go on to absolutely trash the other. Who knows?

The other juicy matchup is between Drawkland and Juvencus. With Red Blackiland sitting out this edition of the Handball World Cup and potentially future editions of the World Cup due to issues unsaid and unseen, it looks as if Drawkland is aiming to take over Red Blackiland's status as the best "red-and-black" handball nation in the multiverse. No less than the other best "red-and-black" nation in the handball multiverse Costa de Ouro said so. Meanwhile, Juvencus are also a strong force in handball, and while they may have barely scraped out of one of the tightest groups in Handball World Cup history alongside Kosovakia in Group H, they still managed two wins out of three while they're at it, and that should be enough to give Drawkland room for pause while we think about who could possibly edge this competition this time around.

Well, that does it for me. The Round of 16 is just a few hours away now, and I wouldn't want to miss it for the world. Of course I'm not going to watch Abanhfleft's game; I don't want to be killed by the hope. I'm a glass-half-empty kind of gal, in case you haven't missed. Hugs and kisses to the rest of the teams in the round of 16 though, and we all await to see who goes on to the quarterfinals.

[Free Republics]

Republican National Handball Team

Colors: Blue and White
Head Coach: Stephany Carter
Assistant Coach: Setsuko Yajima

Roster (age in parentheses)

Starting Lineup

GK: Rumi Kumagai (28)
RB: Adalgisa Nucci (27)
CB: Kristine Engen (18)
LB: Anna Watson (23)
RW: Lana Lindholm (25)
CF: Bibiana Piazza (27)
LW: Vanessa Gersten (19)

Reserves

GK: Lilly Myrvang (28)
RB: Parnella Duffet (21)
CB: Elise Burgess (23)
LB: Lilian Trefl (18)
RW: Elena Mackay (23)
CF: Alexandra Loginova (25)
LW: Gabriela Jasinska (23)

RP Permissions

I give my opponent permission to:
Choose my goalscorers: Y
Godmod scoring events: Y
Give my players yellow cards: Y
Give my players red cards: Y
Give injuries to my players: Y
Godmod injuries to my players: Y (but check with me first before you kill or seriously injure any major Republican characters)
Godmod other events: Y

[Abanhfleft]

Who will be walking down that boulevard of broken dreams back to their home countries and who will continue on to the quarterfinals of the 20th Handball World Cup?

---

Abanhfleft 34–22 Free Republics
(scorinated by Chromatika)

Bjørnøya Republic 25–23 North Prarie

Vakolicci Haven and Celeria 29–24 New Doltania

Costa de Ouro 22–24 Banija

The Greater Nordics 24–27 United States of Devonta

Melbergia 23–29 Savojarna

Northwest Kalactin 32–20 Kosovakia

Drawkland 28–29 Juvencus

---

20TH HANDBALL WORLD CUP
QUARTERFINALS MATCHES

Abanhfleft vs Bjørnøya Republic
@ RadomedixPharm Garden, Malabon

Vakolicci Haven and Celeria vs Banija
@ Tamarao Center, Effelenendro

United States of Devonta vs Savojarna
@ Magbanua Coliseum, Suwkpel

Northwest Kalactin vs Juvencus
@ The Antarctic Forum, Uranium City

[Abanhfleft]

Gaelic Gamers
Presents...

Hungry for Handball
with Aisling Keane

Wow, we made it past the Free Republics too! Surely now our luck's going to end. The Bjornoya Republic is just screaming "upset" for me. We're not gonna make it past the quarterfinals this time. I swear on me mam. This is where we finally fall. Mark my words. If we make it past the Bjornoyas then I'm going to eat an entire bucket of dark chocolate coins.

Jeez, how did we even get this far? Surely this must be the work of the Illuminati. Trying to give us enough false hope so that when the inevitable great disappointment finally comes, we're too down in the dumps when the New World Order finally enacts their plan for world domination. Sorry, I've been watching too many conspiracy theory videos on the 'Tube.

Let's get back to the Handball World Cup before I get out of hand. First of all, I can't believe that over 70,000 people packed to the Fleftic Arena just to watch a round of 16 game. This game was ripe for an upset, and yet 70,000 people still went to the Fleftic Arena to watch it. That was unexpected. I don't think I've said enough about how handball is one of the more underappreciated sports in Abanhfleft. But even more unexpected still is the fact that Abanhfleft actually won against the Free Republics! You can't believe it too? Then we're in the same boat! Yay us!

Stats time then! Lamont Lamberti stole the show once again with nine goals and three assists, and Janna McHale chipped in seven goals and three assists of her own. Meanwhile, Bibiana Piazza scored seven goals and made five assists in what was ultimately a futile effort by her and her teammates to try to upset all 70,000 Fleftic fans who went down to the Fleftic Arena. The Fleftic defense was just on point today, as they have always been since the start of this tournament. I can't explain it. Where was this defense all those World Cups ago? And did I mention that this is the fourth straight game that Abanhfleft has scored thirty or more goals in a game of handball? Surely the run must end somewhere, right?

On to the other results in the Round of 16. I have to say that I was really pulling for North Prarie to triumph over Bjornoya Republic but then those two goals for Bjornoya to win it.... I'm sitting here thinking that it's good that Bjornoya won because we already beat them once so we can beat them again. And then I remember Abanhfleft's shit record in knockout games and I think that the Bjornoyas are ripe for eliminating us out of our own tournament.

Further down the order (technically speaking; all of these games are equal in standing), we have the Vakoliccis eliminating the Dolts by five goals. Devonta edged out the Greater Nordics (or should that be the Lesser Nordics now that they've been show to be not so great?); Savojarna easily beat Melbergia (as expected, by the way), and Northwest Kalactin actually trashed Kosovakia (who were actually doing good for themselves before the aforementioned game against NWK) in the only other octofinals game where one team went past thirty goals.

But now we gotta talk about some of the other results; quite possibly two of the biggest results in this tournament at the moment. First up, Costa de Ouro versus Banija. Everyone expected that to be tight, and boy did they not disappoint. But one must feel that the Costenhos are disappointed, and deeply so. They're one of the favorites to win this Handball World Cup but once again, two goals proved to be the difference as Banija caused one of the biggest upsets in the tournament so far and knocked the three-time Handball World Cup champions and sent them right back to Costa de Ouro. Now the field is completely open for a new favorite, which some are already placing on Abanhfleft. I for one don't want to be the favorite to win the competition because, as we can see, being favorite actually means you're going to go out of the tournament soon.

An even closer matchup was the one between Drawkland and Juvencus. That thing had everything going for it: drama, goals, fouls, the whole nine yards. And Juvencus managed to squeeze past the other red-and-black team in the current competition by a single goal. I mean, how much closer can you get after that? Maybe in extra time or a penalty shootout? But it doesn't matter.

So now only eight teams remain. And by the end of the day, those eight are going to become four. Who are your picks for the semifinals? I know for sure I ain't picking Abanhfleft among them as I'm sure that this is the moment when we finally get to kiss this tournament goodbye. So long and thanks for all the fish and all that. Good night!

[Banija]

OOC: This is a direction continuation of my previous RP
Also, to find out what Banijan political titles mean in English, see my signature.

A Path Forward, Part II
These are the scenes from Lakiska, Busoga Islands, the capitol city of the islander region of Banija, occuring 10 days after Part I of this series.

Ebrahim Razav was getting ready for his meeting with the Islander Parliament's other independent. He didn't know his views on the issue, but he knew that Xagar Latif shared his same concerns. Latif was a religious Muslim politician, from the rural inland part of the Busoga Islands. It was a rarity to see one of his breed in Lakiska, as of course, the Busoga Islands were an ethnic minority within Banija, and spent enough time trying to reduce Mormon influence on the island as opposed to really establishing dominant control of Shia Islam on the islands. There was a massive mosque in Downtown Lakiska, of course, but this was considered to be the most secular region of Banija.

He heard a knock on his door, and knew that Xagar Latif had knocked. His wife let him in, and after exchanging pleasantries over a cup of coffee, Razav took Latif down to his basement. He was a Member of the Islander Palriament representing a constituency in South Lakiska, so with his house so close to the city center ad the Parliament building itself, it was easy to set up meetings here. As an independent, of course, he didn't have many meetings with fellow members of the Islander Parliament at his house. However, it served as an excellent spot to set up meetings with community and neighborhood leaders, and with his constituency office just a block over, he could simply walk there while taking the boda boda to the Parliament building itself.

"Xagar, it is a pleasure to have you here in my home. Thank you for coming today." Said Ebrahim Razav. He turned the television on the Handball World Cup game going on between Banija and Costa De Ouro, the knockout stage matchup.

"Thank you Ebrahim for having me here" replied Xagar Latif. "For people like us, two independents whose views differ wildly from one another, we don't get many chances to meet with our fellow legislators. But, of course, that brings us here to this meeting. Why have you invited me to your beautiful home? You simply told me it was urgent, but I am unaware of what issue we speak of."

"Xagar, you saw the results of last week's election." Said Ebrahim Razav. "The fool Mutebi- loudmouthed, arrogant, angry, has brought the Defiance Coalition into power, and they are being propped up by an even worse party- the Christian Patriots League. We need to find a way to combat that foolishness. You know that government will have their eyes set on these islands? Hard fought exemptions we've won from requiring a priest to visit once a week, funding for our mosques from Busogans living abroad, taxpayer funding for the Islamic University, all of that is threatened."

"I know, right?" Replied Xagar Latif, who was getting visibly agitated. "I have been praying for the past week, but no answers. What shall we do? Our way of life is in trouble. Our politicians carry the same vices that are carried in Busukuma. The corruption, the selfishness, the shortsightedness- the fact that there exists no bridge between the North and South Island is an absolute abomination. The fact that the Dukuma Airport's international status was only granted for the World Twenty20 Championships, and then immediately stripped once that was over, was ridiculous."

"Exactly!" Said Ebrahim Razav. They both stopped, however, with exciting yells coming from the television. They looked as the Banijan team seemed to be running around, celebrating a goal that tied the game at 22-22. "Who scored?" Said Ebrahim Razav. The announcer, however, answered the question for him- the goal was scored by Fara Savaneh, the team's only islander. As the game ticked towards is tantilizing concusion, the two men continued the bigger conversation they had going on at hand.

"Xagar." Said Ebrahim Razav. "We need to talk about something fundamental- the reshaping of Islander politics. We need a political system that is going to stand up to unjust, unconstitutional decrees from Busukuma. We need politicians- no, this island needs to form a government that will put the Islands best interests at heart. That will work to finally, after all these years, build a simple two mile bridge connecting our islands, ending the chokehold that the RTC has on our political and economic system with their damn ferries. That has to end, and we're the only two clean people in this whole damn building."

"Ebrahim, what exactly are you suggesting?" Replied Xagar Latif. "I'm not sure if we can-" he was cutoff by the announcers as they screamed excitedly after Banija scored a go-ahead goal against Costa De Ouro, a handball superpower. This time the goalscorer was Jonkong Mansaré, the team's center forward. The two Islander politicians, of course, both looked at the television. Both had what must have been the most unenthusiastic applause of all-time. There was an unspoken truth between them- how could they root for a nation who could possibly elect such a disgusting figure to be in the country's most powerful position?

"As I was saying." Continued Xagar Latif. "We are two political independents. Nobody listens to us. We're ignored. We get re-elected because, come budget time, we make sure our regions get their due, but other than that, what can we do?"

"Xagar, we need to do something that we should have done a long time ago- form a party, only on the Busoga Islands, that fight for regional interests. That has no connections or ties with the establishment that is in Busukuma. I think we can make a decent one- Xagar, I see the look on your face. Hear me out. The Busoga Islands have long had a distinct political tradition, am I correct? The islands have a tradition, the islanders have to be the masters of our own fate. Left or right, we need to make sure that this happens. There is going to be support for overthrowing the establishment- the RTC scandal will hit Lakiska sooner or later."

"Are you... Are you suggesting that we form an independence party? Is that legal?" Said Xagar Latif. They both ignored the announcers yelling about Banija's 24th goal in their handball world cup game, taking a 24-22 lead with 30 seconds left.

"It is Xagar!" Said Ebrahim Razav. "Though, I wouldn't say we need to be explicit about independence... Yet. We need to say things like we are the masters of our own fate, but in terms of referendums? No. We will get crushed by the embarrassment of a court system that we have within this country. We'll be a regional party. We'll fight for our autonomy. Long-Term? We never know. But we have a duty, an obligation, to start this movement. We could be co-leaders. We'll have an election soon- we start this, we recruit candidates, this is absolutely possible. What do you think?"

"Well, I'm actually a fan of this idea." Said Xagar Latif. "Little did you know,I've long been a supporter of Busogan independence..." as he went on about his own history at the Islamic Univeristy. But it was set. A Busogan Regional Party would be formed. They would be able to create a different path for the Busoga Islands. But this was the easy part. The hard part, of course , would be how the islands would respond to this announcement...

[Savojarna]

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
Savojarna moves on to Devonta rematch in Quarterfinals

Following a rather clear six-point-victory over Melbergia in the Octofinals, the still unbeaten Savojar team will run into the United States of Devonta in the quarterfinals of the 20th Handball World Cup. The Devontans beat the Greater Nordics in a somewhat tighter match with only three goals difference. In the group stage, their encounter had ended relatively quickly with a 32-20 victory for Savojarna. During this game, SHL MVP Pyotr Khabarov had scored six goals, while Mikkel Nielsen followed up on his brilliant first match with three goals and four assists despite the coach's effort to give him a rest in the second half and play mostly Denis Bjarnason. However, for the Devontans it was a steady uphill since then. The already qualified Savojars managed to only narrowly beat Humaliwo in the third match, as starting players like goalie Johan Bromstö and Captain Asgeir Jonsson hardly played at all and the coaches fielded one of the youngest teams possible; meanwhile, Devonta clearly beat Ethane with 29-21 to secure their spot in the KO round. Here, they showed their true skill while Savojarna's victory over Melbergia came relatively easily, but without much shining on the Savojar's part.

Melbergia was expected to start out aggressively, as this team had managed 85 goals - only two less than Savojarna - against a strong Royal Kingdom of Quebec and Natanians and Nosts, but also conceded an equal amount of goals in their 1-1-1 group stage. The Savojars had therefore set their game up more defensively and looked for a quick counter, and their physical power did indeed shut down Melbergia early on. Relatively shortly after the opening whistle, Jonsson stopped a Melbergian attacker with a brutal block which was reminiscent of the heavy defence the Savojars employed against Ethane. The effect was, again, similar: the Melbergians seemed to increasingly fear the way straight through the middle. Thus Savojarna could increasingly force the game to the sides, which lead to many steals either by forcing Melbergia to play risky passes or to shoot from the sides, where Bromstö was having a good day and let barely anything pass. On the attack, Savojarna simply outpaced their opponents and managed to get free space, which they used for dangerous shots over and over again. The cold-blooded shooting skills of Khabarov were ripping Melbergia apart as the left winger scored over five goals in one game for the second time in this tournament, leading the way as Savojarna stormed to a 17-11 halftime lead.

In the second half, the Savojars failed to get their third 30-pointer only narrowly as the coaches decided to save some energy for the coming games. Team youngster Nils Jensen played more than Khabarov in the second half, getting 19 minutes, two goals and three assists out of the second half. In defence, the star of the team Mikkel Nielsen was largely replaced by the more defensively-minded Denis Bjarnsson in the final ten minutes to give Nielsen a deserved rest, and centre-back Pedersen being more or less replaced by Mika Peltonen throughout the second half to carry the lead to the finish line. A much less offensively-minded Savojar team which showed less aggression and determination than in the second half was still enough to keep the six-point-lead, but couldn't pile onto it as Melbergia and Savojarna played down the last part of the game without much action going on. The goalkeeper Bromstö was also replaced in the final twelve minutes to give playtime and experience to the 20 year old talent Petter Jacobsson, considered the future of Savojar handball by many experts. While Jacobsson did fulfil his job, he couldn't excel in his goal for the final minutes, but managed to get some attention by the fans as he stopped a hard jump shot to launch the counter that, after two quick passes, Gulbrandsson used for the 27-20.

Following this clear victory, Savojarna cemented their aspirations for the title. Their chances have risen even more as top favourites Costa de Ouro have surprisingly lost against Banija, a deja-vu from the last World Cup of Hockey when they surprisingly eliminated Esparmuran from the octofinals. If they can start a similar run, Banija are definitively a contender for the title, but they will face tough competition next. The Vakolicci Haven and Celeria had already beaten Costa de Ouro in the group stage and are definitively a contender as well. Another hot team right now are hosts Abanhfleft, previously no major international handball player, who had clearly beaten the Free Republics to move on to the quarterfinal, where they are clear favourites against the Bjornoya Republic. Most interesting for us, however, is the fourth quarterfinal, where Northwest Kalactin ended up after a surprisingly clear victory over Kosovakia. The Kosovakians had arrived here with quite some ambition, but lost with 12 points to the Indian nation. Kalactin is now facing our very own bitter rivals from Juvencus, a team that we will all be rooting for tomorrow, so that we are the ones to get to kick them out of the semifinals. Juvencus has beaten Drawkland only very narrowly and proved an interesting team in regards to the upcoming matches, but we can't see this team pushing beyond the force of Savojarna, who at this point become the favourites for handball gold.

[Abanhfleft]

Who will be the fortunate sons and daughters who are going to carry their countries to the semifinals and who will be the not-so-fortunate ones, no?

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Abanhfleft 28–22 Bjørnøya Islands
(scorinated by Drawkland)

Vakolicci Haven and Celeria 24–29 Banija

United States of Devonta 23–29 Savojarna

Northwest Kalactin 28–24 Juvencus

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20TH HANDBALL WORLD CUP
SEMIFINALS MATCHES

Abanhfleft vs Banija
@ Mall of Abanhfleft Arena, Releinthi

Savojarna vs Northwest Kalactin
@ First National Bank of Abanhfleft Arena, Wanda Island

[Northwest Kalactin]

Now it’s time to play some handball!
That’s right you read the title Northwest Kalactin is ready to go all out on the championship this year so let’s hope we can beat those savojar players in a very big semifinals match so wish those kalactanian players good luck here is a bit about how there life is going right now

John Garcia: it’s scout time

Harry russel: woo hoo

“Wow look at that guy is his last name Bromstö“

“Yes johan Bromstö he is quite a goalie”

“Okay anyways let’s talk about how we can can improve our team”

“Well it looks like their weaknesses are definitely lookes like their centers but all of their team lookes very strong so it will have to be a well fought game by our team because they look hard anyways play very hard this next game”

John just made some eggs for the part of the team that was hanging out with him at the time

“Wow I love these eggs”

“Yes is know a Garcia family masterpiece for sure”

“Dude these are eggs that had a bunch of chemicals put in them”

“They do?”

“Yes they do it letterly days on the package “artificial flavors””

“Oh that’s a problem”

“Yes it is”

“Okay don’t worry about the eggs let’s play good tomorrow”