Baltic Sea Cup (handball)

The handball tournament for the Ostseepokal (also known as the Ostseecup and later the Baltic Cup ) was held from 1968 to 1989. Before the founding of the European Handball Federation (EHF) in 1991 and the introduction of the European Championships in 1994, it was the largest European tournament for men's national teams and at the same time the only one that took place in different countries. It can therefore be seen as the unofficial forerunner of the EM.

For the first time the Baltic Sea Cup was held in Sopot (Poland) in 1968 . This event took place on the small field, since the following year in the hall. The name goes back to the organizers; Participants were also handball nations of the then European top performers that did not border the Baltic Sea , such as Romania, Hungary and Iceland.

There were and are even other regular tournaments for national teams ( Carpathian Trophy in Romania , tournaments of the German Handball Association (DHV) of the GDR , Zarya Vostoka or Tbilisi Cup in what was then still the Soviet Union corresponding Georgia , the Supercup the former world champion and Olympic champion in of the Federal Republic of Germany ). These tournaments took place or are always taking place in the same country and the number of participants usually did not exceed six teams.

Competition mode

As a rule, eight teams took part in the Baltic Sea Cup ( six in 1969 and 1971 and 1985 to 1987 , five in 1970). In 1970 and 1985 to 1987 , “everyone against everyone” was played in a simple round, in the other years accordingly in two preliminary round groups, followed by placement games: the group first for 1st and 2nd place, the second for 3rd and 4th etc. until 1974 the last two of each group in a consolation round for places 5 to 8 and the first two of each group in a final round for places 1 to 4 - again "everyone against everyone".

In contrast to an official championship, it was common for the host country to compete with two teams (A and B teams, I and II or seniors and juniors).

Period

The tournament took place annually from 1968 to 1981 - except in 1975 and 1978 - and only four times thereafter: The last event took place in 1989 in northern German cities (group stage) and in Dortmund (placement games).

winner

year	host	1st place	place 2	place 3
1968	Poland	Romania	Hungary	Poland A
1969	Sweden	GDR	Poland	Soviet Union
1970	GDR	GDR A	Sweden	Poland
1971	Denmark	GDR	Soviet Union	Poland / FR Germany
1972	Soviet Union	Soviet Union A	BR Germany	GDR
1973	BR Germany	Soviet Union	GDR	Federal Republic of Germany A
1974	Poland	GDR	Soviet Union	Poland A
1975	not carried out
1976	Sweden	Soviet Union	GDR	Poland
1977	GDR	GDR A	Soviet Union	Poland
1978	not carried out
1979	Denmark	GDR	BR Germany	Soviet Union
1980	BR Germany	Soviet Union	GDR	Federal Republic of Germany A
1981	Soviet Union	GDR	Soviet Union A	Poland
1982-84	not carried out
1985	Poland	Soviet Union	Poland A	GDR
1986	Denmark	GDR	Soviet Union	Denmark A
1987	GDR	Soviet Union	GDR	BR Germany
1988	not carried out
1989	BR Germany	Soviet Union	Federal Republic of Germany A	GDR

Note: In 1971 the game for third place ended in a draw 24:24 a.d., so the organizers awarded it to both teams.

Medal table

rank	country	gold	silver	bronze
1	GDR	8th	4th	3
2	Soviet Union	7th	5	2
3	Romania	1	0	0
4th	BR Germany	0	3	4th
5	Poland	0	2	7th
6th	Sweden	0	1	0
	Hungary	0	1	0
8th	Denmark	0	0	1

literature

• Yearbooks of the German Handball Federation 1972, 1978, 1978/79, 1979/80, 1980/81 (each copy of the corresponding pages)
• DSV Deutscher Sportverlag GmbH (publisher): Handball week No. 6/1985, 6/1986, 5/1987, 3 and 4/1989