"Rough Play": Handball Pro Suspended for Years After Vicious Foul
Professional handball player has been given over two years of suspension for committing a severe foul.
In the quarterfinals of the Austrian handball championship playoffs, a brutal play left one player nursing serious injuries. Ivan Horvat of Alpla HC Hard has been banned for a staggering two and a half years from the sport. The reason? A horrific foul against Markus Mahr of Bregenz Handball.
The game was tied at 20, and Mahr charged towards the defense. A swift body feint caused him to collide with Horvat's outstretched hand, sending Mahr to the ground in agony. The refs flashed a red card, and a blue one followed suit, hinting at a potential lengthy suspension. Underneath the stands, Mahr collapsed again, forcing spectators to avert their eyes.
Mahr sustained multiple nasal bone fractures and underwent surgery posthaste. The aggressor, Horvat, was found guilty of gross unsportsmanlike conduct stemming from ÖHB regulation 7.3.1, resulting in a severe injury. His suspension validates until July 30, 2027.
The crime carries a penalty of 8 to 4 years of suspension, based on seriousness of the injuries inflicted.
"Not the First Time"
Bregenz Handball showed displeasure towards the attack on their player. They declared, "This wasn't the first dangerous action by this player against us." Mahr narrowly escaped an attack in the first quarterfinal game, but this time, he didn't evade in time. Horvat had previously knocked out a Bregenz player in a similar fashion, sending him to the hospital. In their statement, Bregenz Handball proclaimed, "An incident like this must never happen again!"
"I've never seen such an unfair play!" Marko Tanaskovic, coach of Bregenz, expressed to ORF, while Mahr is recovering well following the surgery, given the circumstances.
Alpla HC Hard, on the other hand, celebrated their win with a contentious post that left opponents bewildered. The image portrayed a triumphant player, who had just dealt a crippling blow to their key player, surrounded by laughter. An official statement that dismissed the severity of the situation followed suit.
Horvat, who joined Hard from SG Flensburg-Handewitt in 2018, claimed that he didn't intend to injure Mahr. "Mahr's body feint was exceptionally swift, and I reacted inappropriately to the situation." However, his heartfelt apology might not suffice as Mahr recovers from the brutal encounter on the court.
- Thehandball player, Ivan Horvat, has been suspended for two and a half years in the sports of handball due to a vicious foul against Markus Mahr of Bregenz Handball.
- In the assertion by Bregenz Handball, this wasn't the first dangerous action by Ivan Horvat against their team.
- Markus Mahr, the player from Bregenz Handball, sustained multiple nasal bone fractures in the incident, which resulted in a severe injury charge against Ivan Horvat.
- Alpla HC Hard, despite their victory, faced criticism for a celebratory post following the incident, which was perceived as dismissing the severity of the situation.
