A Vicious Strike: Handball Player Faces Over Two-Year Ban for Gruesome Foul
Professional handball player receives over two-year ban due to committing a severe foul.
Hoping for a semifinal spot in the Austrian Handball Championship, a brutal play took an unexpected turn, leaving one player critically injured.
Ivan Horvat, an Alpla HC Hard midfielder, delivered a devastating blow to Markus Mahr, Bregenz Handball's playmaker, in a game that would determine the winner's entry into the championship's final four.
With the score standing at 20:20, Mahr darted towards the opposition, feinted - and was hit squarely in the face by Horvat's hand. Stricken with severe pain, Mahr crumpled to the ground, leaving blood in his wake. Visibly shaken, Mahr was escorted off the field, while spectators looked on in disbelief. Upon reaching the sidelines, Mahr, who will play for VfL Potsdam in the German Bundesliga next season, collapsed again.
A multiple nasal bone fracture was diagnosed, prompting immediate surgery for the injured player. Horvat received a straight red card for the foul, and the referees also issued a blue card, indicating a potential lengthy suspension. The Handball Disciplinary Committee of the Austrian Handball Federation (ÖHB), following their assessment, handed down a 26-month ban to the 32-year-old Croatian, effective until July 30, 2027.
The committee cited Horvat's foul as a gross example of unsportsmanlike conduct, punishable under ÖHB regulation 7.3.1, which also accounts for severe injuries to opposing players. It's important to note that 'severe injury' in this context denotes an injury comparable to those considered serious under Austrian criminal law.
"Yet Another Dangerous Move"
Bregenz Handball expressed their outrage over the assault on their own player, confirming that the incident wasn't Horvat's first instance of playing dangerously against them. In the first quarterfinal game, Mahr narrowly avoided a similar attack. Mirroring the past, Horvat had left another Bregenz player in hospital with a knock during an earlier duel. The club's statement asserted, "There can be no room for such reckless actions on the court."
Meanwhile, Horvat expressed remorse for his actions, stating, "I had no intention of causing injury to Markus. His swift move left me reacting incorrectly in that moment." Reflecting on the incident, Horvat acknowledged that handball, a contact sport, occasionally produces such accidents in the heat of the game.
Alpla HC Hard celebrated their qualification for the semifinals, disregarding the seriousness of the situation with a controversial social media post featuring a victorious player, a demonic elephant, and a statement devoid of empathy towards their opponents. The tonal disparity elicited shock from Bregenz Handball.
- Despite the ban, Alpla HC Hard's Handball player Ivan Horvat, who is set to join VfL Potsdam in the German Bundesliga next season, delivers a dangerous blow in another game, recalling a past incident against Bregenz Handball.
- Markus Mahr, Bregenz Handball's playmaker, encountered an incomprehensible regulatory lapse as Horvat's brutal foul went unaddressed in their previous encounter, narrowly avoiding injury.
- Frustrated with the diversion from sportsmanship, Bregenz Handball issued a strong statement, emphasizing the need for an end to such reckless actions in handball, a sport that occasionally produces accidents in the heat of competition.
- Contrasting with his team's celebration, Horvat, who faces a 26-month ban for his gruesome foul, sent a message of regret, admitting his mistake and recognizing the severity of his actions in the fast-paced contact sport of handball.
