More than just applying to be played in the 2019 Manila Southeast Asian Games, handball is hoping to gain exposure and recognition for a discipline that suits the Filipino sporting physique, attitude and athleticism.
An Olympic sport, handball is easy to understand. Two sides of seven players each play 30 minute halves and try to outscore each other. There are touches of basketball and mostly football. A goalkeeper tries to prevent six other players from throwing the ball into the goal.
Offensive players can only attempt from beyond a crease or an arc around the goal by tossing the ball with one hand. There are rules on dribbling and traveling, similar to basketball.
Defense in the game can get pretty rough. There is no foul count but excessive contact is penalized with players being asked to sit out on the bench for a stretch, leaving a defensive side with only five players.
Players can also be expelled for the game for unsportsmanlike roughness.
The Philippines has sent teams to international competitions, including squads for the beach and wheelchair versions of the game.
I called many of the handball matches in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta for Dentsu Broadcasting. I have to admit that I had to study for many hours before the first broadcast as I had no previous exposure to the sport. I studied available matches on YouTube, from Olympic duels to world championship games.
Even as I completed my Asian Games handball assignment, I can never claim to be an expert on the sport but I am now an interested spectator who would like to see where the sport journeys in the Philippines.
It is a thrilling game to play and a pulsating spectator sport because of the rapid action.
The physical angle is also appealing as defensive players attempt within the rules to contain scorers.
As I covered the matches, I immediately sensed that it is a sport suited for Filipinos. In fact, the sport is already being played in some schools and clubs.
As much as it is apt for the Filipino temperament, handball clearly has to vie for attention and space in school courts and other public arenas. Basketball remains the dominant sport with volleyball now competing for court use.
Futsal (indoor football) is also attempting to get some playing time. In a country where sports facilities are not in ample supply, one can understand the struggles that teams of various disciplines go through.
Should handball be part of the 2019 SEA Games schedule? It is a call the organizers will make. The sport is played in other Southeast Asian countries and teams would definitely want some playing time in the regional event.
More than just inclusion in the 2019 SEA Games calendar, handball is looking for a spot in a very crowded sports landscape.