<strong>Fertiberia will face Iker Romero’s SG BBM Bietigheim in the ‘Global Tourism Handball’</strong>

The international GTH tournament will take place on Saturday 11 March at 18:30 at the Ovni

Fertiberia Balonmano Puerto Sagunto is collaborating in the organisation of the ‘Global Tourism Handball’ International Handball Tournament, organised by the Valencian Handball Federation, Valencia Turisme and Sagunto Town Council. The tournament will see Fertiberia’s first team face SG BBM Bietigheim, from Germany’s second division. The team includes a historic figure in Spanish handball, as Iker Romero is its assistant coach. The match will take place next Saturday, 11 March, from 18:30 at the Ovni. Before the friendly match (16:30), there will be a ‘Fan Zone’ in the outdoor car park of the Internúcleos sports hall.

Taking advantage of the international tournament, the red-and-white club has organised visits to the city’s schools to promote the event and the sport. In addition, on Friday at 19:30, the Civic Centre will host a round-table discussion on ‘The leap to elite handball and a comparison of European and Spanish handball’. It will feature Iker Romero, the red-and-white coach Toni Malla, and first-team player Adrián Nolasco. The round table will be moderated by Carlos Argente. 

Today, the international tournament was presented at the Puerto de Sagunto Industrial Museum, attended by the Mayor of Sagunto, Dario Moreno; the councillor for Tourism, Natalia Antonino; the councillor for Sport, Javier Timón; the president of the Valencian Handball Federation, Pedro Fuertes; the president of Fertiberia  Balonmano Puerto Sagunto, Juanjo Bataller; the red-and-white coach, Toni Malla; and first-team player Álvaro Del Valle. 

During the press conference, the councillor for Sport, Javier Timón, thanked Turisme Comunitat Valenciana, the Valencian Handball Federation and Fertiberia Balonmano Puerto Sagunto club ‘for their involvement in the event and for making Puerto Sagunto a showcase for tourism and sport’ as well as ‘highlighting the joint work of the various municipal departments with the aim of promoting tourism through sport’. 

For her part, the councillor for Tourism, Natalia Antonino, reiterated her thanks to all the parties involved: ‘Especially Turisme Comunitat Valenciana for continuing to support tourism in our city with a designated €120,000 grant, as part of the city’s promotion, as well as the Valencian Handball Federation and the club for accompanying me on this journey. Also my colleagues, who have not left me alone at any point. For us, it was very important to open up a new area in the city’s tourism offering. We have many tourism products, but sport was an area to explore. This first International Tournament initiative opens a door that brings a share of the economy to our municipality, particularly in hotels and restaurants. And what better way to begin than with our city’s flagship sport, handball’.

The red-and-white coach, Toni Malla, added: ‘It is a match that will be very useful for us to continue gaining match fitness, maintain our good feelings and correct things from the previous match. We want to continue maximising the possibilities of good play. The red-and-white coach highlighted the handball promotion activities taking place on Friday, such as the school visits and the round table, and also invited local people to take part in ‘a weekend packed with handball, in which it is important that we all enjoy ourselves’

The Mayor of Sagunto, Dario Moreno, concluded by highlighting the cultural impact of sporting events ‘and in this case we have turned it into a strategy that we have developed, incorporating these activities into our Tourism plans. Sport is something we must all look after and is completely aligned with the efforts we make at the Town Council. It will be a day of handball celebration that we hope everyone enjoys, and we hope we can continue positioning ourselves on the map. That people from other places or countries come and discover our heritage and cuisine. There are many synergies that we should take advantage of and strengthen, and we encourage everyone to take part in this event, which will be the first of many’. 

Translation produced using artificial intelligence.