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At 17, I left my home town for the first time to study engineering at ICAI in Madrid. I continued playing handball with SEU, and later with Plus-Ultra and soccer, alternating with ICAI and “Colegio Mayor Cisneros”(University College Residence) I would play the league with one and the “Cup” with the other. I also play athletics for a while, until our Italian coach Mora decided for me. I liked to compete in pole-vaulting –before my brother Fernando joined in—and javelin throwing. But according to the coach my future LAID WAS? in running 10.000 metres. I did not like long distance running, too boring for my, so I decided to quit athletics and concentrate in handball

Living at the “Colegios Mayores”, a few steps from the Ciudad Universitaria sporting complex was a bargain. From my room at the Cisneros, I could watch the tennis courts, the football, handball, and rugby fields, the basketball court and the athletics tracks. At one stage I shared a room with Juan Bautista and Bernar. Then changed to the nearby Nebrija where Juanba was the second director. This meant that we could encourage each other to go training. Not that we needed much encouragement! We loved it!

   In my second year, when I was 19, my brother Juan Bautista confessed me.  My team manager, Captain Ortega rang me to give the news that I had been selected in the National Handball team to play the European championship in Berlin, but Juanba who answer the phone decided to ring father to ask for permission, before telling me. Don Luis decided that in view that I had posted exams for September; it would be better to keep it quiet. It was eventually my manger that could not keep the news from me. But it was too late.

   The popularity of handball of 11 players decayed fast when a new handball game of 7 players “arrived” in Madrid. My team, Plus Ultra was selected to play the inaugural match of the new game. Captain Ortega gave us instructions of how to play. The match was played in the “Fiesta Alegre” fronton. I remember that the width was not up to standard but it did not matter.

   It is a very fast and dynamic game. I wished at the time that handball were professional so that I could dedicate to it in preference to my studies. But that would have been against father’s advice: he would explain to us: if you break a leg your carrier is jeopardised. And at best when you reach the 30s you are finished. On the contrary, you can take you professional carrier wherever you go and the older you are the better they pay you.

   Today, indoors handball is a professional and an Olympic sport.

   Spain Wins Handball World Cup in Tunisia

   Spain ensured a first major title in the history of Spanish February 07, 2005 Spain won the Handball World Championships in Tunisia on Sunday after a great victory over defending champions Croatia 40-34. The Spaniards outplayed the Croatians throughout the final.