The Kazakhstan women’s handball team has started a training camp in Almaty. According to the head coach, Marina Pikalova, the athletes are preparing for the Asian Championship, scheduled for December 2020.
“The training camp is going as planned. We have called up 15 athletes. Due to the specifics of our sport and the long absence of a full-fledged training process, there are some rough edges in the girls’ performance—some areas lack physical readiness, while in others, we need to pay more attention to tactics. But we are actively catching up and training hard with the team.
The coaching staff and the team are working at 100%, so we are confident that we will make the most of this training camp, work effectively, and achieve positive progress. Of course, spending 36 days in camp is challenging, but this is the reality, and we are ready for it.
Our plans are ambitious (laughs). Ahead of us is the Asian Championship, scheduled for December 2020, and there has been no discussion about changing the dates. That’s why we are actively preparing for this continental tournament.
Additionally, due to the pandemic, the Olympic qualifying tournament, originally planned for March 2020, has been postponed to March 2021. This means that the most crucial competition is just around the corner, and we plan to approach it in the best possible shape,” shared the head coach.