While I was researching for the film ‘the doctor’ I found an extraordinary story: passion for a sport: handball.
Real passion: there was hardly money or means at all, but a lot of enthusiasm. And very clear ideas: what they got was not as important as how they did.
Can an unknown sport become extremely popular in only 15 years?
Yes, it can. It happened in Navarre (Spain) in 1972: ‘the doctor’, a young physician and coach, conveyed his passion to thousands, and altogether made the dream come true. How did they make it? Can that happen again? Does the same formula work in other fields?
I believe that this small story is big and unique, and therefore I want to tell everybody about it. But the world is wide, and I am sure that out there are other small stories, big and unique, that deserve to be recalled.
Jesús López-Sanz, April 2015
"It is not only handball. This is the story of a passion"
First teams
First modern handball-seven teams started to play in Pamplona. Eleven players handball was abandoned. ‘The doctor’ starts coaching Anaitasuna team.
Federation
Navarre Federation is born and eight teams compete in the first regional league. Anaitasuna is the champion.
Spain’s Cup
Anaitasuna starts playing all over Spain and they win their first National Cup in Bilbao.
Anaitasuna
A bunch of amateurs coached by ‘the doctor’, Anaitasuna becomes the first team from Navarre that reaches ‘División de Honor’, the main national league.
Spain’s national team
Huarte, Baquedano and Ibarrola, Anaitasuna players, are called to play in Spain’s team.
Anaitasuna B
Following the first team’s success, Anaitasuna creates an array of young ones. Anaitasuna ‘B’ reached the second national league (Primera División).
Hall
Anaitasuna builds one of the best courts in Europe. ‘The cathedral of handball’ opens in June 1971.
From Anaitasuna to San Antonio: signing up
In summer 1971, San Antonio, another team from Pamplona, signs Anaitasuna’s players Baquedano, Ortigosa and Zabalza. The following season, San Antonio makes it to the main league.
Other teams
Itxako, Boscos, Cantolagua… Handball becomes popular all over Navarre. SD Itxako was founded in Estella in 1972. In 2009 was female Europe’s EHF Champion.
San Antonio
When San Antonio joins Anaitasuna in the main national league, Pamplona has two of the twelve best teams in Spain. One sixth of them. With only 0,4% of Spain’s population.
Foreigners
San Antonio signs Goran Borelli from Yugoslavia, one of the first foreign players in Spain. Till then, both Anaitasuna and San Antonio had mostly local, amateur players.
Popular success
Handball becomes wildly popular and up to 5,000 people cram into Anaitasuna hall
Mateo Garralda
Handball is played in most schools in Navarre. Mateo Garralda, that will become World Champion in 2005, starts playing at Hilarión Eslava school in Burlada.
Beti Onak
Another team from the area (Villava’s Beti Onak, close to Pamplona), makes it to División de Honor, the main national league.
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