The British Handball Association launched its performance programme in 2006, the year after the Olympics and Paralympics were awarded to London, as the English and Scottish associations combined to prepare teams ready for Olympic action in 2012.

The Team GB men have secured some notable results recently including defeating Italy and Bulgaria, and only narrowly missed out on a victory in April against handball powerhouse South Korea in London, as part of the Pinsent Masons' Cup.

The squad includes captain Bob White (pictured above in goal), Chris McDermott and Mark Hawkins, with the oldest player named being 31-year-old Steven Larsson, and the youngest being 21-year-old Seb Edgar and named reserve Nick Satchwell, who is 20.

"For me this selection means the world," McDermott said.

"I joined the handball programme in 2006 and since then there have been so many ups and downs, but this makes all the nights sleeping on floors or couches so worthwhile.

"To actually make it all the way and be selected for the Olympic Games was the best feeling in the world.

"However that is not to say the hard work is over, we are still in Serbia training at 100 per cent because we know the challenge that lies ahead of us won't be easy.

"Our official target is a top eight finish and if we can make that, great, but at this stage we need to be more focused on the performance aspect of the games."

Hawkins added: "Words can't describe the feeling, it is the peak of any athlete's career and it is a privilege to be able to compete on that stage on home soil.

"Everybody in the squad has worked unbelievably hard to get us to this point and will continue to do so to ensure we give our best possible performance in London."

The squad will be under no illusions as to the difficulty of the task that lies ahead.


Their first fixture is against reigning Olympic champions France, before meeting Sweden, Argentina, Tunisia and the Beijing 2008 silver-medallists Iceland in their pool.

Team GB will be aiming to produce competitive and credible performances across their fixtures, and targeting a few victories to earn a place in the top four of their pool to qualify for the knock-out stages.

The two pools of six nations will compete in a round robin format at the Copper Box in the Olympic Park.

The four best placed countries in each pool will qualify for the knock-out stage, which will relocate to be contested at the Basketball Arena, with the gold-medal match scheduled for August 12, the final day of the London 2012 Olympics.

"As yet, there is no great tradition of handball on these shores but I am sure that the crowd at the Copper Box will soon see why handball is the second-most played sport across the whole of Europe," said Andy Hunt, the Team GB Chef de Mission.

"The increase in numbers of participants at all levels in the past few years is absolutely phenomenal; it's an exciting time for the sport in this country and we have the opportunity to build a lasting legacy for future generations.

"These men will go down in British Olympic history as our very first representatives in handball, and hopefully paving the way for a bright future for Team GB in the sport.

"This is another massive milestone, and the collective work of the players and the coaches means that we have a very competitive squad that we believe can produce some inspirational performances in London this summer."

Head coach Dragan Đukić said: "It was the hardest decision in my life, because our players have invested the last six years of their lives in the GB programme, but the situation that we have a chance up to the quarterfinal to change injured players, with any player from the long list, gave us the chance to reward the 15 players who invested the most over this period."

To see the full squad click and read profiles of each individual member click here.

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