Norway has won ten out of the 16 European Handball Championships held so far, dominating the competition by winning the last three editions. On December 15th, in Vienna, Norway claimed the 2024 European Championship title with a 31-23 victory over Denmark.
This dominance in Europe highlights Norway’s status as a powerhouse in women’s handball. In this country, which has one of the most developed handball systems in the world, a player from Kosovo, Mirela Gjikokaj, is already making a successful impact. On December 29th, in her first match with her new team, the 25-year-old won the Norwegian Cup, her first career trophy. Her team, Storhamar, triumphed in a penalty shootout against Tertnes. Gjikokaj, from Deçan, scored one goal in the final.
She has already played two matches in Norway’s top league. On January 2nd, in a 42-22 victory over Fredrikstad, Gjikokaj was one of the standout players, scoring five goals and providing three assists. On January 5th, in a 32-22 win for Storhamar against Gjerpen, she netted six goals from seven attempts.
On Sunday, the Kosovar handball player will make her debut in the Champions League. With Storhamar, she will play in Romania against Gloria. To date, no Kosovar handball player has appeared in the group stage of the elite European competition.
“I’m positively surprised by my performances so far. I can’t be dissatisfied,” Gjikokaj said in an interview on the club’s official website, published on Wednesday.
She had spent several years playing for the team Follo, which had moved between the first and second tiers of Norwegian handball. However, Follo is at a much lower level compared to Storhamar. At the end of the previous season, she decided to retire from handball. In December, she trained briefly with Follo, and then unexpectedly received an offer from one of Norway’s top clubs. She was brought in as a replacement for a player who retired due to pregnancy.
“I’ve always said that if there’s one club I’d like to play for, it’s Storhamar. I’ve always loved their style of play because they play at such a fast pace. It feels like I’ve never had a break. Once you learn handball, you never forget it,” Gjikokaj emphasized.
She is eagerly anticipating her Champions League debut and is very grateful for the opportunity.
After her retirement, the left wing did not appear for Kosovo in the last two matches in October. However, after returning to handball and making a giant leap in her career, Gjikokaj is expected to return to the national team.
For now, though, her primary focus is on her club, which is fighting for the national championship in the country with the most developed handball system in the world.
Storhamar also includes Tina Abdula, a handball player of Albanian descent. Her family is from Skopje.
