Ajax forward Viktor Fischer is on a 40-shortlist to be named FIFA’s Golden Boy, an honour given to the best young player in the world that was won by Lionel Messi in 2005. Meanwhile, Soren Andreasen and Kasper Nissen, two teenagers at Esbjerg, have been give trials by Tottenham Hotspur, where they might link up with Christian Eriksen. The pair were recommended by agent Allan Nielsen, a former Spurs player.
Denmark to co-host worlds
Denmark will co-host the 2019 Men’s Handball World Championships with Germany, it found out on Monday. The two countries saw off Poland and a joint bid from Hungary and Slovakia to become the first ever joint hosts of what is handball’s largest event. Both countries will hold group matches, Germany the semi-finals, and Denmark the final. Denmark is also set to host the Women’s World Handball Championship in 2015.
Esbjerg continue run
Esbjerg beat Swedish outfit Elfsborg 2-1 away last week on Thursday to edge ever closer to the last 32 of the Europa League. Hans Henrik Andreasen scored both goals to take his side to second place with six points, five points ahead of Elfsborg and Standard Liege with three games remaining. This means Esbjerg could qualify if they beat Elfsborg at home next week and Liege fails to beat group leaders Red Bull Salzburg.
Davis despair for Danes
Sweden might have produced players like Bjørn Borg, but last weekend they came close to being beaten by Denmark in the Davis Cup in Helsingborg, coming back from 0-2 down to win 3-2. Frederik Nielsen came close to winning the fourth rubber, but lost 7-9 in the deciding set against Markus Eriksson. Meanwhile, in other tennis news, Caroline Wozniacki won the Luxembourg Open on October 20 – her first win of 2013.
Under-19s qualify
Denmark have qualified for the elite round of qualifying for the European Under-19 Championship following a successful mini-campaign in Israel that saw them beat Liechtenstein 2-0, the hosts 3-1 and lose to Italy 0-2. They qualified in second behind Israel on goal difference. Meanwhile in related news, it has been announced that the senior national team will play England at Wembley on March 5.
More swimming records
Mie Nielsen and her club, Aalborg Elite, have claimed two more short-course swimming records, but not in the same race this time. First Nielsen smashed Lotte Friis’s record in the 200-metre freestyle, and then a day later she helped the 200m medley relay team take three seconds off the old mark. Also in form is Jeanette Ottesen Gray, who recently won four butterfly races in a row at World Cup events in Dubai and Doha.
