Veszprém Handball Day

Over the decades, the lives of Veszprém and handball have become intertwined— so handball in the city is not just one sport among many, but also symbolizes the identity of the county seat. A unique atmosphere surrounds the local club, whose history spans from the asphalt court to the world stage. On May 17 (Sunday), 1st Veszprém Handball Day is more than just a sporting event, because in addition to paying tribute to the rich history of local handball, it will also be a multi-faceted event held in the team’s former “lion’s den,” the hall on Március 15 Street.

In Veszprém, handball is not just a sport, but rather a way of life. Almost everyone in the city is familiar with it, and on game days, crowds of people dress in red. Here, handball has long been a social event, and the love for the sport is passed down from father to son. It is a legacy that spans generations. Founded in 1977, the club has been known by several names over the past half-century, but this did not prevent it from becoming one of Hungary’s most successful and popular sports communities, and a defining team on our continent. Handball in Veszprém is now a brand recognized even beyond our national borders. The club achieved its first major international success on May 17, 1992, when One Veszprém HC’s predecessor, Bramac VSE, won the European Cup Winners’ Cup in Munich, Germany. Veszprém City Council accepted the proposal to establish Together for Veszprém association, and approved a proposal at the end of last year to celebrate this day every year. Appropriately, Veszprém Handball Day be celebrated with the participation of many sports fans. The organizer of this tradition-building sports festival is the city’s civil affairs, who entrusted Together for Veszprém Association with organizing the event. They ultimately submitted the application to the Veszprém-Balaton 2026 – European Region of Sport program, which approved the project. Their professional work has since been supported by Veszprém Építők SE and Veszprém Supporters’ Association, to bring to life one of the event’s main messages: to introduce as many young people and introduce the joy of movement and the uplifting, authentic sense of community that it fosters.

In Veszprém, handball is not just a sport, but rather a way of life. Almost everyone in the city is familiar with it, and on game days, crowds of people dress in red. Here, handball has long been a social event, and the love for the sport is passed down from father to son. It is a legacy that spans generations. Founded in 1977, the club has been known by several names over the past half-century, but this did not prevent it from becoming one of Hungary’s most successful and popular sports communities, and a defining team on our continent. Handball in Veszprém is now a brand recognized even beyond our national borders. The club achieved its first major international success on May 17, 1992, when One Veszprém HC’s predecessor, Bramac VSE, won the European Cup Winners’ Cup in Munich, Germany. Veszprém City Council accepted the proposal to establish Together for Veszprém association, and approved a proposal at the end of last year to celebrate this day every year. Appropriately, Veszprém Handball Day be celebrated with the participation of many sports fans. The organizer of this tradition-building sports festival is the city’s civil affairs, who entrusted Together for Veszprém Association with organizing the event. They ultimately submitted the application to the Veszprém-Balaton 2026 – European Region of Sport program, which approved the project. Their professional work has since been supported by Veszprém Építők SE and Veszprém Supporters’ Association, to bring to life one of the event’s main messages: to introduce as many young people and introduce the joy of movement and the uplifting, authentic sense of community that it fosters.

When the organizers began developing the program, they kept in mind that Veszprém’s passion for handball is not to sporting events, because it is part of the city’s identity and is present in the pulse of everyday life. This spirit is evident in the joy following victorious matches, or in the way people pull together after painful defeats. Its strength, therefore, is rooted in faith. The all-day event begins at noon with the participation of four elementary school and four high school teams with age-group tournaments; the benches of the teams will not be occupied by physical education teachers, but rather by perhaps the greatest stars in the club’s history, who decades past have given local sports fans something that couldn’t simply be recorded in the match reports.

At the two 10-minute matches starting at 10 a.m., János Gyurka, József Éles, Carlos Perez, Gergő Iváncsik, István Csoknyai, István Pásztor, László Sótonyi, and István Gulyás will guide the young players, offering them some advice that will serve them well for life. During the breaks between matches—a tradition already familiar from handball events— dancers will entertain the audience, ensuring the event’s continued good atmosphere. At 10:30 a.m., in the sanctuary that once served as the home of these former stars, a record attempt at a 7-meter shot will also begin, during which spectators can take penalty shots against the goalies of the One Veszprém HC and Éles KISE youth teams. The organizers are hoping as many sports fans as possible will show up for this challenge, so that the final result will make headlines across Hungary and around the world. Sports fans will also test their mettle in the penalty shootout competition in the early afternoon, but by then they’ll have to outshine legends like Árpád Sterbik, Nándor Fazekas, or the current team’s goalkeeper, Rodrigo Corrales from Spain.

Veszprém Handball Day is also marked by health awareness: namely, in one corner of the hall, staff from the local Health Promotion Office will provide everyone with a full body analysis, including blood pressure, pulse, and blood oxygen levels. At the same time, Mozdulnék Sports Lab assesses visitors’ hip mobility, reaction times, and the so-called arteriogram examination of our arteries. But back to handball, which in the city of queens is not just a game, since it is one of Veszprém's emblem, just like Petőfi Theater or the zoo. Fans with a sporty spirit can test their skills on various activity courses, giving them an idea of how accurate and powerful their shots on goal are, as well as how fast their ball travels, and, over the course of the day, it will also become clear who is the fastest over short distances. After all, in Veszprém, matches are never just sixty-minute contests, but have become almost rituals (…the battles do not end with the final whistle, as people will still be talking about them the next day and the day after), and many will likely show up at the hall on Március 15 Street to take the basic-level referee’s quiz. The winners of the aforementioned events and competitions will be rewarded with valuable prizes and gifts. Meanwhile, in the hall’s foyer, old handball films and broadcasts will entice fans to indulge in a bit of nostalgia.

The organizers also invited former champions to the event, so at 2:00 p.m. they gave a special welcome the members of the team that won the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1992, followed by panel discussions at 3:00 p.m. In the first session, stars from the 1970s and 1980s will speak, including, among others, Katalin Tóth-Harsányi Laki and her sister, Olympic bronze medalist Borbála Tóth-Harsányi, followed by Lajos Keller, Jenő Putics, János Gyurka, and Csaba Németh. Following a brief cultural interlude, the second part of the fan event continues, featuring the greats of the 1990s and 2000s: József Éles, István Csoknyai, István Pásztor, and István Gulyás, as well as Gergő Iváncsik, Péter Gulyás, and Nándor Fazekas will answer the questions posed and share interesting facts that the audience may never have heard before. Following the conclusion of the program, participants will gather together to watch the World Championship qualifier match between the Hungary-Serbia men’s handball national teams’ World Championship qualifier.

As can be seen from the list above: