Jan Hansen is not related to the big star of the world handball and also Danish, Mikkel Hansen, but he may be just as loyal and devoted to his favourite sport as a fanatical supporter. The 54-year-old, Jan, is a volunteer in the World Beach Handball Championships, held in Karteros, Heraklion. He has visited Greece many times, but almost all of his previous visits were in Chania. This is his first time in Heraklion.

His love for handball was what motivated him to volunteer, as he explained: "There are several well-known players, from teams like Denmark, Hungary and Germany. I am a handball fan, so that was a motivation for me to come. I did not think much about it, I just declared my participation, I was accepted, I booked tickets and a hotel very close to Karteros, so that I could move easily and here I am.

“I have experience volunteering at sporting events in Denmark as well as in other European countries. As a volunteer, your philosophy should be that you are in the part of the event, not for yourself, but for everyone else, especially for the athletes".

His contact with handball is long-term and… multidimensional: "I played handball in my youth, for almost 25 years. In addition, I was a handball coach for many years, I have not been a head coach in a men's or women's team, but I coached young athletes. Many of these guys, in fact, followed a professional course afterwards, played for National teams and Bundesliga teams. My job is handball, I do not operate anywhere else".

Denmark has a tradition in handball and the positive reviews about the organization by a Danish certainly honour the efforts made in Karteros by the LOC: "Handball is a part of my life. In Denmark, handball is a tradition, we are very involved in the sport, both indoor handball and beach handball. We know everything about handball in Denmark.

“The competition in Heraklion is excellent, of high standards, I have a good time, I like it very much. I was expecting to meet this environment. Maybe I will visit Heraklion again".

As far as his knowledge of Greek Beach Handball is concerned, he said: "I know Magda Kepesidou from the current women's team, but I have also met Lambrina Tsakalou and Elisabeth Mastaka, at the European Beach Handball Championship of Denmark in 2013. I would like to meet also other members of the National teams of Greece".

Jan Hansen says he has… resisted visiting the sea at the moment, because duty calls him: "I am focused on the event, I do not combine it with holidays. Maybe when it's all over I will take a dive. At the moment, I have only wet my feet. Although I like the sun, I try to protect myself from it and the heat".

We do not know if he intends to register a record (if he has not already done so) of a Danish visitor in Crete and specifically in Chania, but he is definitely on the… right track: "I have come to Crete 22 times, of which 20 were in Chania. In Heraklion, however, I am for the first time. I have made many friends in Crete, now I have friends in Heraklion as well. Although I have been to Greece so many times, I have never stayed on the mainland, for example in Athens or Thessaloniki, nor have I visited another island. Every time I have come alone, my family fully respects my desire to travel".