London 2012 Olympics: British Handball campaign against Olympic venue's Copper Box name-change

By Sportsmail Reporter

Last updated at 12:39 PM on 11th January 2012

British Handball will start a campaign against the renaming of the Olympic handball venue from the Handball Arena to the Copper Box.

The sport's chief executive Paul Goodwin is unhappy about the decision to change the venue's name, as it does not give Handball enough credit for its recent growth.

The 7,000 seater stadium has been given its new moniker because of the material used to build it, but Goodwin does not think the Copper Box is an appropriate name.

Venue: David Cameron recently hosted a cabinet meeting in the newly named Copper Box

'Why have they not renamed other facilities in a similar vein?' he asked.

'Perhaps the Olympic velodrome will be called the "big round wooden building" or the basketball arena renamed as the "Marshmallow"?'

He added: 'Retaining the name of the sport in the title of the venue is important to us.

'The Olympics has given handball a great opportunity to grow in popularity, and all the indications are that we are achieving that.

Celebration: Paul Goodwin (right) after confirmation that Team GB would enter male and female handball teams at London 2012

Growth: Handball is one of the most popular sports in Europe

'I think we deserve to have all our good work in developing the sport recognised by the authorities by not giving the venue a generic title that does nothing to reflect its use.'

Handball is the most popular sport for women in Europe, and the second most popular for men.

Almost 60,000 children and young people in Britain were introduced to the sport last year, and the British women's team shocked the world by beating African Games champions Angola at an Olympic test event at the stadium in November.

Copper Box: Not a very imaginative name for the venue

It became a men's Olympic sport at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, but it was not until Montreal 1976 that women's team handball was introduced to the event.

The Copper Box will host handball, goalball and modern pentathlon fencing at London 2012, before being transformed into a multi-use community sports centre.

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Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/olympics/article-2085128/London-2012-Olympics-British-Handball-campaign-Olympic-venues-Copper-Box-change.html?ITO=1490

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