Ricardo Castro: “When someone tells you that you can't, do it twice”

“I have always been very fascinated by the area of ​​neurology strokes, because they are extremely challenging and complex cases. But at the same time they allow you to be creative, because no two cases are the same. And the impact we can have on the lives of those affected is fenomenal,” Ricardo says about his job away from beach handball.

“Being responsible for a person in a wheelchair being able to walk again, or a bedridden person standing up for the first time. Following these processes and being part of them will always be an indescribable feeling,” he adds.

Following the trend of the vast majority of players, Ricardo Castro started playing indoor handball, joining FC Porto’s training academy and eventually joining the senior team. Later, he represented clubs including Santo Tirso and ISMAI, and even played in the ASOBAL League. In 2021, Ricardo left indoor sports permanently and dedicated himself exclusively to beach handball.

A very natural choice

But why the goal? “I've always liked combining strength with technique and study, and in the goalkeeper position you need all of that. I always liked watching lots of videos and lots of handball games. I started to realise that I adapted very well to the beach handball style of play and the goal on the beach. It was therefore a very natural choice,” highlights Ricardo.

Castro is not an especially tall goalkeeper, but he has other attributes that make up for that. “I feel like I'm very explosive and that on the beach works in my favour. As I’m not a very tall goalkeeper, I always have to compensate for this lack of size with physical ability and explosiveness,” he says.

The 37-year-old Portuguese goalkeeper was named to the All-star Team in all the competitions he participated last year. “It’s a enormous pride to be among the best in the best European competitions. EBT Finals, Euro Games, Champions Cup. Always on the All-star Team, it was possibly my best season of my career last year.”

It is important to remember that Ricardo Castro has already won a Champions Cup with Ciudad de Malaga, in 2021. He also won a bronze medal in the EBT Finals with GRD Leça, the club he currently represents. “We still want to win a gold medal for this club and I believe it is possible,” he stresses.

Portugal has really grown a lot in beach handball, even as the sport itself continues to expand exponentially. But what has really made the difference?

“We started to look at beach handball as a real sport”

“Above all, we started to look at beach handball in a transversal way, not as a handball sports holiday, but as a real sport where training, commitment and performance are required. Nowadays, almost all clubs have coaches and people who want to take this sport to another level. We often manage to beat the best teams in the world, so we also started to look at beach handball in a different way,” highlights Castro.

However, as with everything in life there is always room for improvement.

“I think we could create conditions so that all clubs can train beach handball all year round. There is a need in Portugal to have an enclosed sand area. As a national team, we would like to be able to train in the winter. From November to February in Portugal it is almost impossible to train on the beach and with these facilities we would make beach handball even more professional,” he stresses.

Castro will not be part of the beach handball showcase at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which he says made him sad, but which gives him fuel to accelerate even more and continue training at the top level.

“It was difficult not to be called to these Games, but I certainly believe that our country can be present at the next Olympic Games, just like me,” he says.

“By not being called up this year, the flame is lit for me to continue working even harder. It was one of my goals at the time. However, if I can't be there, I want to be at the Beach Handball World Championships and do a great performance.”

“I contacted him on Facebook, sent him a message in 2016 and he called me crazy”

Since 2016, Castro has worked together with Jaime Torres, a reference in Brazilian and world beach handball.

“He does all the technical and tactical planning for me. I contacted him on Facebook, sent him a message in 2016 and he called me crazy. I told him that I wanted to become the best beach handball goalkeeper in the world and that I needed his help. It started like a small joke, but things evolved a lot,” Castro says.

And what will be the biggest dream that this Portuguese goalkeeper has to fulfill? “The day I put down my jersey, I want to be sure that I couldn't have done more throughout my career feeling like I always gave my best.

“One day, a coach of mine told me that I shouldn't try so hard, because I wouldn't be able to get at a top level. It was the best advice anyone gave me. When someone tells you that you can't, do it twice and capture the moment. That's what I'm trying to do,” concludes Castro.

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