Alex Dujshebaev: “We have to keep calm until the last second”

Kielce are a club that should rhyme with the word Dujshebaev. Father Talant Dujshebaev and his sons Alex and Daniel have been representing the Polish powerhouse for some years now.

This weekend, they are out to win the second EHF Champions League title for the club.

“My father has a big impact on my huge passion for handball. He is very important to me,” Alex Dujshebaev says. “I went to play in the arena so many times with him when I was a child. Those are my first memories. I started playing with him and I don’t forget those times.”

And then there is Daniel Dujshebaev, his brother and teammate at Kielce.

“I am so happy and so glad to play with him. He is an amazing player, he is improving all day and make me a better player and also a better person. It is very important to us,” Alex Dujshebaev says.

“We understand each other very well on court. We are brothers, we have played a lot of time together since our childhood, many training sessions, many games together. And all of this of course makes the difference.”

In his sixth season with Kielce since arriving in 2017, Alex Dujshebaev dreams of lifting the Machineseeker EHF Champions League trophy with the Polish champions for the first time. They both won it before: Kielce in 2016, Dujshebaev with Vardar in 2017.

“That trophy was so special, we played fantastic handball in the Champions League and we were the underdogs in that year,” he recalls.

Dujshebaev has contributed 58 goals to Kielce’s road to Cologne this season. What has really made the difference in his game?

“The most important factor is the confidence. I feel that confidence from my teammates, coaches, and all staff. And it makes you a better player. With that you can do everything you want,” Dujshebaev says.

After winning the Polish domestic championship, Kielce have now all focus on the most important European club competition.

“Winning titles always gives you confidence. We are in the good way, we are improving year after year. We want to continue in the right way,” Dujshebaev says.

In order to get to the final of the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4, Kielce will have to get past Paris Saint-Germain HB in the semi-final on Saturday 17 June at 18:00 CEST.

“Paris Saint-Germain are a wonderful team and prove this season that they play an incredible handball. The French team have top players, so it is really difficult to defend them. With so many talented players they play very well in all moments of game,” stresses the 30-year-old player.

“Our defense has to be at a top level, we have to keep fighting, both teams are really equal. This is one of the best games in the world with some of the best players in the planet. We have to keep calm until the last second, because the match will be decided in the small detail.”

Usually, the Polish team can count on great support from their fans. And Dujshebaev has no doubts “they will be there in Cologne for the big decisions. Our fans will support us a lot, like always. We have good fans, they are always with us, and it is so important to our team. They can give us a little advantage.”

Kielce will travel to Germany with only one mindset.

“We want to win the title. It is the EHF FINAL4, every team can win and for sure we will try to do our best, but we will go with just one goal: win the EHF Champions League.”

photos © Aniko Kovacs, Roland Peka, ABMprojekt