New RYT ambassador Martin eager to take up role
All the players who will secure the “Player of the Match” award at the W19 EHF EURO 2023 and at the W19 EHF EURO Championship 2023 are in for a treat, as they will be automatically included in the “Respect Your Talent” programme (RYT), a programme which identifies the best young players in European handball and helps develop not just their handball, but also their off-court skills, and ability to handle the pressure of high-performance sport, putting them on the pathway to an elite career.
In all three tournaments in this age category, which are taking place in July in Romania, Kosovo and Lithuania, legendary handball players supporting the programme are conveying important messages and taking a page out of their own experience to share with the up-and-coming players, who need guidance to kickstart their senior career.
Previously, Jovanka Radicevic was presented as the RYT ambassador for W19 EHF EURO in Romania, together with Anja Althaus, and now Carmen Martin will take on the ambassador role in Kosovo
For Martin, the link with the Respect Your Talent programme has put a huge smile on her face, with the former Spain national team captain knowing a thing or two about how difficult it is for some young players to improve their skills.
“When I grew up and I was making my first steps in handball, there were not a lot of women’s games broadcasted in Spain, that was pretty hard to make other young players fall in love with handball. Therefore, with these programmes, it is always excellent to see that players get a bit of help in all areas, both on and off the court,” says Martin.
Since taking her first steps in handball, Martin has been constantly improving, being a true role model on the court, a player renowned for her fighting spirit – Spain’s national team, which Martin captained, is aptly named “Las Guerreras”, the Warriors – but while being a great example, she always plays with a smile on her face.
Winning the EHF Champions League Women with CSM Bucuresti in 2016, as well as two silver EHF EURO medals in 2008 and 2014, and bronze at the 2011 World Championship and the London 2012 Olympic Games just cemented Martin’s legacy in handball.
The right wing will now return to the premier European competition with IK Sävehof, but before taking to the court once again in the new season, Martin will head to Kosovo, where she will take part in the “Player of the Match” event.
During all three competitions in Romania, Kosovo and Lithuania in July, all the players who will earn the award will get the opportunity to visit the RYT Player of the Match event and meet the respective ambassadors.
In those events, the young talents will be guided and will learn about the importance of off-court topics such as media, sports law, anti-doping, mental fitness, dual career and nutrition, as well as receiving precious advice from the ambassadors, who will share stories and their experience in handball.
“The best advice from my point of view, which suited me for the entire career is to keep fighting. This is what I have learnt and it may sound like a cliché, but it is true. Because if you continue fighting, you strive to improve and never give up, results will come,” says Martin.
The right wing is eager to take up the ambassador role and can hardly wait to meet the new stars of handball, who will soak up everything she says, as Martin has definitely been one of the biggest names in handball over the last 15 years.
“I am honoured to be a part of this programme and I hope that I can be at my best, because I really want to help younger players achieve their potential. I will not say I am a role model, but everybody needs some role models in their lives, because it is truly crucial to be inspired,” adds Martin.
