Angela is iconic.
Her dedication to handball
is something
that we want from every fan.
(MY NAME IS ANGELA POP, I'M 46 YEARS OLD,
AND I LOVE HANDBALL.)
(VETEL, HUNEDOARA COUNTY, ROMANIA)
(I FELL IN LOVE WITH HANDBALL
WHEN I MET VALENTINA ARDEAN ELISEI.
SHE STARTED PLAYING IN THE LOCAL TEAM,
AND I FOLLOWED HER TO ALL THE TEAMS SHE LATER TRANSFERRED TO.
SHE'S BEEN PLAYING FOR MORE THAN 17 YEARS
FOR ROMANIA'S NATIONAL HANDBALL TEAM AS WELL.
IN THE PAST 17 YEARS I'VE SEEN MORE THAN 20 COUNTRIES.
I'VE BEEN TO DOZENS OF GAMES,
I'VE TRAVELLED THOUSANDS OF MILES,
AND ALL OF THIS TO ENJOY HANDBALL.
A TRUE SUPPORTER LOVES THE TEAM NO MATTER WHAT THE SCORE.
I'VE NEVER LEFT THE HANDBALL GROUNDS UPSET.
WHEN THE NATIONAL TEAM PLAYS ABROAD
AND WE GO TO FINAL TOURNAMENTS, FOR EXAMPLE,
IT'S VERY SPECIAL TO MEET THE ROMANIAN EX-PATS
WHO LIVE FAR FROM THEIR HOME COUNTRY,
AND THEY COME TO THE GAMES TO CHEER WITH US IN THE STANDS.
WHEN WE PLAY GAMES AT HOME,
WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN THE SPORTS HALLS.
WE HAVE HAD 7,000 PEOPLE
IN THE STANDS AT ONE GAME,
AND IT'S A BEAUTIFUL, WONDERFUL THING.
SHE IS MY FRIEND,
WE ALWAYS GO TO THE MATCHES TOGETHER.
SHE'S MY SECONDARY VOICE,
IT'S THROUGH HER THAT I MAKE MYSELF
HEARD ON THE HANDBALL COURT.
HANDBALL BROUGHT ONLY HAPPINESS TO ME AND TO MY SON.
UNFORTUNATELY, HE WAS BORN WITH A SEVERE HEALTH PROBLEM -
SPINAL CANCER.
HIS DISABILITY BOUND HIM INDOORS MANY TIMES.
HE WASN'T ABLE TO ENJOY HIS CHILDHOOD LIKE OTHER KIDS.
FROM THE MOMENT I TOOK HIM TO HANDBALL, HIS LIFE CHANGED
FOR THE BETTER. I TOOK HIM WITH ME TO THE MATCHES ABROAD.
HE'S BEEN ALL AROUND EUROPE WITH ME.
HE MADE A LOT OF FRIENDS, AND HE'S AN ACTIVE PERSON NOW.)
(I WAS NINE. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT HANDBALL WAS.
I LOVED IT A LOT. SINCE THEN, I'VE BEEN CLOSE TO HANDBALL.)
(I REMEMBER HOW YOU WERE
GETTING BORED OF STAYING INSIDE.)
(ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WE WERE STAYING ON THE FOURTH FLOOR,
AND IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR ME.
I HAD TO GO TO SCHOOL IN A WHEELCHAIR.)
(SILVIU ROSU IS A VISUALLY IMPAIRED TEEN
WHO COMES TO THE GAMES.
HE CAN'T SEE ANYTHING,
BUT HE'S IN THE STANDS WITH US.
IN 2015, BEFORE THE CARPATHIAN TROPHY,
I THOUGHT TO INVITE MORE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO THE GAME.
TOGETHER WITH THE ROMANIAN HANDBALL FEDERATION,
I SCOURED THE INTERNET AND FOUND A LOCAL NGO,
THE DERZELAS ASSOCIATION IN CLUJ.
IT'S A NONPROFIT ORGANISATION
THAT DOES MANY GOOD THINGS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO TRAINING.
THERE ARE A LOT OF CHILDREN HERE WHO WANT TO PLAY SPORTS,
BUT LACK THE FINANCIAL MEANS TO START TRAINING.
SO I STARTED A SMALL HANDBALL TEAM, ACS THE FUTURE VETEL.)
(DEVA, ROMANIA ACS VIITORUL TRAINING GROUNDS)
(I WENT TO THE SCHOOLS MYSELF AND SPOKE WITH GYM TEACHERS
AND WITH THE LOCAL MAYOR
ABOUT IF I COULD START A TEAM AND COACH THESE GIRLS.
OVER HERE. OK? FORM A LINE.)
(SHE'S THE BEST COACH WE'VE EVER HAD.
SHE NEVER YELLS AT US.
EVEN IF WE LOSE, SHE'S ALWAYS PROUD OF US, OF HOW WE PLAYED.
SHE NEVER SCOLDS US.
SHE GAVE US SNEAKERS, CLOTHES.)
(THE GIRLS IN MY TEAM COME FROM THE VILLAGE WHERE I NOW RESIDE.
EVEN IF THEY WERE BORN IN THE VILLAGE,
THEY KNOW NO SHORTAGES.
THEY ARE PROVIDED WITH ALL THE EQUIPMENT THEY NEED.
READY? LET'S PUT THE EQUIPMENT IN THE BAG.
THE GIRLS ARE LIKE MY CHILDREN.
I TAKE THEIR SPORTS GEAR HOME AND WASH IT MYSELF.
HERE'S THE FLAG I BRING WITH ME TO EVERY GAME.
IT'S EXTREMELY BIG.
IT'S 20 METRES BY 14 METRES.
IT'S ALSO VERY HEAVY.
SINCE WE'RE GOING TO THE GAME IN BUCHAREST
WITH MY HANDBALL TEAM AND MY FRIENDS FROM DERZELAS,
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IT IN THE STANDS.)
(ONE AT A TIME, OK?
PICK YOUR SEATS.)
(ANGELA AND HER TEAM EMBARK ON A FIVE HOUR DRIVE TO BUCHAREST
TO SUPPORT THE ROMANIAN WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM
AS THEY FACE SPAIN IN AN EXHIBTION GAME.)
(WHO'S NEVER BEEN TO BUCHAREST BEFORE?)
(BUCHAREST, ROMANIA EXHIBITION GAME SPORTS HALL)
(THE CHILDREN ARE WONDERFUL.
THEY UNDERSTAND THINGS QUICKLY, AND THEY ARE AMBITIOUS KIDS.
THEY HAVE SEEN PROFESSIONAL HANDBALL.
THEY KNOW HOW FAR THEY CAN GO IF THEY WORK HARD.)
(THERE THEY ARE!)
(EVERYBODY FORM A LINE!)
(-HI, GOOD LUCK! -THANK YOU!)
(HOW ARE YOU, BEAUTIFUL? WELCOME TO THE TEAM!)
(I WANT TO SIT WITH YOU IN THE STANDS.)
(OF COURSE YOU'RE GOING TO SIT THERE WITH ME.
TODAY WE'RE GOING TO WATCH THE GAME TOGETHER,
AND YOU'LL SING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM WITH ME.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SO MUCH FUN!)
(WILL YOU GIVE ME THE DRUM TOO?)
(I'LL GIVE YOU THE DRUM AS WELL. IT WILL BE MY PLEASURE!)
(THE FIRST TIME I CAME TO A HANDBALL MATCH WAS IN 2015,
AT THE CARPATHIAN TROPHY GAME.
THOSE WERE THE FIRST HANDBALL MATCHES I EVER ATTENDED.
I REALISED THEN THAT I HAD TO COME AGAIN.
AND I DID IN JUNE TO THE MATCH WITH SERBIA.
CRISTINA NEAGU PREPARED THIS POSTER IN COLLABORATION
WITH THE ROMANIAN HANDBALL FEDERATION.
IT WAS SUCH A WONDERFUL SURPRISE FOR ME,
SUCH A POWERFUL EMOTION.
I EXPERIENCE THE GAME IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
IT'S A SPECIAL FEELING. I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN IT.
THE HALL IS LIKE A VOLCANO, ERUPTING,
AND I HAVE TO JOIN IT, I HAVE TO SHOUT OUT TOO.)
(TODAY WE LOST, BUT WE DON'T EVEN CARE.
IT WAS JUST A FRIENDLY MATCH.
THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT THE GIRLS ARE HEALTHY.
I'M EXTREMELY HAPPY.
I SAW THE PEOPLE FROM DERZELAS AGAIN, WONDERFUL PEOPLE.
I WILL GO HOME HAPPY.)
She brings other supporters
to the games.
She brings, as you see today,
she brings her own kids,
the kids that she trains.
She gives soul. She gives life to the stands.
It's something that we want at every game.
It's something that we encourage.
It's hard to handle what she does.
(WE ARE A TEAM'S "EIGHTH PLAYER."
THE PLAYERS ARE COUNTING ON OUR SUPPORT.
WE ALL FEEL JOY THE SAME WAY.
IF THERE'S ONE THING I LEARNED FROM THIS SPORT,
IS THAT HANDBALL BRINGS SPIRITS TOGETHER.)