By Sports Reporter/Doha

    
Handball has always been in the centre of the Mahe family’s life: Pascal Mahe was a successful player, later coach, so it was obvious that his son Kentin would fill his footprints.
The 23-year-old Kentin, born in Paris, moved to Germany when his father became coach on the other side of the border. Coached by his father at club Dormagen, Kentin became youth and junior national team player for France, was awarded Most Valuable Player at the U-18 European Championship, was part of the French team at the Youth Olympic Games and had his debut in the senior team in 2010, at the age of 19.
Since 2013 the centre-back and left-wing has been under contract at former EHF Champions League winners HSV Hamburg.
After having been being reserve player at the 2014 European Championship, when France took their third gold medal on continental level, Kentin Mahe has now become a key player in the team of coach Claude Onesta at the 24th Men’s Handball World Championship in Qatar.
Excerpts from an interview:

Compared to the European Championship one year ago, what is different for you?
“I have more responsibility on the court. In 2014, I was more or less a spectator—now I am part of the team. This is a new experience for me, but I think I managed to help the French team so far. It is great fun.”

How huge is the pressure on you and the team, as everybody predicted that France are favourites for winning gold?
“Frankly, I do not feel any pressure. We all know how it works to finish a tournament on the winners’ podium. We only focus on our big goal, which is to become part of the Olympic handball tournament at Rio 2016, and the shortest way to Rio is by winning the World Championship here in Doha.”

What is your role in the hierarchy of the French team?
“We have three ‘groups’ in our team: First of all there are the experienced players who became world champions already in 2001 or won all titles from 2006 on.
The second group consists of players like Accambray or Barachet, who have been a part of the team since 2011, but also were World, European and Olympic champions already.
And I belong to the group of youngsters, who play their first major tournament or played it in Denmark in 2014. We represent the new generation.
And we hope to be as successful as the older generation. We want to make history like they did, and we have all the way ahead.”

Most of your ‘handball life’ you have lived in Germany. Didn’t you ever consider playing for the German national team?
“In 2007 I was contacted by the German youth national team coach, and almost at the same time I received my first invitation to the French youth team. So I had to make a decision. Finally the French federation was more eager to get me, and I feel more at home in the French team.”