JEDDAH, 30 March 2007 — The family of Bandar Al-Harbi wanted him to be different from the rest of the family members who all played handball. Fencing was more suitable for Bandar, or so they thought.

He never got to take up fencing. But by becoming the No. 1 Saudi handball player Bandar in effect was far and away in a different league from everyone else who played the game including members of his family.

Gifted with a quick footwork and athleticism, Bandar had been likened to an elusive flying pigeon on the ground by the local media.

“In 2004 I was called the Michael Jordan of Arabia by our Bahraini coach Nabil Taha and it is something I am proud of,” he said.

The 31-year old handball great was also awarded best player in the Arab Championship in Jordan in 1997, Pyramids Championship in Egypt in 2003 and

Arab Championship in 2004 in Saudi Arabia.

“I just loved the game and wanted to add something to it. I loved how my two older brothers and cousins play and get medals and people started to call the game a family affair,” he said.

Al-Harbi first played handball at his school. His team included his relatives and the opposing team from the other school also included some relatives. “Sometimes I used to go early before the first team’s training time and hide in their bus before they show up, then in the middle of the road I’d appear, and there would be no way to get rid of me.”

He joined Al-Ahli club’s junior team at 13 in 1989. It was very exciting, the older ones used to give them jerseys and shoes as gifts of encouragement, and they are doing it now. He used to train everyday excluding Friday, “but sometimes even on Fridays I’d miss it and would go and train for a while,” he said.

Within two years, he moved to the juveniles’ team and marked his presence as Al-Ahli dominated all the districts handball leagues.

Al-Harbi was promoted to the youth team after two years to underline his growth in the spot. “Thanks to Tunisian coach Khalid Ashour who believed I was ready and fit to play with the first team and got me into it,” he said. Back then moving to the first team was like a dream that could be reached after lots of extensive work. For around two years he was playing with the first team on Thursdays and with the youth team on Tuesdays.

Born in Oct. 11, 1976, Al-Harbi had to sacrifice continuing education after high school. “It was what I wanted and it opened many doors for me and made me meet people, I never regretted dedicating my life to it,” he said. In handball he added, “You depend on all your body parts.” Thus he at least does two weight lifting sessions per week to stay in shape.

It is all about the team spirit, and this is something he believed is an advantage over the other singles game. “In team games if one player misses, the rest can make it up for him, they all stand by each others’ side, unlike the case with the singles game, if you lose you are ruled out,” he said.

Now besides playing handball with Ahli, he is a handball coach at the National Security Forces where he also joins his team during the matches. He also runs his various small businesses.

It is something he learned from the ones before him, “I had to do something to secure my family and my future. Sport is working well now for me but nothing lasts forever.”

He plays the left wing position. His inspirational presence and the faith the team placed on him make it doubly hard on his part to meet their expectations. The year 2005 he said was a tough phase in his career as rumors fly thick and fast that his performance has nosedived and that he may not be fit for future matches. “It was not easy, and to prove them wrong I had to work out twice a day,” he said. “It was just because we were stressed out with participations during that year.”

With Al-Harbi at the helm, Ahli won the Gulf Cup in Oman and the Arab Handball Championship in Morocco, which were both staged in 2004. “Fans greeted us at the King Abdulaziz Airport and pampered us with gifts and songs and took our luggage and continued celebrating even after we got back home. It was beautiful, we made them proud, thank God, and they appreciated it.”

They also placed 3rd in the Handball Asian Championship in 2004 in UAE. He joined the national team in 1991 and his first international stint was at the Gulf Cup for juveniles where the nationals placed third in Qatar.

He then joined the national youth team and played in the Asian Championship qualifying matches in UAE for the Handball World Cup (Youth) in Turkey in 1996 and also placed third . That was the first time ever for a Saudi team to reach the World Youth Cup, thanks to Al-Harbi who scored a goal in the last three seconds of the first half against Korea. The goal was totally unexpected it surprised even Al-Harbi. The second half ended in a draw. Three more extra halves were played and at the fourth extra half, which is rare in handball matches, the Kingdom finally managed to win with two points.

But then their qualification was in the hands of UAE and Qatar. If UAE won Saudi Arabia and UAE would both qualify, but if Qatar won Qatar would qualify with UAE and Saudi would be eliminated. “That was a nerve wracking moment. We went to watch but it was not easy, we left but it did not work either so we got back and saw that there was two points in difference!”

The players kept asking who was advancing, the fans yelled UAE, “we started dancing and cheering thrilled and stunned we could not believe it we did it!” he said.

After topping the Asian Championship qualifying matches, they booked a place in the Japan Handball World Cup for the first team division in 1997. That began their successive World Cup stints in 1999 in Egypt, 2001 in France, and 2003 in Portugal. Their last glorious participation was the Gulf Cup in UAE this year when they beat all teams and claimed the championship crown.

Al-Harbi played on loan with Al-Khaleej club of the Eastern Province during the Arab Championship for clubs in 2007 and they were crowned champions.

Looking back at his first championship in the Kingdom Handball League Al-Harbi said, “I was awake until the next morning with the medal hanging around my neck. The feeling was unbelievable. I spent the whole night marveling at the medal,” he said. Being the youngest brother of five boys and three girls, “it was nice to see everybody happy for me.”

He said they play their best outside their city especially in the Eastern Province where the fans had a better appreciation of the game. “Thus we give it our best there. The fans at the stadiums are like commentators they all love it, and know the rules and attend to really enjoy it so we too enjoy it.” Ittihad, he said used to have a handball club and that was good but now that they disbanded seven years ago there are no more tough competitors here in the Eastern Province.

He considers himself lucky to play with veteran Samir Abdullah from whom he learned a lot. Al-Harbi once played for Al-Sad club in Qatar during the Gulf Cup in Al-Ein three years ago. This had changed his perspectives in that he viewed things with an open eye. The Al-Sad stint benefited both the player and his club because he would be able to pass on the experience he gained to his teammates at his mother club.

Talent scouts spotted him at the 2003 World Cup and offered him the chance to play in the German league but because of his job and commitment to the team he had to decline the offer.

“Yet I really hope I can play once at the French league so I can improve myself and open the door for my colleagues afterwards.”

A very crucial lesson he learned and advantage he got in joining the national team is that it has to be the team spirit always to overcome difficulties and to enjoy the moments of victories. People who prefer club over flag sometimes wonder how these players mix with other players from other clubs but Al-Harbi said, after playing in the national team they all became like brothers and spend longer time together during training camps abroad than with the players of his club. They might have some tension during matches, but as soon as the match is over it is over and they are more than best friends.

“That is why when you play for you country you totally forget your club and everything, it is your country that matters,” Al-Harbi said.