Celebrating the best players of the season
Stine Oftedal and Emil Nielsen season MVPs at second EHF Excellence Awards
EHF Excellence Awards 2024
The second EHF Excellence Awards were held in Vienna on 14 December, honouring performances throughout the 2023/24 season.
The gala event took place with more than 400 guests in attendance at the Erste Campus as part of row of side events at the final weekend of the Women’s EHF EURO 2024.
With a team of the season, young players and beach handball players of the season announced earlier in 2024, it was left to see which players would take the MVP award for the past season. Three nominees were shortlisted for both genders, with Stine Oftedal from Norway and Emil Nielsen from Denmark taking the respective trophies.
Along with the awards given for 2023/24, the event introduced the European Olympic Excellence Award, honouring the performance of two European players, one in each gender, at the Olympic Games. The winners for 2024 were gold medallists and MVPs of their respective tournaments, Mathias Gidsel and Katrine Lunde.
European Olympic Excellence Award
Katrine Lunde — Norway
Mathias Gidsel — Denmark
Best 7 and MVP of the season
WOMEN
MVP: Stine Oftedal — Norway/Györi Audi ETO KC
Left wing: Chloé Valentini — France/Metz Handball
France’s top scorer and All-star Team left wing at the title-winning World Championship. Scored 97 goals for Metz en route to the EHF FINAL4 Women.
Left back: Henny Reistad — Norway/Team Esbjerg
IHF Player of the Year for 2023 and MVP of the World Championship. Scored over 100 goals in the EHF Champions League for a third straight season.
Centre back: Stine Oftedal — Norway/Györi Audi ETO KC
MVP of the EHF FINAL4 Women 2024 and World Championship All-star centre back. Took silver at the World Championship and won her third Champions League trophy.
Right back: Anna Vyakhireva — Russia/Vipers Kristiansand
Top scorer of the EHF Champions League 2023/24, with 113 goals.
Right wing: Viktoria Györi-Lukacs — Hungary/Györi Audi ETO KC
Scored 49 goals on the path to the EHF Champions League 2023/24 trophy and 20 goals in the EHF EURO Cup 2024.
Line player: Sarah Bouktit — France/Metz Handball
Joint-third top scorer of the EHF Champions League 2023/24 (alongside Reistad). Contributed 22 goals to France’s World Championship win.
Goalkeeper: Sandra Toft — Denmark/Györi Audi ETO KC
Her title-winning EHF Champions League season with Györ included a standout semi-final, when she made 13 saves. Made 49 saves at the World Championship, where Denmark celebrated bronze.
Defender: Line Haugsted — Denmark/Györi Audi ETO KC
Won the EHF Champions League for the first time, and was notable for her defence throughout 2023/24. Also plays a key role in Denmark’s defence.
MEN
MVP: Emil Nielsen — Denmark/Barça
Left wing: Emil Jakobsen — Denmark/SG Flensburg-Handewitt
MVP of the EHF Finals Men 2024 after scoring 18 goals across the weekend. Important for Denmark as they took Men’s EHF EURO 2024 silver.
Left back: Elohim Prandi — France/Paris Saint-Germain Handball
Took France to the EHF EURO 2024 final with an astonishing direct free throw after the buzzer of regular time in the semi-final. Scored 87 goals in the Champions League.
Centre back: Felix Claar — Sweden/SC Magdeburg
Netted 38 times for bronze medallists Sweden at the Men’s EHF EURO 2024, and 85 in the EHF Champions League, ending the season at the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4.
Right back: Dika Mem — France/Barça
Won both the EHF EURO 2024 and the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4. Second top scorer of the Champions League, with 106 goals, and fourth top at the EHF EURO, with 49.
Right wing: Hans Lindberg — Denmark/Füchse Berlin
A key penalty taker, Lindberg was part of Denmark’s EHF EURO silver medal. Reached the EHF European League Men final, scoring 49 goals in the season.
Line player: Ludovic Fabregas — France/Veszprém HC
EHF EURO 2024 All-star line player and France’s second top scorer at the event, with 44 strikes. Netted 68 for Veszprém in the Champions League.
Goalkeeper: Emil Nielsen — Denmark/Barça
Recorded an average save rate of 39.49 per cent at the EHF EURO 2024. Saved nearly 47 per cent in the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 semi-final.
Defender: Magnus Saugstrup — Denmark/SC Magdeburg
EHF EURO 2024 All-star Team defender Saugstrup had a superb season standing firm for Denmark and Magdeburg.
Rookies of the season
WOMEN
Petra Simon — Hungary/FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria
MVP and All-star Team centre back at the W19 EHF EURO 2023, 20-year-old Simon made her major tournament debut at the 2023 World Championship. Played her first Champions League season, scoring 39 goals.
MEN
Martim Costa — Portugal
All-star Team left back and joint-top scorer of the Men’s EHF EURO 2024, Costa is still just 22 years old. Scored 62 goals in what was his fourth European cup season.
Beach handball MVPs
WOMEN
Meike Kruijer — Netherlands/Black Lake Beach
MVP of the Champions Cup and All-star Team member at the IHF Beach Handball World Championship. Placed third at both events.
MEN
Ricardo Castro — Portugal/GRD Leça – Spar
All-star Team goalkeeper at the IHF Beach Handball World Championship and at the Champions Cup. Won the Champions Cup and took World Championship bronze.
