DHB Sponsor AOK Counts On Rebuilding Process After Team Fails To Qualify For WC

The new main sponsor of the German Handball Federation (DHB), insurance company AOK, "is counting on a rebuilding process after the men's national team failed to qualify for the 2015 world championships," according to the SID. AOK Exec Chair Jürgen Graalmann said, "We are confident that the on-court success of the national team will return -- at the latest for the 2019 world championship in Germany." The DHB presented its new sponsor only weeks ahead of the decisive qualifying matchup against Poland, which took place on Saturday. The new contract, which will run at least through the end of '17, has an estimated value between €700,000-€1M ($950,000-$1.36M) per season -- depending on on-court success (SID, 6/16).