ASSESSMENT OF TRAINING LEVELS IN MALE BEACH HANDBALL: THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS, CURRENT GAPS, AND PERSPECTIVES FOR THE ASIAN CONTEXT

Nguyen Dac Thinh, Chau Vinh Huy, Nguyen Hoang Minh Thuan

Abstract


Beach handball is a rapidly developing, mixed-metabolic team sport that requires unique physical, technical, and tactical adaptations. Despite the sport's global expansion and imminent professionalization, current scientific literature lacks a comprehensive and standardized assessment framework for evaluating the sport-specific fitness and training levels of elite athletes. This review aims to systematize the theoretical and practical foundations of training level assessments in beach handball, identifying critical research gaps. A comprehensive analysis highlights the sport's high-intensity nature, driven by specific sand surface demands and a high frequency of critical two-point scoring actions. Findings reveal that while core physical components such as lower-limb power, speed, and change of direction ability are well-documented, there is a severe lack of multidimensional studies focusing on male national teams, particularly within the Asian and Southeast Asian demographics. Consequently, this review underscores the necessity of establishing sand-specific, position-differentiated assessment protocols and longitudinal tracking methodologies. Establishing normative values for the Asian context will bridge current scientific gaps and optimize long-term athlete development in beach handball.

Keywords


beach handball, training level assessment, sports performance, physical fitness, sand-specific training, Asian national teams

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejpe.v13i5.6908

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