Jamina Roberts: “I play better when I am angry”

However, for the leader that Roberts is, no challenge is unsurpassable. Watching the most capped player in Sweden's history play live, one can say that her strong character echoes through her unique style of play. Roberts plays with a different kind of temper, passion and even anger in comparison to most other players, as the Swede agrees: “I play better when I'm angry and I have to be a little bit angry to perform well, and I think that's the thing that makes me good.”

The former EHF Champions League winner from 2022/23 with Vipers Kristiansand admits that the current season has been atypical and even turbulent.

“It's been strange and I think maybe it has affected me more than I first thought,” she says.

“I had a really good time at Vipers Kristiansand, and I still really miss it actually, but we had no choice in the end. I had to leave, and I believe that I have found a good and stable club now, but it's been a hell of a ride. Definitely a tough year also with the Paris 2024 Olympics, with all the championships and in the middle of this, you have to deal with bankruptcy too. It's been a lot."

After scoring 34 goals in the EHF's top-tier club competition during the first half of the season, the Swede had to find a new club in January due to Vipers declaring bankruptcy, and Ikast came calling.

“When they came on board, it was pretty easy, but before that, it's not really motivating to be in that situation. Right after the Women's EHF EURO 2024, you are tired, old and I thought: 'Should I just take a break and go again next season?', but when Ikast came in, it felt right and it was also a good solution for us as a family,” explains Roberts.

It is fair to say the experienced left back fitted like a hand in a glove into Søren Hansen's squad. She has already scored 27 goals for the Danish club in the EHF European League and is averaging five goals per match in the competition. Subsequently, it was not a surprise to see Ikast offer Roberts a new deal and now she will stay in Denmark at least until 2027.

“I think it's been going pretty fast and pretty good. We haven't had so many players over these last few months. I had to play a lot and that helped me and the adaptation went quicker in one way and it's been good,” says Roberts.

The expectations have been high for the Swede considering her impressive career, but she has lived up to the hype and immediately became a key player.

When asked about how she has coped with the pressure and expectations throughout her career, she reveals: “I have my own expectations and then I put enough pressure on myself and I think that's enough. That motivates me to also play good because I just hate to be bad. Not that I'm good all the time, but I really don't think it's fun to play when I play bad.”

The EHF European League 2022/23 winners were earmarked as the favourites in the EHF's second-tier club competition ahead of the start of the group phase this season and the Danish club thrived in probably the most difficult group B. But surprisingly enough, Roberts has never played in the competition before.

“I haven't played in the EHF European League before actually as when I played in the Women's EHF Cup, it was just a cup, not with a final four. I think we have a good chance and it's the goal of the club to be on top of this tournament. It would be really nice to win the trophy,” adds Roberts.

Ikast secured a place at the EHF Finals 2025 in Graz after a hard-fought battle with H.C. Dunarea Braila in the quarter-finals where Hansen’s squad displayed an impressive performance in Romania, but Roberts is confident that the best is yet to come.

“I think we can play better, but due to the circumstances that was our best game. We were only three back players of which one had a broken nose. I think it was a really good performance, just amazing,” she says of the second leg. Ikast lost that match 30:29, but it was still just enough to advance to the EHF Finals thanks to their 61:60 aggregate win.

The draw decided that Ikast would be paired with HSG Blomberg-Lippe in the semi-finals in Graz. Roberts accepts the role of favourites ahead of the match, although she admits that the German club will pose a tricky challenge.

"If we are favourites, I don't think it's because of the experience from before because it's another squad now, but I think we have a good chance. I haven't seen them properly yet, but I think there's a lot of players there that I haven't met before and that's always a little bit tricky.

“It can be hard because you have to really have a good set of tactics to go through all the new systems that you haven't seen before. But I think that we should win and if you see us as our favourites, I agree," admits Roberts.

Roberts is one of a number of current Ikast players who were not part of the 2022/23 winning squad, and as the flamboyant left back is a born winner, she would like to add to her trophy cabinet.

"I would like to win it now as I haven't won that trophy and it would be nice and this kind of experience ignites some kind of inner motivation within me," says Roberts.

Despite all the accolades won both on an individual and team level, Roberts is still hungry for success as she dreams of winning more medals with Sweden and of playing in the EHF FINAL4 Women again.

"My goal would be to win something with the national team, although I think the gold medals may be quite a bit far away, but to receive a medal with the national team’s squad that we are now.

“And I'm also envious of playing in one big final in the EHF Champions League as well. It was a really good memory I have when we were there with Vipers Kristiansand and it would be a dream to go there again,” finishes Roberts.

Photos © Sorin Pana, Hamilstolen.dk