Bánhidi has dealt with several injuries in his career, including problems with his spine, but nothing discouraged him. Due to his commitment to the sport, he can still talk about his position with incredible enthusiasm.
“The life of line players is terribly hard. Often two or three people pick on them, but I enjoy it. Off the court, I consider myself a good boy, but on the court I always have a bit of a badass in me. You cannot assert yourself without it, otherwise you will be oppressed. We, line players, give and get slaps at the same time.
“A good line player is not only agile — he also has to be able to close well. Considering physical strength, ours is the deadliest post. At the same time, you have to adapt to modern, fast handball. You have to be able to keep up with the pace, especially when you play in defence, and for 50 minutes you perform your task either in front of the opponent's goal or in front of your own goal,” says Bánhidi, who has won the Hungarian championship three times with Szeged.
“We typically have to communicate with the centre back, a relationship that has worked well between Dean Bombac and myself for many years. Since I am also on the field as a defender, obviously I share my thoughts with my defender mate during the match, not to mention that, as a team captain, I have extra duties. For example, if I see that the tactics are not being implemented, I say so. And I communicate with the referee if the situation requires it.”
Bánhidi adds that he never wanted to be like anyone — he had no role models. But he liked the style of the late Marian Cozma from Veszprém, who died in tragic circumstances in 2009. He also tried to learn a few things from Spanish legend Julen Aguinagalde.
“I'm 29 years old, but I'm still learning a lot. Our new coach, Michael Apelgren, who arrived before the 2024/25 season, and Jonas Källman, the former Szeged legend, mix the characteristics of the Scandinavian handball school with the Spanish style. Our style has changed, and I believe that something very good can come out of this in the long term," concludes Bánhidi.
October 2024
main image © Eliza Sólya