Handball: Russian handball has no future: coach

By Tom Pilcher

LONDON (Reuters) - Evgeny Trefilov patrolled the sidelines like a pantomime villain during Russia's quarter-final loss to South Korea and the coach was brutal about his team afterwards, saying the sport had no future in his country.

"There's no future for Russian handball. If my resignation will help I will go now. But it won't help," Trefilov told reporters through an interpreter following the Beijing silver-medallists' 24-23 defeat.

"There's no talent at youth level, no one to look out for. The Russian first division is basically full of children," he added. The woes of the Russian team contrasts with the three Olympic titles won by the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 80s.

"There's no one to replace the veterans," Trefilov said in reference to 33-year-old Liudmila Bodnieva and 32-year-old goalkeeper Maria Sidorova.

"My resignation would not help the crisis that is deepening in Russian handball."

Trefilov was roundly booed during the game by the crowd at London's Copper Box as he constantly berated his players, even when they scored.

Brandishing a time-out card like a cutlass he was also livid at the lack of yellow cards shown for play-acting, something teams had been promised would be punished.

"If you're play-acting you are taking a break. I got a yellow card. Sure the referee is always right, but did the South Korean player get a card? No she did not," he growled.

(Edited by Michael Holden)