Mexico reduces gap to four from ten against Chile

Mexico managed to reduce a ten-goal distance to four against their counterparts from Chile in their debut in the Pan-American Handball Championship held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The team led by Ángel Rojas contained the Andean team in several offensive series and flirted with the draw; in the end, the South Americans took the victory.

"Save by Bruno Kleinert, one of the important pieces of the Mexican team, we said it from the first half," said the commentator of the match after a good intervention by the Mexican goalkeeper in the penalty shootout.

Although Mexico's performance has not been the best in this tournament, the experience of competing against the top powers is shaping a young team that seeks to gain experience with the best.

The figure of Bruno Kleinert stands out, a 23-year-old young man who, along with Patrick Wiedekamp and Sergio Vega, emerged from the Alexander von Humboldt German School, a historic talent developer in national handball, a sport that is uncommon in the country and lacks support and projection from authorities.

"There is a tradition of handball in my family, my dad played it for a long time and he was the one who initially encouraged me to start playing," Bruno tells La Afición about his romance with this sport from the concentration of the Mexican team in Buenos Aires.

Kleinert enjoys each save as if it were the last – "it leaves me with an impressive feeling" – he has earned the respect of the local fans and his opponents, but to earn a spot in the Mexican team, he had to sweat a lot.

During his childhood, the goalkeeper remembers himself as a chubby boy who struggled to discipline himself in physical activity and even raised doubts among his closest circle.

"I loved football when I was a kid, but my dad told me that I wasn't made for it, that I wasn't very fast or agile, and it really demotivated me. Everything happens for a reason and now we are here, giving it our all," he shared.

Inspired by Silvio Heinevetter, goalkeeper of the German national team, Bruno recounts how he developed himself to become the athlete who now represents Mexico.

"I recently read an article about the goalkeeper of the German national team who was also a revelation in the last European Championship, and he also said that he was chubby in elementary school, a shy kid who became the phenomenon he is now."

"Sports helped me a lot to start developing and growing this passion and motivate myself a lot because before, when I was a child, I didn't have much motivation for sports," he admitted.

Today, aware of the work he has done in the goal of the Mexican team, the young goalkeeper fondly remembers those times, which motivate him to continue forging a career in this sport: "These things give me a lot of satisfaction, I really enjoy remembering those times, and it motivates me a lot."

Ángel Rojas is the coach of the national team and also trains the young players at the German School. He has been in charge of Bruno's development for several years and admits that the goalkeeper has provided him with an unexpected satisfaction.

"(Bruno) has been a revelation because we have a Cuban physical trainer and goalkeeper coach who, at the beginning, didn't have much faith in him," confessed the coach.

Rojas pointed out that after his first performances, Bruno has attracted attention in the Pan-American Championship, so he hopes that he can continue this good form to achieve greater personal challenges.

"He is doing something important, people are asking about him, so I think it's very important for him and significant for his life," emphasized the head coach.