Meet Nicolas Bono, the Argentinian handball player expected to play in the Paris 2024 Olympics

"My dream was always to play for the national team, but I never imagined that we would qualify for the Olympics," said the Argentinian professional handball player Nicolas Bono to Global South World.

In November 2023, Argentina's national handball team, also known as Los Gladiadores, won the gold medal at the Pan American Games in Chile, securing their place at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Although the Olympic team roster will be announced later this year, Bono is already preparing.

Global South World spoke with him about how he is training to make this dream come true.

From a family passion to a European Premier League

Bono’s passion for handball has deep roots. His brothers, as well as his parents, all played handball.

"I’ve been playing handball since I was seven or eight years old," he told GSW.

It was at the age of 19 that Bono took his first big leap when he decided to move to Brazil to play for a year.

After some time in Argentina during the COVID-19 pandemic, he decided to fly even further and moved to Spain, where after a year, he managed to play in the Premier League.

Currently, the Argentinian athlete is playing his first season in France with JS Cherbourg. Recently, Bono has signed for Istres Provence Handball for next season.

"I think being away from home has many pros and cons. The pro is that I couldn't live 100% from handball in Argentina, and here in Europe, I can. The con is that you miss your family and friends a lot," Bono said.

The lessons of handball

Despite the difficulties, the handball player believes that living away from home to pursue his dream has taught him many lessons.

"Handball has taught me to grow as a person and to value things that maybe I didn't value before."

Bono also stated that thanks to handball, he has learned to step out of his comfort zone and to be perseverant and disciplined.

"Handball has taught me to have responsibility both on and off the court. I believe that an athlete must be disciplined and have responsibility in daily life above all. Otherwise, it is very difficult to perform well in training and matches," he explained.

A promising handball player

Bono’s dreams are not limited to the Olympic Games. At 26 years old, he is a promising handball player in France. He explained that his nearest goal is to play in the French Premier League, which he describes as one of the best in the world.

Despite pursuing a career away from home, he insisted that playing for Los Gladiadores always fills him with excitement.

"Representing Argentina is the greatest thing for me. Every time the anthem is played, you get excited," he said.

And although his goal has always been to compete for his country in the Olympics, he admitted that he never imagined what is happening today.

"I think that playing in the Olympics would be the best thing that could happen in my career."

While he awaits the official list of players travelling to Paris, Bono is giving his all to secure a spot.

"Here in France, we are preparing rigorously for the entire season. And that helps me prepare for the Olympics. We have a very, very tough week of work. We go to the gym, train on the court, play a match on Fridays or Saturdays... So, I think it's something that comes naturally. I'm focusing on day-to-day preparation, and that helps me prepare in the best way," he explained.

We asked the Argentinian player who his most feared opponent would be if he joined Los Gladiadores in July.

"If I were to fear any team in the Olympics, I think it would be France or Germany. But if we want to achieve important things in Argentina, we shouldn't be afraid of anything and play every game as if we could win," he concluded.