By Duncan Mackay

World Handball Championships Madrid January 11 2013January 11 - Madrid's bid to host the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics has been given a boost after Hassan Moustafa, President of the International Handball Federation (IHF), claimed the sport's World Championships, which opened there tonight, would not be affected by Spain's economic crisis. 


Madrid 2020 officials are hoping to use the Championships, which is taking place across six cities in Spain, featuring 24 countries, will showcase their ability to host major events. 

They need a good tournament to help boost their Olympic campaign, which is being undermined by doubts over the country's ability to fund it. 

But Moustafa has no doubts that that they will stage a memorable event.

"Spain is affected by the financial crisis but the World Championship is not," he said.

"In several personal meetings with the Minister of Sports and the Presidents of the National Olympic Committee, the Royal Spanish Handball Federation and the Word Championships Organising Committee they confirmed that the crisis did not affect the event."

Spain won the opening match of the tournament tonight, beating Algeria 27-14 before a crowd of 7,500 in the Caja Mágica, which means Magic Box in English, including Crown Prince Felipe. 

Spain v Algeria World Handball Championships January 11 2013 2Spain's campaign in the World Handball Championships got off to a good start when they beat Algeria 27-14 in the opening match of the tournament

The venue, which is home to the Madrid ATP Masters tennis tournament, was a late replacement for the Madrid Arena, after a deadly stampede there last October left five young women dead. 

Prince Felipe, honorary chairman of the Organising Committee, watched from the official box, together with Spanish Olympic Committee President Alejandro Blanco.

The 17-day tournament will also see matches in Granollers, Guadalajara, Seville and Zaragoza with the final taking place at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona on January 27. 

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