– Grandmothers pay close attention to it – NRK Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule

– It is a name that gets noticed, perhaps especially among the older generations. Grandmothers notice it very well, says Henrik Ibsen with a sly smile to NRK.

You read that right. Henrik Ibsen. But not the Henrik Ibsen you have until now associated with the name.

Now it is a new Henrik Ibsen who will put Norway on the map.

– It’s a strong name, the parents have been good with him there, grins Sander Sagosen, Norway’s biggest handball profile.

– It obliges, the parents have put the list there when they christen him Henrik, assistant coach Stian Gomo Nilsen follows up.

Was not believed

The great talent is predicted to have a great future on the handball court. DThis season, 20-year-old Ibsen made his debut in the Champions League and the Rema 1000 League for league champions Kolstad. He plays on a daily basis in Charlottenlund in the 1st division, but has stayed with the league champion both in training and in matches.

Mamma Marte Ibsen says that the great talent’s name comes from her son’s Danish father.

– My husband is Danish and his name is Ibsen, and it’s like being called Hansen in Norway – very common. We were expecting twins, and when a boy arrived, we thought he must be called Henrik. He couldn’t be called anything else, she says.

And yes, people react to his name.

– You can imagine a school roll call, everyone looks around and wonders who it is, smiles Henrik Ibsen himself.

Because with the name of one of the big four, there will be a couple of special stories every now and then. For example, when the family visited the Hamsun center (named after Knut Hamsun).

– We had to register the family by name, and one person had to come forward. It was me, and I had to say Henrik Ibsen. Then I was not believed, and had to argue for it.

– Did you have to come with a passport, then?

– No, but it wasn’t far away.

– Not so much meat

Marte Ibsen says that her son – somewhat reluctantly – had to read up on his more famous namesake growing up. Then he probably discovered that older sister Nora also had a name with “Ibsen – swung”. Nora is the main character in the play “A Doll’s House”.

However, Marte Ibsen denies that she and her husband are particularly interested in the author.

– We are interested in literature, but when I have settled on a Dane and the surname is as it is, we had to make something fun out of it, she says.

But despite the name, and the fact that Ibsen is a junior player among the big names in Kolstad, the teammates have so far been kind.

– There hasn’t been much fuss about it. He probably has a bit to live up to at school, says Torbjørn Bergerud, first goalkeeper at both Kolstad and the national team.

– Hope he takes the elite series by storm

Despite the special and good-sounding name, Ibsen has already experienced more than most on the handball court as a 20-year-old. The highlight was the match against Pelister in the Champions League at the beginning of March, when he made his debut at the highest level in Europe.

Actually, Ibsen was not supposed to be there. He was in a video conference with Charlottenlund before an important match when a message ticked in on his phones. “Torbjørn (Bergerud, first goalkeeper in Kolstad, editor’s note) is still ill. You’re in,” the message said.

– Then it was just a matter of starting to prepare for something else, smiles Ibsen.

Ibsen saved a penalty, but conceded six goals apart from that.

– It’s really cool to say that you have saved a penalty in the Champions League, says Ibsen.

Next season, the handball goalkeeper will exchange Trondheim for Bergen to play in the elite series for Bergen handball.

– I hope he gets a lot of playing time, and takes the elite series by storm. I really hope he can take the step to the national team in the long term, says Sander Sagosen.

Ibsen already has three NM medals in the U20 class. The goal is to get back to Kolstad and establish himself in the national team.

– It is a goal you work towards. You also have to be a bit realistic, I can see how the level must be with Torbjørn and those guys there. If you work hard enough and perform well over time, it is possible, believes the protagonist himself.