This year, Hallbybollen beat all previous records with a total of 395 registered teams from all corners of southern Sweden, from Ludvika down to Åhus. Together with leaders and coaches, this means that about 5,000 people gather in Jönköping for a packed handball weekend.

To be able to carry out the event, help from a lot of non-profit forces is needed - specifically 350 people. Together they will carry out 1,000 matches on 21 different plans at Elmia, Idrotthuset and Huskvarna.

- We have had the tournament for a long time and the club is all set to help. But it is clear: when there are so many teams, it is on the limit that it goes, says Jesper Laurin, a member of Hallby's cup committee.

But players, leaders and coaches are not enough. Parents also accompany Jönköping.

- Every hotel and hostel in town is fully booked over the weekend. It is therefore a big deal for Jönköping as a city, says Jesper Laurin.

Increased handball interest

Jesper Laurin believes that the handball interest is rising overall, not least in the Jönköping districts. With a men's team that recently joined the handball league and a women's team that advanced to the damall swan, the public interest has also increased a lot.

- In general, you can say that there is a new interest in handball in the whole village, he says.

And it doesn't stop at successful Jönköpings teams .... On Sunday, the cup's youngsters get to see the very national team play a training match before the European Championships. It is estimated that more than 7,000 people will be seated in front of the match played against Egypt.

- It is one of the things that makes our cup extra attractive for the children. But even the national team has previously expressed that it is special - it is not often they play a training international for such a large audience, says Jesper Laurin.

Introduces para handball

New for this year is a show class of para handball that will be played twice this weekend - a collaboration that is done together with the Swedish Handball Association.

- We have the ambition that next year we can have para handball as an ordinary class in the schedule, says Jesper Laurin.

He believes that the para handball interest has also increased.

- Svenska Handbollsförbundet helps associations start this type of business and they will be at Elmia this weekend and inform about how the associations can go about it, he says.

It is Hallby's own para handball team that will play the two matches this weekend where they meet Allingsås.