Ahead of the World Handball Championship in Egypt, stars such as Lukas Nilsson, Niclas Ekberg and Linus Arnesson declined to play for the national team due to the corona pandemic.

For Ekberg, it was about the fact that the situation for his wife and two children down in Germany would have been unsustainable during the current pandemic if he was at the same time away with the national team for over a month.

- Both me and my family have been very determined that I would be on the national team before, but as the circumstances have been, this was the best decision for our family, says Ekberg.

Now the Kiel player is back in the national team again.

Ekberg is the only player of those who turned down the World Cup game that was taken out again by the national team captain Glenn Solberg.

On Tuesday, European Championship qualifiers await against Montenegro in Lund and this weekend the Olympic qualifiers will be played in Berlin against Germany, Algeria and Slovenia.

- I hope that I can contribute with a lot of routine and the qualities I am good at.

I have joined the national team again because I apparently have good qualities, says Ekberg.

Missed the 2016 Olympics

Ekberg was present when Sweden won Olympic silver in London in 2012, but missed the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 due to injury.

To be able to play another Olympics in his career is a real driving force to continue in the national team, he says.

- The London Olympics was a fantastic experience for me and to fall so snobbishly on the finish line before the Rio Olympics ... Another Olympics would have been a very big dream come true.

In fact, it was Ekberg who saved the Olympic place in 2016. With five seconds left to play the last qualifying match against Spain in Malmö arena, the right six set the penalty that fixed the Olympic ticket.

If the same situation reappears on Sunday against Slovenia, Ekberg will step forward again.

- No, I never punish bangs for taking.

If the coach chooses me to shoot, I will happily shoot.

CLIP: See the highlights from Sweden's World Cup quarterfinals (January 27)

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Sweden is on to the World Cup semi-final Photo: Bildbyrån