Scandal at the Handball World Cup: Biting attack causes a stir – players with bizarre justification

Handball World Cup

The sports world has seen a few bite attacks. Because even though it’s illegal in all sports – even MMA fights – there are times when someone’s fuse blows.

Football fans think of the Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez, who was caught biting his opponents several times during his career. Boxing legend Mike Tyson is responsible for what is probably the most famous bite in sports history. In 1997 he bit off a piece of the ear of his opponent Evander Holyfield.

Evander Holyfield grimaces after Mike Tyson bit his ear.Image: dpa / Jeff Haynes

Now handball also has its biting scandal – and a Lübeck player is responsible for it.

At the Handball World Championship, which is currently taking place in Poland and Sweden, there was a scandal in the main round duel between the USA and Bahrain on Thursday. The American Paul Skorupa, who plays for the German second division club VfL Lübeck-Schwartau, was sent off in the 40th minute for biting an opponent.

Skorupa bites opponents bloody

He was too aggressive in defense when he was 19:21 behind and bit Bahrain’s Husain al-Sayyad in the arm. The bloody prints in his arm and the video evidence, which the referee then tried, convicted Skorupa.

The circle runner, who was born in Düsseldorf, saw the blue card in addition to the red card with which he was sent off the field. This means that the 23-year-old faces further disciplinary action.

Handball commentators are stunned by the bite

The action caused great astonishment for the American sports commentator responsible for the game. “I’ve never seen that,” he said, according to the news portal “Focus” amazed at Skorupa’s bite attack.

The German commentator duo Finn-Ole Martins and Ina Großmann also reacted in disbelief after seeing the repetition. “Look, he didn’t check the deodorant. He bit him! That’s unbelievable,” said Finn-Ole Martins to his colleague.

Skorupa protests his innocence

In the meantime, the player himself has commented on the explosive situation. “The TV pictures of the scene look very unfortunate. But I would like to assure you that I did not bite my opponent,” Skorupa reported on the Instagram account of his club VfL Lübeck-Schwartau.

He further writes: “I used my chin to force his throwing arm down and prevent a pass.”

Everyone should judge for themselves what to think of this reasoning. The contentious scene can be here on the Sportdeutschland TV YouTube channel.