Vasconcelos pleased with GB progress

The side won one of their three Group B fixtures and will now compete for ninth place, as they failed to qualify for the top tier of the competition.

On Wednesday, GB looked as if they might get the better of Luxembourg with a second-half goal surge, but were eventually defeated 30-37.

The Brits have suffered from slow starts in their games this week, but did secure one victory, beating Malta 24-18 in their opening match, before losing 34-26 to Georgia on Tuesday.

After a string of injuries, many players have had the chance to impress on their GB debut, with Brian Lindsay, the top scorer against Malta with ten goals, adding another four to his tally against Luxembourg.

After having their funding withdrawn in 2012, GB Handball were not at the Olympics in Rio, but Vasconcelos is grateful for the opportunity to take on top sides in Bulgaria.

He said: "We came to the tournament to develop and, as the results show, we ended up in the perfect group for this with all the teams very competitive.

"We are satisfied with the boys, their efforts and their willingness to develop.

"We are looking forward to carrying-on our work and to getting the best possible finish in this tournament."

Sportsbeat 2017