Sterbinszky Amália Kézilabdacsarnok

The Sterbinszky Amália Kézilabdacsarnok is a relatively young building that opened its doors in 2019 after a long period of renovation that began years earlier.

It is a place that has lived through a transformation. Before that, it was known simply by the name of its long-time tenant, the Vasas SC kézilabdacsarnok. The change came with a dedication to Amália Sterbinszky, a player who wore the club’s colours for nearly a decade in the 1970s and 80s. The renaming was a way to anchor the new structure in the history of the hall it replaced.

Inside, the atmosphere is specific to handball. The capacity is modest, holding 600 people, which keeps the noise contained and the players within earshot. It is not a cathedral for football, but a workshop for the sport. The wooden floor is the centre of gravity here. On some weekends, the women’s team takes the court to fight in the Női NB I. On others, the space belongs to the youth sides or visiting national squads preparing for qualifiers.

The arena also serves a different purpose later in the week. It hosts teqball competitions, including the World Series event that drew players from across the continent in 2024. There is a certain versatility to the space; the same lines that mark a handball penalty zone can be adapted for a rally game. It is a practical venue, one that does not pretend to be anything more than a hall for sport, yet it carries the weight of the city’s sporting past in its walls.