Patrick Wiencek: After Kielce and Berlin, I actually have mixed feelings. We weren't able to reward ourselves for a fantastic match in Kielce, and shortly afterwards there was the clear defeat in Berlin – regardless of the circumstances. I would have liked to have scored a few more points in the two major matches, even though we've been struggling with a lot of injuries this season. But that shouldn’t be an excuse, because at the end of the day, we are THW Kiel.

None of the ones at the top, actually. I expected exactly the teams that are at the top right now to be at the top. That said, the first few weeks have shown that it could be the most exciting season we’ve seen in years. Besides the “usual suspects” at the top – which has long included Füchse Berlin and, once again, Rhein-Neckar Lions – two other teams, Hanover and Erlangen, are also in a very strong position right now. For outsiders, the surprise team could be the newly promoted VfL Gummersbach. As a former player of the club, I know how hard they work under coach Gudjon Valur Sigurdsson, who also played in Kiel.

Integrating new players is an ongoing process, which wasn’t exactly made easier on the field as so many players had to miss the first few matches. But within the team, everyone has settled in. We’ve got a great team that we’ll continue to have lots of fun with in the future. 

Of course – even if I don’t think about it specifically during the match. But it’s a wonderful reward at the end of a successful match to know that you’ve not only helped your team, but together with ORLEN, you’ve also helped very ill children.

We’ve made many personal contacts over the many years that we’ve been doing this, which has made this project a real labour of love. The idea is and remains a great one, and the commitment shown by Orlen is impressive. Of course, it’s a wonderful feeling when you see what’s been built at UKSH with the donated funds. To see the training areas and experience the gratitude of the people working to improve the lives of the children, is just fantastic. And to experience the children’s enthusiasm when they use the equipment is simply overwhelming.

A season is long – I rarely make predictions. But that’s my personal goal, and so far it’s looking pretty good (Editor’s note:  At the time of the interview, the total was 32 goals after seven Bundesliga matches).

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This season, the sponsor ORLEN Deutschland GmbH has once again committed to donating €100 to the Paediatric Oncology Unit of the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein for every goal scored by Patrick Wiencek. Donations from the Elmshorn-based company, which has also been the main and jersey sponsor of THW Kiel since 2016, are used to support the University Hospital’s sports and exercise programme. In the past, for example, it has financed the facilities for the fitness and equipment training rooms. The aim is to provide young patients with a playful escape – filled with mobility and activity – from everyday hospital life. Total donations over the duration of the sponsorship now amount to €93,111.

In addition, the player sponsorship will be extended to include the four new junior THW players,  Ben Connar Battermann, Luca Schwormstede, Henri Pabst and Philip Saggau (goalkeeper). Their goal-scoring success for the team will also count and be rewarded with €100 each. As the official partner of the THW youth programme, ORLEN Deutschland is thus emphasising it’s commitment to the youth and junior player division of the Kiel-based club. The aim is to support and promote talented players on their path to professional sport.