A warm-up shot by Swiss handball player Basil Zeltner, posted to TikTok by @zeltnersports, comes as his former club, HSC Kreuzlingen, recently announced its voluntary withdrawal from the Quickline Handball League, the highest level of Swiss handball.
The announcement, made the evening before the first playoff game against BSV Bern, was described by Zeltner in a LinkedIn post as a “shock.” He detailed the emotional difficulty of preparing for the playoff series while simultaneously confronting the team’s impending departure from the league. Zeltner noted the team continued to compete, ultimately losing to BSV Bern, who advanced to the semi-finals.
Zeltner, a field player who throws with his right hand, joined HSC Kreuzlingen in 2000. His 2024 season was significantly impacted by injury, including a knee operation and a syndesmosis tear, limiting his playing time to 7 of 33 possible matches. He recovered to participate in the 2025 season and had been anticipating the next.
The reasons for HSC Kreuzlingen’s withdrawal have not been publicly detailed by the club. Daniel Weber commented on Zeltner’s LinkedIn post, expressing regret for the players who had “achieved a lot sportingly in the last 3 years.”
HSC Kreuzlingen recently announced the signing of a 1.96-meter, 95-kilogram Italian backcourt player, but the timing of this acquisition relative to the team’s withdrawal remains unclear. Zeltner’s future plans are currently undefined.
