Martin Ødegaard drum handover to King Haakon Norway national team celebration, Digi Mart USA News: Former Crown Prince Haakon was reportedly given the job of drumming when the Norwegian national team rowed on the Slottsplassen in Oslo this summer, according to Jan Åge Fjørtoft, who made the claim at a recent seminar hosted by the Norwegian Elite Sports Academy (NTG) on Monday.
The moment became a historic one, with King Haakon standing behind the drumbeats while the squad sat on the steps and rowed in the capital, surrounded by tens of thousands of cheering people. Fjørtoft described it as a wonderful story that illustrates the whole summer, though he declined to say more to NRK beyond what he said at the seminar.
According to Fjørtoft, coach Ståle Solbakken, Martin Ødegaard and Haakon had a conversation when they walked out onto the Slottsplassen. He said Ødegaard told the head coach that he should do it, and Solbakken replied that he did not want to.
Ødegaard then reportedly told Haakon, “Then you can do it.” Fjørtoft did not say who his source was, though he is known to have a good relationship with all three.
When NRK asked Solbakken whether he refused to play the drum, he partly confirmed the account. “Refuse was perhaps too strong a word, but I walked alongside the then-crown prince and now king, and then I should do it?
I think that would be wrong,” he said. Asked whether Ødegaard decided that King Haakon should do it, Solbakken said he did not know, adding that he was in any case excused and did not remember.
Solbakken said he was tired of talking about the World Cup and urged the team to focus on its next match. Norway plays Wales in the Nations League on Saturday at 6:00 p.m.
The celebration took place on July 13, when the then-crown prince struck the drum and led the squad as they were honored after their World Cup success. During the tournament itself, Ødegaard had drumming duties after the win over Senegal, when the team first sat down to row.
Captain Ødegaard had the same task after the round-of-16 win over Ivory Coast, and Erling Braut Haaland took over the drumming after Brazil was beaten 2–1, with two goals from Haaland. Ødegaard passed Haaland the drumsticks.
An estimated 90,000 to 100,000 people reportedly took part in the celebration.
Shortly before, the players had been received at the Royal Palace, where they met then-King Harald, Crown Prince Haakon, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus.
