Poland lost 29-24 to Germany in the final of the men's handball world championship on Sunday in Cologne.

The Poles, who never came so far in the competition before, were behind 13-17 by halftime.

Polish president Lech Kaczynski, in Germany specially for the game, said before the match that he had "deep faith" in the Poles' success.

Asked if Poland's victory would harm Polish-German relations, Kaczynski said he was "convinced" this would not happen, the PAP news agency reported.

Kaczynski watched the game together with German president Horst Koehler.

(Xinhua News Agency February 5, 2007)