Per Carlén, 63, is sick with cancer – one of Swedish handball’s greatest opens up about the illness

Per Carlén was one of the heroes in “Bengan Boys”.
A year ago, he sought care after having problems with his intestines.
Now Carlén tells us that he has been affected by cancer.

Per Carlén is one of Swedish handball’s greatest, and he was a given part of the national team that charmed the entire Swedish people, and which in the cabins was called “Bengan Boys”, after the legendary coach Bengan Johansson, who according to many is Sweden’s foremost leader through the times.

Has been affected by cancer

Carlén was during a period the one in the history of Swedish handball who had the most international matches played, and the most goals scored in the blue and yellow shirt. The middle six played for several of the big Swedish clubs, but during the late 80s and early 90s, Carlén was also in Spain, where he did well.

Carlén finished his career with a total of six championship medals, and after putting his shoes on the shelf, he continued in the service of handball with both coaching jobs and as an expert on television. But now the 63-year-old has been hit by a lead-heavy health report, writes TV4. Last spring, Carlén sought care after having problems with his intestines. It turned out to be cancer.

Physics may have saved him

However, TV4 writes that the prognosis for the cancer diagnosis was “gloomy” initially, but that the treatment seems to have had an unexpectedly good effect, and that it is due to Per’s good physical status. It is the first time that Carlén talked about his cancer diagnosis publicly.

On Friday morning, Carlén is on TV4’s Nyhetsmorgon, together with his friend and personal doctor, to talk about the diagnosis, the treatment and what awaits next. In total, there were 327 international matches and 1026 goals in the Swedish national team for one of our greatest players.