International Handball Federation Explained

International Handball Federation
Logosize:190px
Othersport1:Beach handball
Othersport2:Wheelchair handball
Historytitle:History
Preceding Organisations:International Amateur Athletic Federation

International Amateur Handball Federation
Demographicstitle:Demographics
Membership Size:209 members
Affiliationstitle:Affiliations
Other Aff1:International Olympic Committee
Other Aff2:Association of Summer Olympic International Federations
Electedtitle:Governance
Board Type:Honorary president
Board1:Erwin Lanc
Sectitle:Headquarters
Address1:Peter Merian-Strasse 23, P.O. Box CH-4002, Basel
Country:Switzerland
Staff Pos1:General director
Staff Name1:Amal Khalifa
Staff Pos2:Official language(s)
Staff Name2:English, French and German
Staff Pos3:Main organ
Staff Name3:IHF Congress
IHF Council
Financetitle:Finance
Company Status:Active
Operating Income: CHF 7.24 million or US$ 7.84 million (in 2022)
CHF 2.10 million or US$ 2.28 million (in 2023)
Sponsors:Gerflor
Hummel International
Sportfive
Molten Corporation
Regionstitle:Regions
Region1:Africa
Region2:Asia
Region3:Europe
Region4:North America and Caribbean
Region5:Oceania
Region6:South and Central America
Url:ihf.info

The International Handball Federation (IHF) is the administrative and controlling body for handball and beach handball.[1] IHF is responsible for the organisation of handball's major international tournaments, notably the IHF World Men's Handball Championship, which commenced in 1938, and the IHF World Women's Handball Championship, which commenced in 1957.

IHF was founded in 1946 to oversee international competitions. Headquartered in Basel, its membership now comprises 209 national federations. Each member country must each also be a member of one of the six regional confederations: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and Caribbean, Oceania, and South and Central America. Hassan Moustafa from Egypt has been President of the IHF since 26 November 2000.

History

The IHF was founded on 12 July 1946, in Palace Hotel in Copenhagen (Denmark) by representatives of eight national federations. The founding members were Denmark, Finland, France, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, and Switzerland. The first president of IHF was Gösta Björk from Sweden.[2] Björk was replaced in 1950 by Hans Baumann from Switzerland. In 1954, the first IHF Men's World Championship, was conducted under the aegis of the IHF, in Sweden with the participation of six national teams. In 1957, the first IHF World Women's Handball Championship was held in SFR Yugoslavia with the participation of nine national teams. Handball was included in the Olympic Games for the first time under the auspices of IHF in Munich 1972 (men's tournament) and Montreal 1976 (women's tournament).

Structure

Laws and governance

IHF is headquartered in Basel, and is a federation established under the Law of Switzerland.IHF's supreme body is the IHF Congress, an assembly made up of representatives from each affiliated member association. Each national handball association has one vote, regardless of its size or handballing strength. The Congress assembles in ordinary session once in two years (odd years) after the IHF World Men's Handball Championship. The congress makes decisions relating to IHF's governing statutes and their method of implementation and application. Only the Congress can pass changes to IHF's statutes. The congress approves the annual report, and decides on the acceptance of new national associations and holds elections. Congress elects the President of IHF, its General Secretary, and the other members of the IHF Council. IHF's Council, chaired by the President, is the main decision-making body of the organisation in the intervals of Congress. The Council is composed of 18 people: the President, 5 Vice Presidents, and 12 members. The Council is the body that decides which country will host the World Championship.The President and General Secretary are the main officeholders of IHF, and are in charge of its daily administration, carried out by the General Secretariat. Hassan Moustafa is the current president, appointed in the year 2000 at the 28th Ordinary IHF Congress.

Six confederations and 209 national associations

The IHF is composed of six continental federations which organize continental championships held every other second year: African Handball Confederation, Asian Handball Federation, European Handball Federation, North America and the Caribbean Handball Confederation, Oceania Continent Handball Federation, and South and Central America Handball Confederation. In addition to continental competitions between national teams, the federations arrange international tournaments between club teams.[3]

Until 2017, there were five continental confederations. On 14 January 2018, the IHF Council divided the Pan-American Confederation into the North America and the Caribbean Handball Confederation and the South and Central America Handball Confederation. The authority to divide a continental confederation was assigned to the IHF Congress, but the 36th IHF Congress in 2017 authorized the IHF Council to divide the Pan-American Team Handball Federation.[4]

IHF presidents

No.NameCountryTerm
1.Gösta Björk11 July 1946 – 9 September 1950
2.Hans Baumann†9 September 1950 – 9 February 1971
InterimPaul Högberg9 February 1971 – 23 August 1972
3.Paul Högberg23 August 1972 – 25 July 1984
4.Erwin Lanc25 July 1984 – 26 November 2000
5.Hassan Moustafa26 November 2000 – present

† Hans Baumann died in office on 9 February 1971 due to illness.

IHF Executive committee

The following is the IHF Executive Committee for the term 2021 — 2025.

Designation Name
President Hassan Moustafa
1st Vice-president Joël Delplanque
Treasurer Anna Rapp
Executive members
František Táborský
Managing director Amal Khalifa

IHF Council

See main article: article and IHF Council. The IHF Council is the IHF's main decision-making body between meetings of the IHF Congress. It is currently serving a 2021—2025 term.

IHF commissions

CommissionChairperson
IHF Commission of Organising and Competitions Per Bertelsen
IHF Playing Rules and Referees Commission Per Morten Sødal
IHF Commission of Coaching and Methods Dietrich Späte
IHF Medical CommissionTBD
IHF Commission for Development Tomislav Grahovac
IHF Athletes' Commission Karolina Kudłacz-Gloc
IHF Arbitration Commission Lovro Badzim
IHF Arbitration Tribunal Zoran Radojičić
IHF Ethics Commission Hussein Moustafa Fathy

IHF tournaments

Handball
Beach handball
Wheelchair handball
Club handball
Multi-sport events

Title holders

International title holders

CompetitionMen's ChampionWomen's Champion
World Cup (2023) (3) (2023) (3)
Handball Olympic Tournament (2020) (3*) (2020) (1)
Emerging Nations Championship (2023) (1)—
Junior World Championship (2023) (3) (2022) (2)
Youth World Championship (2023) (1) (2022) (1)
Handball Youth Olympic Tournament (2014) (1*) (2014) (1*)
IHF Inter-Continental Trophy (2023) (1*) (2017) (2)
Club World Cup SC Magdeburg (2023) (3) 1º de Agosto (2019) (1*)
Beach Handball World Championship (2022) (3) (2022) (1)
Youth Beach Handball World Championship (2022) (1*) (2022) (1*)

Continental title holders

AfricaAsiaEuropeOceaniaPan-America
Senior Men's (2024) (9) (2024) (6) (2024) (4) (2014) (8*) (2018) (7)
Senior Women's (2022) (15*) (2022) (16*) (2022) (9*) (2016) (7*) (2017) (10*)
Men's Continental Games (2019) (1) (2022) (3)— (2006) (2*) (2023) (3*)
Women's Continental Games (2019) (7*) (2022) (1)— (2007) (1*) (2023) (7*)
Junior Men's (2022) (13*) (2022) (1) (2022) (3) (2022) (5*) (2017) (6*)
Junior Women's (2023) (11*) (2023) (16*) (2023) (3) (2023) (2*) (2018) (9*)
Youth Boys (2022) (7*) (2022) (3*) (2022) (2) (2022) (2*) (2017) (8*)
Youth Girls (2023) (5*) (2023) (1) (2023) (2) (2023) (3*) (2018) (12*)
Boys' Continental Youth Games— (2013) (1*) (2023) (3*)——
Girls' Continental Youth Games— (2013) (1*) (2023) (2)——
Men's Club Al-Zamalek SC (2019) (12*) Al-Kuwait SC (2022) (1) SC Magdeburg (2022–23) (4) University of Queensland (2023) (1) H. Taubaté (2018) (5*)
Women's Club 1º de Agosto (2019) (6) Kaysar Club (2019) (2*) Vipers Kristiansand (2022–23) (3) University of Technology Sydney (2023) (1) EC Pinheiros (2017) (1*)
Men's Beach Handball— (2022) (1) (2023) (1) (2022) (1) (2018) (7*)
Women's Beach Handball— (2022) (1) (2023) (3*) (2022) (5*) (2018) (4*)
Men's Youth Beach Handball— (2022) (1*) (2021) (2017) (1*) (2017) (1*)
Women's Youth Beach Handball— (2022) (1*) (2021) (2017) (1*) (2017) (1*)

Member federations

Category A
Category B
Category C

Associated members

Regional members

IHF Awards

The IHF issues awards to organisations and individuals in recognition of their particular contribution to developing the sport of handball and the IHF.

These awards are:

IHF partners

Type Partner
Official sportswearHummel International
Host broadcaster Sportfive
Official ball supplierMolten Corporation
Official floor supplierGerflor

Notes and References

  1. Krieger. Jörg. Duckworth. Austin. 2021. Annexation or fertile inclusion? The origins of handball's international organisational structures. Sport in History. 42 . 2 . 235–256 . 10.1080/17460263.2021.1927810. 236363980 . 1746-0263.
  2. Web site: IHF | the International Handball Federation – Timeline of Milestones .
  3. Web site: Bylaws. September 2007. International Handball Federation. 7. 2 February 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20200801121344/https://archive.ihf.info/upload/Manual/IHF_STATUTS_CHAP_01_GB.pdf. 1 August 2020. live.
  4. News: IHF statement related to Pan-American continent . IHF . 19 January 2018 .

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