International Handball Federation

International Handball Federation
SportHandball
Other sports
Official websiteihf.info
History
Preceding organisationsInternational Amateur Athletic Federation
(1926–1928)
International Amateur Handball Federation
(1928–1946)
Year of formation12 July 1946; 78 years ago (1946-07-12)
Demographics
Membership size209 members
Affiliations
Other affiliation(s)
Governance
PresidentHassan Moustafa
Honorary president
Headquarters
Address
  • Peter Merian-Strasse 23, P.O. Box CH-4002, Basel
CountrySwitzerland
General directorAmal Khalifa
Official language(s)English, French and German
Main organIHF Congress
IHF Council
Finance
Company statusActive
Operating incomeIncrease CHF 7.24 million or US$ 7.84 million (in 2022)
Increase CHF 2.10 million or US$ 2.28 million (in 2023)
SponsorsGerflor
Hummel International
Sportfive
Molten Corporation
Regions

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

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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

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Laws and governance

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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

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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

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No. Name Country Term
1. Gösta Björk  Sweden 11 July 1946 – 9 September 1950
2. Hans Baumann†  Switzerland 9 September 1950 – 9 February 1971
Interim Paul Högberg  Sweden 9 February 1971 – 23 August 1972
3. Paul Högberg  Sweden 23 August 1972 – 25 July 1984
4. Erwin Lanc  Austria 25 July 1984 – 26 November 2000
5. Hassan Moustafa  Egypt 26 November 2000 – present

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

IHF Executive committee

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

Designation Name
President Egypt Hassan Moustafa
1st Vice-president France Joël Delplanque
Treasurer Sweden Anna Rapp
Executive members Romania Narcisa Lecușanu
Czech Republic František Táborský
Managing director Egypt Amal Khalifa

IHF Council

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Main article: 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

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IHF Commission of Coaching and Methods Germany Dietrich Späte
IHF Medical Commission TBD
IHF Commission for Development Croatia Tomislav Grahovac
IHF Athletes' Commission Poland Karolina Kudłacz-Gloc
IHF Arbitration Commission Croatia Lovro Badzim
IHF Arbitration Tribunal Montenegro Zoran Radojičić
IHF Ethics Commission Egypt Hussein Moustafa Fathy
  • Italics means Acting Chairperson

IHF tournaments

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Handball
Beach handball
Wheelchair handball
Club handball
Multi-sport events

Title holders

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International title holders

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Competition Men's Champion Women's Champion
World Cup  Denmark (2023) (3)  France (2023) (3)
Handball Olympic Tournament  Denmark (2024) (2)  Norway (2024) (3*)
Emerging Nations Championship  Cuba (2023) (1) —
Junior World Championship  Germany (2023) (3)  France (2024) (1)
Youth World Championship  Spain (2023) (1)  Spain (2024) (1)
Handball Youth Olympic Tournament  Spain (2018) (1*)  Argentina (2018) (1*)
Club World Cup Germany SC Magdeburg (2023) (3) —
Beach Handball World Championship  Croatia (2022) (3)  Germany (2022) (1)
Youth Beach Handball World Championship  Croatia (2022) (1*)  Spain (2022) (1*)

Continental title holders

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Africa Asia Europe Oceania Pan-America
Senior Men's  Egypt (2024) (9)  Qatar (2024) (6)  France (2024) (4)  Australia (2014) (8*)  Argentina (2018) (7)
Senior Women's  Angola (2022) (15*)  South Korea (2022) (16*)  Norway (2022) (9*)  Australia (2016) (7*)  Brazil (2017) (10*)
Men's Continental Games  Angola (2019) (1)  Qatar (2022) (3) —  Australia (2006) (2*)  Argentina (2023) (3*)
Women's Continental Games  Angola (2019) (7*)  Japan (2022) (1) —  New Caledonia (2007) (1*)  Brazil (2023) (7*)
Junior Men's  Egypt (2022) (13*)  Japan (2022) (1)  Spain (2024) (4*)  Australia (2022) (5*)  Brazil (2017) (6*)
Junior Women's  Angola (2023) (11*)  South Korea (2023) (16*)  Hungary (2023) (3)  New Caledonia (2023) (2*)  Brazil (2018) (9*)
Youth Boys  Egypt (2022) (7*)  South Korea (2022) (3*)  Sweden (2024) (3*)  French Polynesia (2022) (2*)  Argentina (2017) (8*)
Youth Girls  Egypt (2023) (5*)  Japan (2023) (1)  France (2023) (2)  New Caledonia (2023) (3*)  Brazil (2018) (12*)
Boys' Continental Youth Games —  Qatar (2013) (1*)  Germany (2023) (3*) — —
Girls' Continental Youth Games —  South Korea (2013) (1*)  France (2023) (2) — —
Men's Club Egypt Al-Zamalek SC (2019) (12*) Kuwait Al-Kuwait SC (2022) (1) Germany SC Magdeburg (2022–23) (4) Australia University of Queensland (2023) (1) Brazil H. Taubaté (2018) (5*)
Women's Club Angola 1º de Agosto (2019) (6) Kazakhstan Kaysar Club (2019) (2*) Norway Vipers Kristiansand (2022–23) (3) Australia University of Technology Sydney (2023) (1) Brazil EC Pinheiros (2017) (1*)
Men's Beach Handball —  Iran (2022) (1)  Hungary (2023) (1)  New Zealand (2022) (1)  Brazil (2018) (7*)
Women's Beach Handball —  Vietnam (2022) (1)  Germany (2023) (3*)  Australia (2022) (5*)  Brazil (2018) (4*)
Men's Youth Beach Handball —  Iran (2022) (1*)  Sweden (2021)  Australia (2017) (1*)  Brazil (2017) (1*)
Women's Youth Beach Handball —  Thailand (2022) (1*)  Hungary (2021)  American Samoa (2017) (1*)  Argentina (2017) (1*)
  • * = Record titles

Member federations

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Category A[definition needed]
Category B
Category C
  • ✝ means non-active member

Associated members

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Regional members

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IHF Awards

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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

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Type Partner
Official sportswear Hummel International
Host broadcaster Sportfive
Official ball supplier Molten Corporation
Official floor supplier Gerflor

References

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  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. doi:10.1080/17460263.2021.1927810. ISSN 1746-0263. S2CID 236363980.
  2. ^ "IHF | the International Handball Federation – Timeline of Milestones".
  3. ^ "Bylaws" (PDF). International Handball Federation. September 2007. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2009.
  4. ^ "IHF statement related to Pan-American continent". IHF. 19 January 2018.
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