International Handball Federation
SportHandball
Othersport 1Beach handball
Othersport 2Wheelchair handball
HistorytitleHistory
Preceding organisationsInternational Amateur Athletic Federation
(1926–1928)
International Amateur Handball Federation
(1928–1946)
Founded12 July 1946 (age 80)
AffiliationstitleAffiliations
Other aff 1International Olympic Committee
Other aff 2Association of Summer Olympic International Federations
ElectedtitleGovernance
PresidentHassan Moustafa
Board 1Erwin Lanc
SectitleHeadquarters
Address 1Peter Merian-Strasse 23, P.O. Box CH-4002, Basel
CountrySwitzerland
Staff pos 1General director
Staff name 1Amal Khalifa
Staff pos 2Official language(s)
Staff name 2English, French and German
Staff pos 3Main organ
Staff name 3IHF Congress
IHF Council
FinancetitleFinance
Company statusActive
Operating incomeCHF 7.24 million or US$ 7.84 million (in 2022)
CHF 2.10 million or US$ 2.28 million (in 2023)
SponsorsGerflor
Hummel International
Sportfive
Molten Corporation
RegionstitleRegions
Region 1Africa
Region 2Asia
Region 3Europe
Region 4North America and Caribbean
Region 5Oceania
Region 6South and Central America

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.[2]

History

The precursor to IHF, the International Amateur Handball Federation (IAHF) was founded in Amsterdam during the 1928 Olympic Games.[3]

From 10-13 July 1946, in Palace Hotel in Copenhagen (Denmark) the IHF Founding Congress was attended by 35 representatives of eight national federations, following a joint proposal and invitation from Denmark and Sweden, with the founding members being these two countries along with six others; Finland, France, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, and Switzerland.[4]

On 12 July 1946 the IHF was officially certified at the IHF Founding Congress, with the first president of IHF being Gösta Björk from Sweden.[3] 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.[3] In 1957, the first IHF World Women's Handball Championship was held in SFR Yugoslavia with the participation of nine national teams.[3] 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:

In addition to continental competitions between national teams, the federations arrange international tournaments between club teams.[5]

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.[6]

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 2025 — 2029.

DesignationName
PresidentHassan Moustafa
1st Vice-presidentPhilippe Bana
TreasurerAnna Rapp
Executive membersNarcisa Lecușanu
Paco Blázquez García
Managing directorAmal Khalifa

IHF Council

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

IHF Commission of Coaching and MethodsDietrich Späte
IHF Medical CommissionDr. Yannick Mossus
IHF Commission for DevelopmentTomislav Grahovac
IHF Athletes' CommissionGonzalo Pérez de Vargas
IHF Arbitration CommissionLovro Badzim
IHF Arbitration TribunalZoran Radojičić
IHF Ethics CommissionHussein Moustafa Fathy
  • Italics means Acting Chairperson

IHF tournaments

Handball
Beach handball
Wheelchair handball
Club handball
Multi-sport events

Medals

(After 120 Events)

Events

  1. IHF World Men's Handball Championship (1938-2025) - 29 Editions
  2. IHF World Women's Handball Championship (1957-2023) - 26 Editions
  3. IHF Men's Junior World Championship (1977-2025) - 24 Editions
  4. IHF Women's Junior World Championship (1977-2024) - 23 Editions
  5. IHF Men's Youth World Championship (2005-2023) - 9 Editions
  6. IHF Women's Youth World Championship (2005-2024) - 9 Editions

Title holders

International title holders

CompetitionMen's ChampionWomen's Champion
World CupDenmark (2025) (4)(2025) (5)
Handball Olympic TournamentDenmark (2024) (2)(2024) (3*)
Emerging Nations ChampionshipUnited Kingdom (2025) (1)—
Junior World Championship(2025) (4)(2024) (1)
Youth World Championship(2025) (1)(2024) (1)
Cadet World Championship(2025) (1)—
Handball Youth Olympic Tournament(2018) (1*)(2018) (1*)
Club World CupBarcelona (2025) (6*)—
Beach Handball World Championship(2024) (4)(2024) (2)
Youth Beach Handball World Championship(2025) (2*)(2025) (2*)

Continental title holders

AfricaAsiaEuropeOceaniaSouth and Central AmericaNorth America and Caribbean
Senior Men'sEgypt (2026) (10)Bahrain (2026) (1)Denmark (2026) (3)Australia (2014) (8*)Argentina (2026) (2*)Cuba (2024) (2*)
Senior Women's(2024) (16*)(2024) (2)(2024) (10*)(2016) (7*)(2024) (4*)(2025) (3*)
Men's Continental GamesEgypt (2023) (8*)Qatar (2022) (3)—Australia (2006) (2*)Argentina (2023) (3*)
Women's Continental Games(2023) (8*)(2022) (1)—(2007) (1*)(2023) (7*)
Junior Men's(2024) (14*)(2024) (2)(2024) (4*)(2024) (1)(2024) (2*)(2024)
Junior Women's(2025) (1)(2023) (1)(2025) (1)(2023) (2*)(2023) (2*)(2025)
Youth Boys(2024) (8*)(2024) (3*)(2024) (3*)(2024) (1)(2024) (2*)(2024)
Youth Girls(2025) (6*)(2025) (1)(2025) (1)(2023) (3*)(2023) (2*)(2025)
Boys' Continental Youth Games—(2025) (1*)(2025) (1)———
Girls' Continental Youth Games—(2025) (1*)(2025) (1)———
Men's ClubAl Ahly (2025) (8)Sharjah SC (2025) (1)SC Magdeburg (2024–25) (5)Sydney University (2025) (11*)H. Taubaté (2025) (4*)California Eagles (2025) (2*)
Women's Club1º de Agosto (2023) (8)Kaysar Club (2024) (3*)Győri Audi ETO (2024–25) (7)University of Queensland (2025) (3*)Layva (2025) (1)—
Men's Beach Handball(2022)(2025) (2)(2025) (1)(2022) (1)(2024) (3*)(2024)
Women's Beach Handball—(2025) (3*)(2025) (1)(2022) (5*)(2024) (2*)(2024)
Men's Youth Beach Handball—(2022) (1*)(2021)(2017) (1*)(2022) (1*)—
Women's Youth Beach Handball—(2022) (1*)(2021)(2017) (1*)(2022) (1*)—
  • * = Record titles

Member federations

Category A[definition needed]
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

TypePartner
Official sportswearHummel International
Host broadcasterSportfive
Official ball supplierMolten Corporation
Official floor supplierGerflor

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. doi:10.1080/17460263.2021.1927810. ISSN 1746-0263. S2CID 236363980
  2. ^ Curriculum Vitae: Dr Hassan Moustafa EGY - 2000. International Handball Federation. Accessed February 2016.
  3. ^ "IHF | the International Handball Federation – Timeline of Milestones"
  4. ^ "Handball sport history?". Sports Comet. Archived from the original on 30 May 2009. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  5. ^ "Bylaws". International Handball Federation. September 2007. p. 7. Archived 1 August 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 February 2009.
  6. ^ "IHF statement related to Pan-American continent". IHF. 19 January 2018.