International Handball Federation facts for kids

Quick facts for kids International Handball Federation
Sport	Handball
Other Sports	Beach handball Wheelchair handball
History
Preceding organisations	International Amateur Athletic Federation (1926–1928) International Amateur Handball Federation (1928–1946)
Year of formation	12 July 1946; 77 years ago (1946-07-12)
Demographics
Membership size	209 members
Affiliations
Other affiliation(s)	International Olympic Committee Association of Summer Olympic International Federations
Governance
President	Hassan Moustafa
Honorary president	Erwin Lanc
Headquarters
Address	Peter Merian-Strasse 23, P.O. Box CH-4002, Basel
Country	Switzerland
General director	Amal Khalifa
Official language(s)	English, French and German
Main organ	IHF Congress IHF Council
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
Regions
Africa Asia Europe North America and Caribbean Oceania South and Central America

The International Handball Federation (IHF) is the administrative and controlling body for handball and beach handball. 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. 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.

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.

IHF presidents

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

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	Narcisa Lecușanu
	František Táborský
Managing director	Amal Khalifa

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

Commission	Chairperson
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 Commission	TBD
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

• Italics means Acting Chairperson

IHF tournaments

Handball

• IHF World Men's Handball Championship
• IHF World Women's Handball Championship
• IHF Men's Junior World Championship
• IHF Women's Junior World Championship
• IHF Men's Youth World Championship
• IHF Women's Youth World Championship
• IHF Emerging Nations Championship
• IHF Inter-Continental Trophy
• IHF Confederations Cup (proposed)

Beach handball

• IHF Beach Handball World Championship
• IHF Youth Beach Handball World Championship
• IHF Beach Handball Global Tour

Wheelchair handball

• IHF Wheelchair Handball World Championship

Club handball

• IHF Super Globe
• IHF Women's Super Globe

Multi-sport events

• Handball at the Summer Olympics
• Handball at the Youth Olympic Games (Defunct)
• Beach handball at the World Games
• Beach handball at the World Beach Games

• Beach handball at the Youth Olympic Games

Title holders

International title holders

Competition	Men's Champion	Women's Champion
World Cup	DEN (2023) (3)	France (2023) (3)
Handball Olympic Tournament	FRA (2020) (3*)	France (2020) (1)
Emerging Nations Championship	CUB (2023) (1)	—
Junior World Championship	Germany (2023) (3)	Norway (2022) (2)
Youth World Championship	Spain (2023) (1)	South Korea (2022) (1)
Handball Youth Olympic Tournament	Slovenia (2014) (1*)	South Korea (2014) (1*)
IHF Inter-Continental Trophy	Cuba (2023) (1*)	Bulgaria (2017) (2)
Club World Cup	SC Magdeburg (2023) (3)	1º de Agosto (2019) (1*)
Beach Handball World Championship	Croatia (2022) (3)	Germany (2022) (1)
Youth Beach Handball World Championship	Croatia (2022) (1*)	Spain (2022) (1*)

Continental title holders

	Africa	Asia	Europe	Oceania	Pan-America
Senior Men's	EGY (2024) (9)	QAT (2024) (6)	FRA (2024) (4)	AUS (2014) (8*)	ARG (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	ANG (2019) (1)	QAT (2022) (3)	—	AUS (2006) (2*)	ARG (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 (2022) (3)	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*)	Spain (2022) (2)	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	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	—	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

Category A

Category B

Category C

• ✝ means non-active member

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:

• Hans Baumann Trophy (defunct after 2015, renamed as IHF President's Development Award)
• IHF Badge of Merit
• IHF Certificate of Merit
• IHF Cup of Honour and certificate
• IHF Hall of Fame
• IHF Honorary President and Honorary Members
• IHF Olympic Order
• IHF Plaque of Merit
• IHF President's Development Award
• IHF Referee's Badge of Honour
• IHF Referee's Diploma of Honour
• IHF Ring of Honour
• IHF World Coach of the Year
• IHF World Player of the Year

IHF partners

See also

In Spanish: Federación Internacional de Balonmano para niños