On the fringes of the Women’s Junior World Championship IHF President Dr Hassan Moustafa answered the questions of a wide range of Korean media in a press conference in Seoul. The topics were international handball, referees, the Juniors WCH and the meaning of Korean handball in general.
Initially Moustafa stated about the Juniors WCH and praised the Korean Handball Federation as the organizer: “You do a great job, the organization and cooperation was perfect here in this country with a long and successful handball tradition.” Aside this great organization Dr Moustafa and Leon Kalin the President of the IHF Competition Management stated that the handball sport has to be promoted stronger and more effective in Korea. “Korea is one of the leading nations in handball with great international success since 1984 in men’s and women’s competitions. Everybody has to make sure that the public interest must rise in Korea, not only during Olympic Games. I hope that handball will become the number one sports in Korea. The Federation works hard for this achievement.” Leon Kalin added: “In case you need the support of the IHF to promote handball in Korea, we will assist you.”
As Korea has bid for both – men’s and women’s - World Championships 2013 Moustafa was asked about the chances. “The IHF Council will analyze all bids in a fair and correct way – and then we take our decision in October,” the IHF President said. Aside Korea, Serbia (women) and Denmark and Spain (men) are in the bidding process of the WCHs in 2013. 
Another topic of the press conference were the referees. At first Moustafa gave a clear and detailed summary of the occurrences at the Asian Olympics qualification in 2007 that had been later-on cancelled and annulled by IHF and CAS. “After this incident the IHF had drawn their conclusions. The IHF Council decided that an IHF supervisor will be nominated for all continental qualifications for WCH and Olympics – and he has the power to interfere. He has even the power to replace the referees in halftime when they whistle in an unfair and incorrect manner,” Moustafa said. And Kalin added: “All continental federations have accepted this decision. This makes us proud for the future.”
Moustafa aside articulated that handball matches also in future will be whistled with not more than  two referees: “By looking at football, they have a much bigger field but only one referee, so two referees are enough for handball. But thanks to technical progress we’re just testing the intelligent ball with our ball partner Select. If the tests are finished readily maybe we will have this intelligent ball already at the men’s WCH 2011 in Sweden.”  But Moustafa wants more top referees from Non-European countries, so the IHF improved their global referee program to increase the number of African, Asian or Pan American referees.