The World Games 2025 gold medallist, global beach handball ambassador and 2025 IHF Beach Handball Global Tour silver medallist, Argentina’s Gisella Bonomi, has been nominated for the prestigious International World Games Association (IWGA) ‘The World Games Athlete of the Year 2025’ award – and you can help her win it.

Along with 29 other athletes, the Neuquén-born Bonomi has been nominated for the award in recognition of an extraordinary year in 2025 which saw her lead her Argentina side to a gold medal – the first-ever team from the country to top the podium in any sport in the history of the event.

In a dramatic final, the South American side saw off then title-holders Germany via shoot-out, Bonomi top-scoring in the game with 16 points and opening the shoot-out with a two-point strike.

 

For their medal-winning performance, Argentina were also awarded the prestigious ‘Athletes of the Day’ award by the IWGA.

In addition to her gold in China, Bonomi appeared in the women’s tournament All-star Team twice as best line player and top-scorer (78 points).

Fans can vote for her when voting opens on Monday 12 January 2026. IHF.info will publish the full procedure ahead of the vote opening.

Congratulations Gisella!

 

About the International World Games Association, The World Games and Beach Handball

The International World Games Association (IWGA) is a non-profit-making international sports organisation recognised and supported by the International Olympic Committee.

The IWGA comprises 40 International Member Sports Federations. It administers and promotes The World Games (TWG), a multi-sport event held every four years that features around 35 sports on its programme.

Beach Handball has been part of The World Games since it was introduced as a demonstration/invitational sport in Japan in 2001. It then followed in Germany (2005) and Chinese Taipei (2009), before becoming a full sport at the 2013 edition in Colombia and then continuing in Poland (2017), USA (2022) and People’s Republic of China (2025).

The next event is scheduled for 2029 in Karlsruhe, Germany with 4,000 world-class athletes from more than 110 countries and regions expected to compete in about 35 sports, including beach handball.

For more information, visit www.theworldgames.org.