July will probably be the most exciting handball month in 2024, as the sport will celebrate the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, as well as the International Handball Week, which will span between 12 and 18 July, with activities all over the world.

Handball will return for its 14th consecutive appearance at the Olympic Games, with reigning champions France will try to retain their crown in both the women’s and the men’s competitions on their home court.

The handball competitions at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which will see 12 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams compete for the coveted gold medals, will start on 25 July and will take place in the South Paris Arena 6 for the preliminary round and the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille for the knockout phase of the two competitions.

Handball at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will start on 25 July, with the women’s competition, as the men’s competition is due to start two days later, on 27 July. The groups will be played in the South Paris Arena 6, while the knockout phase is hosted by the Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille.

The women’s gold medal match will take place on Saturday, 10 August, at 15:00 CEST, while the men’s gold medal match is scheduled one day later, Sunday, 11 August, at 13:30 CEST.

The Olympic Games will also see the first-ever IHF Beach Handball Showcase take place during the world flagship sports competition, where athletes from 18 different countries (Argentina, Brazil, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Islamic Republic of Iran, Netherlands, Norway, People’s Republic of China, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Spain, United States of America and Uruguay) will appear at the event which will highlight the spectacular sport and its culture, as the eyes of the world look towards the French capital, hosts of the 2024 Olympic Games this July and August.

The IHF Beach Handball Showcase is a collaborative effort between the International Handball Federation (IHF), Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (COJOP2024), French Handball Federation (FFHB) and International Olympic Committee (IOC).

July will also mark the fifth celebration of the International Handball Week – seven days of celebrating handball’s checkered past, amazing present and bright future – will take place between 12 and 18 July 2024, one week before the start of the Olympic Games.

Marking the day of the official foundation of the International Handball Federation (IHF), 12 July 1946, it also starts the celebration on all continents and at all levels, as handball has undergone a serious makeover over the last couple of decades, becoming more accessible and inclusive throughout the globe.

In the next seven days, handball and all of its disciplines – indoor, beach and wheelchair – will be celebrated and with theme days focusing on different aspects of the sport, as the IHF aims to create a stronger bond between the shareholders of the sport, from players to coaches and, of course, the fans, the true engine which keeps the sport going at full speed.

At the national team level, the M20 EHF EURO 2024 will also take place between 10 and 21 July, serving as a qualification event for the 2025 IHF Men’s Junior World Championship. For the first time in history, 24 teams will be at the start, with six groups of four teams each being scheduled.

At club level, the NACHC Qualifier for the 2024 IHF Men’s Club World Championship will be scheduled between 10 and 13 July, with four teams at the start – Mexico’s Kraken Handball and three USA sides – Los Angeles THC, CalEagles and New York City THC. The winner will represent the NACHC in Cairo.

The Australian Club Championships and Oceania qualifier for the 2024 IHF Men’s Club World Championship are also scheduled between 17 and 21 July in Canberra, Australia.

On the beach, the YAC16 Beach Handball Euro 2024 – the continental championship for Under-16 teams – is scheduled in Varna, Bulgaria, between 4 and 7 July, while the EHF Beach Handball Championships 2024 are also due to take place in the same venue between 11 and 14 July, serving as a qualification event for the EHF Beach Handball EURO 2025.