It is with profound sadness that the International Handball Federation (IHF) has learnt of the passing of the former Managing Director of the IHF and the German Handball Federation (DHB), Frank Birkefeld, who passed away on Thursday, 22 June, at the age of 82 years old.

Birkefeld spent a life in handball, even if he did not play or coach in the sport, but had a keen eye on development and improving the sport, playing a huge part in his roles as the Managing Director of the German Handball Federation between 1973 and 1991 and the Managing Director of the International Handball Federation from 1995 until 2007, when he retired.

Born in Kamen, near Dortmund, Birkefeld first started to work as an editor/journalist at the Westfälische Rundschau before joining the DHB in 1968, first as a press officer, setting up the media department of the institution.

Five years later, at the age of 32 years old, he took up the position of Managing Director of the DHB, which he stayed in until 1991, when he moved to Switzerland, taking up a role in which he was initially responsible for the European Cup and the cooperation with the media, until he was promoted to Managing Director in 1995, serving in the same position at the International Handball Federation until 2007.

After retiring in 2007, his passion for writing and handball was still overwhelming, as Birkefeld started to pore through his memories and documents, eventually editing them into a two-volume 720-page work about the history of handball from centuries ago to the modern sport handball is now.

Known as a driving force in handball, which always supported the ones asking for advice, Birkefeld was considered an inspirational figure by many who had known him throughout the years, both in the DHB and the International Handball Federation. His legacy will, therefore, be preserved and his memory cherished for the years to come.

"With profound sadness, I say farewell to the former IHF General Director, a great person and colleague, Frank Birkefeld. We worked together closely for our beloved sport, and our collaboration was always marked by his professionalism and high personality qualities. He will be missed. On behalf of the International Handball Federation, I would like to express my deepest condolences to his family and wish them strength," says IHF president Dr Hassan Moustafa.