Along with events taking place on court around the world, the fourth edition of International Handball Week saw an online celebration that centred on fan favourites in the years since the week was launched in 2020. The IHF social media channels were abuzz with memories of great handball moments in the last years, following fan polls in the lead-up to the week asking social media users to share their favourite milestones, memories and moments at IHF competitions. 

Fans from around the world made their suggestions of the top moments and the best were selected to share a special memory on the IHF channels almost every day of International Handball Week, which began on July 12 — the date the IHF was founded in 1946 — and ran through to July 18. The only exception was the 12th, which focused on the opening day of International Handball Week in general, before the favourite memories series started. 

After four days of fan favourite memories, the IHF media team selected two of their own favourite stories of the years since International Handball Week was launched to close the week. 

13 July 2023
Iran’s bronze-medal win at the 2022 Men’s Youth Beach Handball World Championship

Roughly one year ago, Iran won their first major global championship medal at the 2022 Men’s Youth Beach Handball World Championship. The bronze medal came after a 2:0 victory over France in the medal game, whom Iran had also beaten in the main round. With Croatia the gold medallists and silver going to Brazil, Iran’s victory meant three different continents were represented on the podium, highlighting the global value of the beach discipline. 

14 July 2023
Most ‘liked’ post: Czechia’s Veronika Mala with a trick goal

The next action in the best moments of recent years was chosen based on the number of post likes on the IHF social media channels, with a fast break goal from Czechia wing Veronika Mala the most favoured in the last years. The goal in question was scored at the 2021 IHF Women’s World Championship in Spain in a main round match against Congo. 

15 July 2023
Thrilling draw: Denmark vs Croatia at the 28th IHF Men’s World Championship 

Many fans responded to the poll highlighting the famously epic quarter-final between Denmark and Egypt at the 2021 IHF Men’s World Championship. Still, another game featuring the current three-time back-to-back world champions was also mentioned: The main round game versus Croatia at the 2023 World Championship in Poland and Sweden, which saw a thrilling match that ended in a draw. 

The match represented Denmark’s only lost point in the World Championship — this edition and stretching back to include the previous two, in Egypt in 2021 and on home soil co-hosted with Germany in 2019. Denmark have not been beaten at the World Championship since their eighth-final loss in France in 2017. 

16 July 2023
India’s rise on the global stage

Another fan favourite, but more of a general trend than one moment: India’s development in the last years, which was confirmed by their participation in four IHF World Championships in 2022 — all of which were firsts. 

In the summer of 2022, India participated in both the Women’s Junior and Youth World Championships, the Women’s Youth Beach Handball World Championship. A little later in the year, they played the 1st Four-a-Side Wheelchair Handball World Championship. 

17 July 2023
Slovenia’s bronze-medal at the 1st Four-a-Side Wheelchair Handball World Championship

The first of the IHF media team’s picks was the untold story of Nenad Stojakovic, a former national player for the Slovenia national team, with 33 caps, who later experienced medical complications that led to an operation on his back and ultimately the need for a wheelchair. Stojakovic was part of Slovenia’s team at the 1st Four-a-Side Wheelchair Handball World Championship in Egypt, where they won the bronze medal. 

The story of Stojakovic’s pride in winning the medal is made even more touching by the fundraising efforts that occurred in Slovenia for him to be able to have the necessary operation — it was a story of overcoming obstacles that led to a great collective triumph. 

Slovenia were defeated in their first games before going on to make it to the bronze-medal match and win, which Stojakovic said reflects life and how we lose one day but win the next. 

18 July 2023
The Nikola Portner journey

In 2020, Switzerland and SC Magdeburg goalkeeper Nikola Portner endured a very difficult period in which his father Zlatko Portner, himself a many-titled former player (two national team medals, including 1988 Olympic bronze), passed away. 

In January 2021, Nikola Portner and Switzerland received the sudden call to attend the Men’s World Championship in Egypt, as the USA had been forced to withdraw due to COVID-19 cases in the team. Switzerland had not qualified for the event since 1995, so it was a completely unexpected experience for the team — one which Portner embraced as he returned to feeling more himself following the difficult year before. 

In 2022, Portner transferred clubs from Chambery to SC Magdeburg. Soon after his arrival, he was celebrating his first title with the German team, as they won the IHF Super Globe. And his first season with Magdeburg would end with the Champions League title — Portner’s second after he topped the podium with Montpellier in 2018. 

That 2022/23 season victory was the fifth Champions League or equivalent title won between the father and son duo, as Zlatko Portner took the top European international club trophy three times himself from 1985 to 1991.