The handball family across the world have been paying their respects in memory of Sándor Andorka, who passed away yesterday, aged 75.

Described as “one of the most influential referees and sports diplomats in the history of Hungarian handball,” by the Hungarian Handball Federation (HHF), Andorka has mentored many of the current IHF referees but his influence and experience in handball was much more than that, spread over six decades.

Born on 28 July 1945 in Kety, southern Hungary, Andorka first became a football referee for the Hungarian Football Federation back in 1966 after playing the game as a child. He later qualified as a volleyball and handball referee, taking charge of his first handball game in 1974.

Eventually, he partnered with Otto Schóber and they made their names together as one of the best Hungarian referee couples from the early 1980s onwards at both national and international level.

They went on to whistle nearly 450 league matches, 10 Hungarian Cup finals and 297 international matches, including the 1985 IHF Men’s Junior World Championship in Italy, 1988 C World Championship in Portugal, 1989 IHF Women’s Junior World Championship in Nigeria and 1992 B World Championships in Austria, in addition to other international events.

After hanging up his whistle in 1996, Andorka moved into passing on his knowledge through a variety of ways, working as a lecturer, match delegate and in various political roles for the EHF, including that of Chief of EHF Referees, Chairman of the EHF Technical Refereeing Committee (TRC) and as a member of the EHF Competitions Commission.

As a delegate he oversaw numerous European Cup matches, including EHF Cup and Champions League finals, as well as two Olympic Games (Beijing 2008, London 2012), eight IHF World Championships and 14 EHF European Championships, before retiring in November 2016 following the 2018 EHF Men’s European Championship qualifier between France and Lithuania in Pau.

Andorka also worked closely with the IHF, as European Representative on the IHF Playing Rules and Referee Commission (PRC) as well as on the IHF PRC Board of Instructors (now called IHF PRC Lecturers) passing on his experience and knowledge across the world in various continents and at various events, including the IHF Trophy.

In recent years, he was Chairman of the HHF International Committee, leading the teams as the Head of Delegation and acting as a diplomat for Hungarian handball – and the sport itself – worldwide.
 
In 2011, he was acknowledged by the EHF with their ‘EHF Handball Award’ upon their 20th Anniversary for his special service towards the Continental Confederation itself and handball in general and was again acknowledged by the federation five years later upon their 25th Anniversary. Last year he received the Török Bodog Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest award given by the HHF.
 
Away from handball, Andorka was involved in the tourism business, working for tourist agencies initially before moving on to managing a hotel on the shores of the popular tourist hotspot Lake Balaton, close to where he lived in Balatonföldvár, a town where he was also made an honorary citizen.

Andorka’s wife Marika, who he met through handball, is still actively coaching in the Siófok youth team, while his younger son Miklós is also a referee, having been on the IHF list for a number of years. Granddaughter Rozi plays for the Siófok youth teams too, ensuring the Andorka handball legacy will continue.

“It is difficult to speak, as not only Hungarian handball has suffered a huge loss, but the whole of Hungarian sport in general – it’s obvious for anyone who knew ‘Sanyi’. And those who did know him all loved him, I'm sure of that,” said Gabriella Horváth, HHF Secretary General.

“He played a huge role in many Hungarian successes in the past decades. Hungarian clubs and referees also owe a lot to him, he was a mentor to all of us who played any role for Hungary in the international handball life and we learned a lot from him. He even offered his help in connection with the upcoming EHF congress a few days ago. He left an unfilled space behind, but he will live forever in the souls of the members of the handball family.”

"Sándor Andorka was a guide for all Hungarian handball referees, both professionally and humanly,” said Péter Herczeg, Chairman, HHF Referee Subcommittee. 

“As a sports diplomat he accompanied my refereeing career and many of my colleagues, with boundless helpfulness. His death is a huge loss, both for me humanly and for the Hungarian handball refereeing profession.”

IHF President Dr Hassan Moustafa joins those in mourning the loss of Sandor Andorka and on behalf of everyone at the IHF and in the global handball family expresses his condolences towards his family and loved ones.

Photo: Hungarian Handball Federation