Sport is about how one competes, how one treats their opponents, and what values one carry onto the court and off it. That belief sits at the heart of a landmark decision by the United Nations, which designated 19 May as World Fair Play Day, a global observance, to celebrate the practice of sport in the spirit of friendship, solidarity, tolerance and inclusion, free from discrimination in all its forms.

The goal of the Olympic Movement, as stated in the Olympic Charter, is to promote and contribute to the practice of sport in a "spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play". The spirit of fair play includes observance of the rules, respect for one's opponent, and combating violence and unfair behaviour.

For the International Handball Federation, the values enshrined in World Fair Play Day are woven into the fabric of everything the IHF works towards, from the grassroots development programmes that bring handball to communities across all six continents, to the flagship World Championships that unite nations under the same roof, bound together by a shared love of the game.

Handball, by its very nature, is a sport of connection. It is fast, physical and collective, a game that demands respect and trust between teammates and opponents alike. Every time a player extends a hand after a hard-fought battle, every time a crowd applauds a moment of genuine sportsmanship, the spirit of fair play comes to life in exactly the way the United Nations envisioned when they established this day.

World Fair Play Day serves as an annual reminder that sport carries a responsibility in a world where division and intolerance remain pressing challenges. The sporting arena offers something rare: a space where people from vastly different backgrounds compete on equal terms, united by the same passion. That is a privilege, and one worth celebrating and protecting.

The IHF remains committed to ensuring that handball continues to be a force for good, a sport that builds bridges and demonstrates, match after match and competition after competitiont, that the values of fair play are not aspirational, but achievable and visible.