The International Handball Federation (IHF), in cooperation with the African Handball Confederation (CAHB) and the respective national federations, continued its coaching education activities in Africa with courses held in Algiers, Algeria, and Cairo, Egypt, during July and August.

The two programmes brought together 64 coaches and participants, with 36 coaches attending the IHF B Licence Coaching Course in Algiers and 28 participants taking part in the IHF C Licence course in Cairo. The Algerian course brought together coaches from Algeria and Tunisia, while the Cairo course was attended by participants from Egypt.

Rather than relying exclusively on classroom teaching, the courses were structured around the combination of theoretical instruction, practical application and interaction between participants and experts.

The IHF B-Licence course in Algiers, held from 23 to 30 July, was led by IHF Experts Dr Nahla Boudhina and Dr Souhail Hermassi, with the support of CAHB representative Kévin Konan Kouassi. The programme combined theoretical sessions with practical and pedagogical activities, giving the 36 coaches opportunities to develop and apply their coaching knowledge.

A central element of the methodology was active participation. Coaches worked in groups, delivered presentations, took part in practical sessions and engaged in discussions and professional debates. These activities were designed to transmit information and to encourage coaches to analyse situations, explain their thinking and compare their own experiences with those of their colleagues.

The international composition of the group added another dimension to the learning process. Coaches from Algeria and Tunisia were able to exchange experiences and approaches relating to the technical, tactical, physical and pedagogical aspects of handball. The course report noted that several participants already possessed significant coaching experience and knowledge of the game.

The level of engagement was also reflected in the assessment results. Of the 36 participants, 32 successfully obtained the IHF C Licence, while four did not pass the final assessment.

The IHF C Licence course in Cairo followed a similar principle of connecting theoretical learning with practical work. Held from 5 to 12 August and led by IHF CCM Lecturer Mohamed Khaled Hammouda, the course brought together 28 participants, of whom 27 successfully completed the course.

The report describes a group with an excellent average level before the course, as well as excellent interest and attitude and a highly homogeneous group. 

Their technical background was complemented by strong proficiency in analysis software and sports technologies, another indication of the increasingly analytical approach being incorporated into coach education. This approach placed responsibility on the participants to apply what they had learned rather than simply observe demonstrations.

A common feature of the two courses was the emphasis on interaction.

In Algiers, group work, presentations, discussions and debates were explicitly incorporated into the programme. The methodology allowed coaches to analyse coaching situations and exchange professional experiences rather than treating the course as a one-way transfer of knowledge.

In Cairo, the course similarly brought together theoretical instruction and practical work, with the report highlighting the participants' technical background and use of analysis software and sports technologies. The theoretical component was supported by presentations based on the official IHF Rule Books and current IHF regulations.

The result was two courses in which the classroom and the court were treated as complementary parts of the same learning process: concepts were introduced theoretically, tested through practical activities and then discussed and evaluated.

For the IHF B Licence course in Algeria, the interaction between participants from two national handball systems further broadened that process, allowing different coaching methodologies and experiences to be brought into the same room.

The two courses therefore combined three elements: education, assessment and identification of potential.

That structure is particularly relevant to the progression through the IHF coaching licence pathway, where education is not limited to acquiring theoretical knowledge but also requires coaches to demonstrate how they can apply it in practical and pedagogical situations.