On Thursday 15 July, the IHF Council met for the 11th time in the 2017-2021 Electoral Period. The meeting was followed by a two-hour ‘Joint Meeting of the IHF Council with all IHF Member Federations’, in which federation representatives from across the globe took part. Both meetings were held virtually due to COVID-19, with numerous items on the agenda.

11th IHF Council meeting

Before IHF President Dr Hassan Moustafa talked about his activities since the last meeting in February, the minutes of the 10th IHF Council Meeting on 19 February as well as the two previous IHF Executive Committee Meetings on 19 February and 7 July were approved.   

Reports on upcoming IHF events were presented, including details on the upcoming Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 from 23 July to 8 August, the 2021 IHF Men’s Super Globe taking place in Saudi Arabia from 4 to 10 October, as well as the 25th IHF Women’s World Championship in Spain in December.

Discussions were had about the 2021 World & European Wheelchair Handball Championship which has been postponed to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, negotiations are going on for Germany and Greece to co-host the 2023 IHF Men’s Junior (U21) World Championship, originally to be organised by Germany only. 

The current bidders for future IHF senior and youth Beach Handball World Championships in the period from 2022 to 2026 were also presented, with information following on ihf.info after the deadline of 31 July. In addition, the negotiations with Paris 2024 regarding the possibility of beach handball as a demonstration sport at the Summer Olympic Games were discussed. 

The meeting then moved on to the upcoming XXXVII Ordinary Congress scheduled to take place in Turkey in November including talks about the Working Group of Candidatures for IHF positions and addressing organisational details as well as motions regarding the IHF Statutes.

The meeting concluded with reports from the continents and the nomination of European representatives to IHF bodies.

Meeting with National Federations

In the afternoon, all National Federations were invited to meet and discuss with the IHF Council. IHF President Dr Hassan Moustafa opened the meeting, welcoming all participants, thanking them for their continued support of handball and the IHF.

Dr Moustafa also thanked participants for their participation in the ongoing International Handball Week as well as the IHF’s 75th anniversary, with the IHF anniversary activities being presented.

After Chairman of the Commission of Coaching and Methods Dietrich Späte talked about the past and future IHF Virtual Academy activities, a report on IHF financial support during the COVID-19 pandemic followed. 

The upcoming 2021 IHF events as well as matters related to the upcoming IHF Congress were discussed, before the progress of the development of women’s handball was presented by Women’s Handball Working Group Chairwoman Narcisa Lecusanu. 

The last agenda item was an open discussion among the National Federations and the IHF leadership to give the IHF members the opportunity to exchange ideas, request support and ask questions.  

Dr Moustafa concluded the meeting, highlighting the importance of such reunions and the collaboration of the handball community saying, “We have to work hand in hand to develop our sport in each corner of the world.” 

About the IHF Council 

The IHF Council, along with the IHF Executive Committee, forms the IHF executive body and is responsible for a number of different duties including, but not limited to, decision-making (financial matters, Rules of the Game), provisional admission of new Member Federations, awarding Men’s and Women’s World Championships in all age categories (senior and younger age categories) and the international event calendar. 

The IHF Council is made up of all the members of the IHF Executive Committee, continental Vice-Presidents, the Chairpersons of the IHF Commissions and the continental representatives. 

The IHF Council meets at least twice a year with all members serving a four-year term of office and available for IHF duties at least 12 days per year on a voluntary basis. A simple majority applies for IHF Council votes with the IHF President’s vote deciding in the case of an equal number of votes.