IHF coaching courses reach Argentina and Peru in February

The International Handball Federation has long placed coach education at the heart of its global development mission, and February brought two more milestones in that ongoing commitment, as IHF CCM Lecturer Eduardo Gallardo delivered coaching courses in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Lima, Peru, providing transformative learning opportunities for 63 coaches across South America.

The IHF C Licence course took place from 1–7 February at the Romero Brest Institute in Buenos Aires, attracting 36 coaches from across Argentina and one participant from Bogotá, Colombia. The course featured 30 male and six female coaches, all of whom successfully earned their qualifications.

Delivered entirely in Spanish, the week-long programme balanced theoretical instruction with practical application at the physical education institute. The practical sessions were conducted with demonstration teams from the Argentina women's youth national team and the male and female youth squads of Club Atlético River Plate, providing participants with high-quality players to implement their coaching concepts.

Gallardo highlighted the enriching nature of the course, noting the participants' prior level of training and active engagement throughout the week. "It was very enriching due to the coaches' prior level of training and their active participation," he reported, adding that the interest and participation of all attendees gave the course its quality.

The opening ceremony was attended by Carlos Ferrea, President of the Argentine Handball Confederation, and Jorge Rossi, Director of the National School of Coaches of Argentina.

 

Just weeks later, from 23–27 February 2026, Gallardo led an IHF D Licence course in Lima, Peru, with 27 coaches participating - 26 male and one female - from across the country. Twenty-six participants successfully earned their qualifications.

The course was delivered in Spanish at two Lima venues: theoretical sessions took place at the Peruvian Olympic Committee auditorium with presentations projected on four televisions, while practical sessions were conducted at the Peruvian Institute of Sport, the venue that hosted the Lima 2019 Pan American Games and will host the 2027 edition, featuring a high-quality flooring.

Both theory and practice formed core components of the programme, with five to seven participants leading handball sessions each day to demonstrate their coaching abilities under Gallardo's supervision. The practical work benefited from 30 practically new Molten size 2 handballs and a good number of players who enabled all exercises to be carried out without problems. Each day, participants were required to lead sessions on the court themselves, putting their growing knowledge into practice under Gallardo's supervision, a reflection of the IHF's belief that coaching can only truly be learned by doing.
 

The course benefited from excellent organisational support, with Peruvian Handball Federation president Alex Diaz playing a particularly active role, serving as a highly professional technical liaison throughout the week. 

Both courses exemplified the IHF's direct expression of the IHF's unwavering promise to make quality coaching education accessible to every corner of the handball world, ensuring the next generation of handball coaches are equipped with intermediate to advanced handball and sport science knowledge to elevate the quality of the sport for years to come.