Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games – Men’s Handball Competition Qualification

23 Jan. 2019

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games – Men’s Handball Competition Qualification

12 teams will compete in the men’s handball competition to be held at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Of these 12 spots, one is reserved for the hosts, with a further four continental spots and one for the world champions – to make six in total.

The six remaining spots for Tokyo 2020 will then be filled through three Olympic Qualification Tournaments (OQT) to be held from 16/17-19 April 2020. Each tournament will feature four teams each, a total of 12 teams.

Teams ranked 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th at Germany/Denmark 2019 will automatically qualify through to the Olympic Qualification Tournaments. 2nd and 7th will be in Tournament #1 (OQT1), 3rd and 6th will be in Tournament #2 (OQT2) and 4th and 5th will be in Tournament #3 (OQT3).

The remaining two teams in each OQT will consist of two from the best-ranked continent at Germany/Denmark 2019, two from the second best continent and one each from the third and fourth ranked continent – a total of six teams. These are called qualification slots (QS).

OQT1 will have teams from the third (QS3) and fourth best (QS4) continent, OQT2 will have one team each from the best (QS5) and second best (QS2) continent and OQT3 will also have one team each from the best (QS1) and second best (QS6) continent.

Qualification places for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games – Men’s Handball

1          Japan (Hosts)

2          2019 IHF Men’s World Championship winners

3          2019 Pan American Games winners

4          2019 AHF Men’s Asian Qualification event winners

5          2019 CAHB Men’s African Championship winners

6          2020 EHF Men’s European Championship winners

7+8       Olympic Qualification Tournament #1 – 1st and 2nd place

9+10     Olympic Qualification Tournament #2 – 1st and 2nd place

11+12   Olympic Qualification Tournament #2 – 1st and 2nd place

Additional information

If one (1) or more teams placed between 2nd – 7th at the 2019 IHF Men’s World Championship have already qualified for the Olympic Games at their respective Continental Qualification events, the team placed 8th (or thereafter) at the 2019 IHF Men’s World Championship will be eligible to participate in the IHF Men’s Olympic Qualification Tournaments and all other teams will move one spot forward.

Example: If the team placed third (3rd) at the 2019 IHF Men’s World Championship has already qualified for the Olympic Games at its continental qualification event, the team placed fourth (4th) at the 2019 IHF Men’s World Championship will advance to the place which was originally allocated to the 3rd placed team (and consequently participate at Tournament 2). Hence, also all following teams (5th -7th ) will move one spot forward, with the spot originally foreseen for the 7th ranked team now being open for the team ranked 8th at the 2019 IHF Men’s World Championship.

The same system shall be applied mutatis mutandis in case several eligible teams have already qualified through their continental qualification events.

QS 1 and 5 will be allocated to the highest placed continent at the 2019 IHF Men’s World Championship. The highest ranked team (QS1) and next highest ranked team (QS5) at the respective Continental Qualification event not yet qualified and not yet selected to participate in the IHF Qualification Tournaments will earn the corresponding Qualification slot.

QS 2 to 4 are allocated to the second (QS2), third (QS3) and fourth (QS4) highest placed continents at the 2019 IHF Men’s World Championship. The highest placed teams at the respective Continental Qualification event not yet qualified and not yet selected to participate in the IHF Qualification Tournaments will earn the corresponding Qualification slot.

QS 6: This Qualification slot will be allocated to the second highest placed continent at the 2019 IHF Men’s World Championship, in addition to QS2. The NOC (National Olympic Committee) of the highest placed team at the respective Continental Qualification event, not yet qualified, will be allocated the Qualification slot.