# IHF Honorary President and Honorary Members

IHF Honorary President and Honorary Members is an award established by the International Handball Federation. It is awarded by the IHF Congress to individuals who have rendered outstanding services to the international handball.
At the recommendation of the IHF Council or a member association, retiring chairman and members of bodies may be appointed as honorary president or honorary members by the IHF Congress.

## Award

The award consists of the insignia of the IHF Council with full garland in gold and a personal gift. The recipient also receives a pass, entitling him/her to free entry to all handball events held by any member federation around the world. The Honorary president is also sent an invitation by the International Handball Federation to attend the IHF Council meeting. The honorary president may give suggestions on any matter but had not any voting right.
The award was first awarded to Willy Burmeister of West Germany in 1966 when he was made honorary member of the IHF. Paul Högberg of Sweden was made first honorary president while Raymond Hahn of France was made first honorary secretary general.

## IHF Honorary Presidents

| Year | Name | Country | Notes |
| 1984 | Mr. Paul Högberg | Sweden | 3rd IHF President from 1971 to 1984. |
| 2000 | Mr. Erwin Lanc | Austria | 4th IHF President from 1984 to 2000. |

## IHF Honorary Secretary General

| Year | Name | Country | Notes |
| 2004 | Mr. Raymond Hahn | France | 4th IHF Secretary General from 1988 to 2004. |

## IHF Honorary Members

| Honorary Member | Country | Honorary Since | Notes |
| Otto Schwarz | Switzerland | 1994 | Chairman of IHF Commission of Organizing and Competitions, IHF Executive Committee Member |
| Tadeusz Breguła | Poland | 1994 | Chairman of IHF Commission of Coaching and Methods |
| Kim Chong-ha | South Korea | 1996 | IHF Council Member |
| Heinz Suter | Switzerland | 1996 | Member of IHF Commission of Coaching and Methods |
| Rudi Glock | West Germany / Germany | 2000 | IHF Treasurer from 1988 to 2000 |
| Dr. Nabil Salem | Egypt | 2000 | President of African Handball Confederation from 1993 to 1996, IHF Vice-President from 1992 to 2000, Member of IHF Medical Commission |
| Henrik Vænerberg | Finland | 2000 | President of Finland Handball Association |
| Hermann Brunner | Costa Rica | 2004 | IHF Council Member, President of Costa Rica Handball Federation from 1978 to 2008 |
| Karl Güntzel | Switzerland | 2004 | IHF Council Member |
| Dr. Gijs Langevoort | Netherlands | 2004 | Chairman of IHF Medical Commission |
| Jean-Michel Germain | France | 2004 | Technical Director of French Handball Federation, Member of IHF Commission of Coaching and Methods |
| Jörgen Holmqvist | Sweden | 2009 | Chairman of IHF Arbitration Tribunal |
| Peter Mühlematter | Switzerland | 2009 | Member of IHF Commission for Promotion and Public Relations, Chairman of IHF Commission of Organising and Competitions, IHF Secretary General from 2004 to 2009. |
| Ms. Carin Nilsson Green | Sweden | 2009 | Chairperson of IHF Commission for Promotion and Public Relations |
| Ulrich Strombach | Germany | 2009 | Chairman of IHF Arbitration Commission, President of German Handball Association from 1998 to 2013 |
| Christer Ahl | United States | 2009 | Member of IHF Playing Rules and Referees Commission |
| Christophe Yapo Achy | Ivory Coast | 2009 | IHF Vice-President, Secretary General of African Handball Confederation from 1978 to 1993, President of African Handball Confederation from 1996 to 2008 |

## Former IHF Honorary Members

Following is the list IHF Honorary Members who died after getting the award. There are also some members who were awarded the IHF Honorary Membership posthumously; they are marked with star after their name.
| Honorary Member | Country | Since | Until | Notes |
| Willy Burmeister | West Germany | 1966 | | Member of International Amateur Handball Federation's Technical Commission from 1928 to 1938, Member of IHF Technical Commission from 1956 to 1966. |
| Einar Kaspersen | Norway | 1970 | | President of Norwegian Handball Federation from 1951 to 1955, IHF Council Member |
| Risto Orko | Finland | 1970 | | IHF Council Member |
| Charles Petit Montgobert | France | 1970 | | IHF Vice-President from 1950 to 1970 |
| Wobbe Akkermann | Netherlands | 1970 | | IHF Council Member |
| Hans Baumann* | Switzerland | 1972 | 1972 | IHF President from 1950 to 1971 |
| Charles Martin | France | 1972 | | IHF Council Member |
| René Ricard | France | 1972 | | Member of IHF Technical Commission |
| Albert Wagner | Switzerland | 1972 | | IHF Secretary General from 1950 to 1972 |
| Axel Ahm | Denmark | 1976 | | Member of IHF Teachnical Commission and IHF Playing Rules and Referees Commission |
| Carl-Filip Borgh | Sweden | 1976 | | IHF Secretary General from 1946 to 1950 |
| Marijan Flander | Yugoslavia | 1976 | | IHF Council Member, Member of IHF Technical Commission |
| Emil Horle | Switzerland | 1976 | | Chairman of IHF Technical Commission and IHF Playing Rules and Referees Commission from 1946 to 1976 |
| Hermann Milius | East Germany | 1976 | | IHF Council Member |
| Leopold Stipkovich | Austria | 1976 | | IHF Council Member |
| Anders Fredslund Pedersen | Denmark | 1984 | | IHF Treasurer from 1972 to 1984 |
| Nelson Paillou | France | 1984 | | President of French Handball Federation and French Olympic Committee, IHF Council Member |
| Carl E. Wang | Norway | 1984 | 2016 | Chairman of IHF Playing Rules and Referees Commission |
| Aurelio Chiappero | Italy | 1984 | | Secretary General of Italian Handball Federation from 1969 to 1973 |
| Max Rinkenburger | West Germany | 1988 | | IHF Treasurer from 1954 to 1972, IHF Secretary General from 1972 to 1988 |
| Heinz Seiler | East Germany | 1988 | | Technical Director of East Germany Handball Federation, IHF Council Member |
| Curt Wadmark | Sweden | 1990 | 2003 | Chairman of the IHF Commission of Organising and Competitions |
| Dr. Vladimir Krivcov | Soviet Union | 1992 | | President of Soviet Union Handball Federation, IHF Vice-President from 1972 to 1992. |
| Alberto de San Roman y de la Fuente | Spain | 1992 | | IHF Vice-President |
| Prof. Dr. Ioan Kunst-Ghermanescu | Romania | 1992 | | President of Romanian Handball Federation, Chairman of IHF Commission of Coaching and Methods |
| Dr. István Madarasz | Hungary | 1992 | 2010 | Chairman of IHF Medical Commission |
| Petar Bucu | Yugoslavia | 1992 | | Member of IHF Commission for Promotion and Public Relations, President of Yugoslavian Handball Federation, Deputy Sports Minister of Yugoslavia. |
| Bernhard Thiele | West Germany | 1992 | | Chairman of IHF Commission for Promotion and Public Relations, President of German Handball Association from 1972 to 1990. |
| Friedrich Dusch | Austria | 1992 | | Secretary General of Austrian Handball Federation, Member of IHF Commission of Organising and Competitions. |
| Werner Vick | West Germany | 1992 | | Member of IHF Playing Rules and Referees Commission |
| Vasile Sidea | Romania | 1992 | | Member of IHF Playing Rules and Referees Commission |
| Babacar Fall | Senegal | 1994 | | President of African Handball Confederation from 1973 to 1993, IHF Vice-President |
| Dr. Jaroslav Mráz | Czechoslovakia | 1994 | 2016 | Member of IHF Commission of Coaching and Methods |
| Dr. Walter Pallamar | Austria | 1994 | | Member of IHF Medical Commission |
| Ivan Snoj | Yugoslavia | 1994 | 1994 | Member of IHF Commission of Coaching and Methods |
| Erik Elias | Sweden | 1996 | | Chairman of IHF Playing Rules and Referees Commission |
| Dr. Walter Schwedhelm | Mexico | 1996 | 2013 | Secretary General of Pan-American Team Handball Federation from 1997 to 1980, President of Pan-American Team Handball Federation from 1980 to 1984. |
| Prof. Dr. Hans-Georg Herrmann | Germany | 1996 | | Chairman of IHF Commission for Promotion and Public Relations |
| Dr. Jiří Jeschke | Czech Republic | 1996 | | Member of IHF Medical Commission |
| Dr. Peter Buehning | United States | 2000 | | IHF Vice-President, President of Pan-American Team Handball Federation from 1977 to 1980 and 1987 to 1996 |
| Janis Grinbergas | Lithuania | 2000 | 2013 | Member of IHF Playing Rules and Referees Commission |
| Er. Erik Larsen | Denmark | 2000 | 2013 | Secretary General of Danish Handball Federation, Member of IHF Commission of Organizing and Competitions |
| Jeff Rowland | United Kingdom | 2000 | | President of British Handball Association |
| Kjartan K. Steinbach | Iceland | 2004 | 2018 | Chairman of IHF Playing Rules and Referees Commission from 1996 - 2004 |
| Øivind Bolstad | Norway | 2009 | 2016 | Chairman of IHF Playing Rules and Referees Commission |