International Handball Federation

International Handball Federation
The International Handball Federation (IHF) is the administrative and controlling body for handball and beach handball. IHF is responsible for the organisation of handball's major international tournaments, notably the IHF World Men's Handball Championship, which commenced in 1938, and the IHF World Women's Handball Championship, which commenced in 1957.
IHF was founded in 1946 to oversee international competitions. Headquartered in Basel, its membership now comprises 209 national federations. Each member country must each also be a member of one of the six regional confederations: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and Caribbean, Oceania, and South and Central America. Hassan Moustafa from Egypt has been President of the IHF since 26 November 2000.
History
The IHF was founded on 11 July 1946, in Copenhagen (Denmark) by representatives of eight national federations. The founding members were Denmark, Finland, France, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, and Switzerland. The first president of IHF was Gösta Björk from Sweden. Björk was replaced in 1950 by Hans Baumann from Switzerland.
In 1954, the first IHF Men's World Championship, was conducted under the aegis of the IHF, in Sweden with the participation of six national teams. In 1957, the first IHF World Women's Handball Championship was held in SFR Yugoslavia with the participation of nine national teams. Handball was included in the Olympic Games for the first time under the auspices of IHF in Munich 1972 (men's tournament) and Montreal 1976 (women's tournament).
Structure
Laws and governance
IHF is headquartered in Basel, and is a federation established under the Law of Switzerland.
IHF's supreme body is the IHF Congress, an assembly made up of representatives from each affiliated member association. Each national handball association has one vote, regardless of its size or handballing strength. The Congress assembles in ordinary session once in two years (odd years) after the IHF World Men's Handball Championship. The congress makes decisions relating to IHF's governing statutes and their method of implementation and application. Only the Congress can pass changes to IHF's statutes. The congress approves the annual report, and decides on the acceptance of new national associations and holds elections. Congress elects the President of IHF, its General Secretary, and the other members of the IHF Council.
IHF's Council, chaired by the President, is the main decision-making body of the organisation in the intervals of Congress. The Council is composed of 18 people: the President, 5 Vice Presidents, and 12 members. The Council is the body that decides which country will host the World Championship.
The President and General Secretary are the main officeholders of IHF, and are in charge of its daily administration, carried out by the General Secretariat. Hassan Moustafa is the current president, appointed in the year 2000 at the 28th Ordinary IHF Congress.
Six confederations and 209 national associations
The IHF is composed of six continental federations which organize continental championships held every other second year: African Handball Confederation, Asian Handball Federation, European Handball Federation, North America and the Caribbean Handball Confederation, Oceania Continent Handball Federation, and South and Central America Handball Confederation. In addition to continental competitions between national teams, the federations arrange international tournaments between club teams.
Until 2017, there were five continental confederations. On 14 January 2018, the IHF Council divided the Pan-American Confederation into the North America and the Caribbean Handball Confederation and the South and Central America Handball Confederation. The authority to divide a continental confederation was assigned to the IHF Congress, but the 36th IHF Congress in 2017 authorized the IHF Council to divide the Pan-American Team Handball Federation.
IHF presidents
† Hans Baumann died in office on 9 February 1971 due to illness.
IHF Executive committee
The following is the IHF Executive Committee for the term 2021 — 2025.
IHF Council
The IHF Council is the IHF's main decision-making body between meetings of the IHF Congress. It is currently serving a 2021—2025 term.
IHF commissions
Italics means Acting Chairperson
IHF tournaments
Handball
IHF World Men's Handball Championship
IHF World Women's Handball Championship
IHF Men's Junior World Championship
IHF Women's Junior World Championship
IHF Men's Youth World Championship
IHF Women's Youth World Championship
IHF Emerging Nations Championship
IHF Inter-Continental Trophy
IHF Confederations Cup (proposed)
Beach handball
IHF Beach Handball World Championship
IHF Youth Beach Handball World Championship
IHF Beach Handball Global Tour
Wheelchair handball
IHF Wheelchair Handball World Championship
Club handball
IHF Super Globe
IHF Women's Super Globe
Multi-sport events
Handball at the Summer Olympics
Handball at the Youth Olympic Games (Defunct)
Beach handball at the World Games
Beach handball at the World Beach Games
Beach handball at the Youth Olympic Games
Title holders
International title holders
Continental title holders
* = Record titles
Member federations
Category A
Algeria
Argentina
Austria
Belarus
Bahrain
China
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Spain
France
Germany
Hungary
I. R. Iran
Iceland
Italy
Japan
South Korea
Saudi Arabia
Kuwait
Montenegro
Netherlands
Norway
Oman
Poland
Qatar
Romania
Russian Federation
Slovenia
Serbia
Switzerland
Slovakia
Sweden
United Arab Emirates
Category B
Angola
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Egypt
Finland
Greece
Hong Kong, China
Israel
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Libya
Luxembourg
Morocco
North Macedonia
Portugal
Singapore
Tunisia
Turkey
Ukraine
Category C
Afghanistan
Albania
Andorra
Antigua and Barbuda
Armenia
American Samoa
Australia
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bangladesh
Barbados
Burundi
Benin
Bhutan ✝
Belize ✝
Bolivia
Botswana
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Central African Republic
Cambodia ✝
Canada
Cayman Islands ✝
Congo
Chad
Chile
Ivory Coast
Cameroon
DR Congo
Cook Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Cape Verde
Costa Rica
Cuba
Cyprus
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Estonia
Ethiopia
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Federated States of Micronesia
Gabon
Gambia
Great Britain
Guinea-Bissau
Georgia
Equatorial Guinea ✝
Ghana
Greenland
Grenada ✝
Guatemala
Guinea
Guam
Guyana ✝
Haiti
Honduras
Indonesia
India
Ireland
Iraq
British Virgin Islands ✝
Jamaica
Kenya
Kyrgyzstan
Kiribati
Kosovo
Laos ✝
Latvia
Lebanon
Liberia
Saint Lucia
Lesotho
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Macau,China
Madagascar
Malaysia
Malawi
Moldova
Maldives
Mexico
Mongolia
Marshall Islands
Mali
Malta
Monaco
Mozambique
Mauritius
Mauritania
Namibia ✝
Nicaragua
Nepal
Nigeria
Niger
Nauru ✝
New Zealand
Pakistan
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Palestine
Palau ✝
Papua New Guinea
North Korea
Puerto Rico
South Africa
Rwanda
Samoa
Senegal
Seychelles
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Sierra Leone
Solomon Islands
Somalia
Sri Lanka
South Sudan
São Tomé and Príncipe
Sudan
Swaziland
Syria
Tanzania
Tonga
Thailand
Tajikistan
Turkmenistan
Timor Leste
Togo
Chinese Taipei
Trinidad and Tobago
Tuvalu ✝
Uganda
Uruguay
United States of America
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe
✝ means non-active member
Associated members
England
French Polynesia
Northern Mariana Islands
Scotland
Regional members
French Guiana
Guadeloupe
Martinique
New Caledonia
IHF Awards
The IHF issues awards to organisations and individuals in recognition of their particular contribution to developing the sport of handball and the IHF.
These awards are:
Hans Baumann Trophy (defunct after 2015, renamed as IHF President's Development Award)
IHF Badge of Merit
IHF Certificate of Merit
IHF Cup of Honour and certificate
IHF Hall of Fame
IHF Honorary President and Honorary Members
IHF Olympic Order
IHF Plaque of Merit
IHF President's Development Award
IHF Referee's Badge of Honour
IHF Referee's Diploma of Honour
IHF Ring of Honour
IHF World Coach of the Year
IHF World Player of the Year
IHF partners
References
External links
International sports organisations based in Switzerland
Organisations based in Basel
Sports organizations established in 1946
1946 establishments in Denmark
handball