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.Curriculum Vitae: Dr Hassan Moustafa EGY - 2000. International Handball Federation. Accessed February 2016.
History The precursor to IHF, the International Amateur Handball Federation (IAHF) was founded in Amsterdam during the 1928 Olympic Games, but was dissolved after WWII.
From 10-13 July 1946, the IHF Founding Congress was held at Palace Hotel in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was attended by 35 representatives of eight national federations, following a joint proposal and invitation from Denmark and Sweden, with the founding members being these two countries along with six others; Finland, France, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, and Switzerland.
On 12 July 1946 the IHF was officially certified at the IHF Founding Congress, with the first president of IHF being 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 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 No.NameCountryTerm1.Gösta Björk11 July 1946 – 9 September 19502.Hans Baumann†9 September 1950 – 9 February 1971InterimPaul Högberg9 February 1971 – 23 August 19723. Paul Högberg23 August 1972 – 25 July 19844.Erwin Lanc25 July 1984 – 26 November 20005.Hassan Moustafa26 November 2000 – present
† 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 2025 — 2029. Designation Name President Hassan Moustafa 1st Vice-president Philippe Bana Treasurer Anna Rapp Executive members Narcisa Lecușanu Paco Blázquez GarcíaManaging director Amal Khalifa
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 IHF Commission of Coaching and Methods Dietrich Späte IHF Medical Commission Dr. Yannick Mossus IHF Commission for Development Tomislav Grahovac IHF Athletes' Commission Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas IHF Arbitration Commission Lovro Badzim IHF Arbitration Tribunal Zoran Radojičić IHF Ethics Commission Hussein Moustafa Fathy Italics means Acting Chairperson
IHF tournaments Handball IHF World Men's Handball Championship IHF World Women's Handball Championship IHF Men's U21 Handball World Championship IHF Women's U20 Handball World Championship IHF Men's U19 Handball World Championship IHF Women's U18 Handball World Championship IHF Men's U17 Handball World Championship IHF Women's U16 Handball 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 Men's 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
Medals (After 121 Events)
Events IHF World Men's Handball Championship (1938–2025), 29 editions IHF World Women's Handball Championship (1957–2023), 26 editions IHF Men's Junior World Championship (1977–2025), 24 editions IHF Women's Junior World Championship (1977–2024), 23 editions IHF Men's Youth World Championship (2005–2023), 9 editions IHF Women's Youth World Championship (2005–2024), 9 editions IHF Men's U17 World Championship (2025–), 1 edition
With Precursors
Title holders International title holders Competition Men's Champion Women's Champion World Cup (2025) (4) (2025) (5) Handball Olympic Tournament (2024) (2) (2024) (3*) Emerging Nations Championship (2025) (1) — Junior World Championship (2025) (4) (2026) (2) Youth World Championship (2025) (1) (2026) (2) Cadet World Championship (2025) (1) — Handball Youth Olympic Tournament (2018) (1*) (2018) (1*) Club World Cup Barcelona (2025) (6*) 1º de Agosto (2019) (1*) Beach Handball World Championship (2026) (1) (2026) (1) Youth Beach Handball World Championship (2025) (2*) (2025) (2*)
Continental title holders Africa Asia Europe Oceania South and Central America North America and Caribbean Senior Men's (2026) (10) (2026) (1) (2026) (3) (2014) (8*) (2026) (2*) (2026) (2*) Senior Women's (2024) (16*) (2024) (2) (2024) (10*) (2016) (7*) (2024) (4*) (2025) (3*) Men's Continental Games (2023) (8*) (2022) (3) — (2006) (2*) (2023) (3*) Women's Continental Games (2023) (8*) (2022) (1) — (2007) (1*) (2023) (7*) Junior Men's (2024) (14*) (2026) (4) (2026) (1) (2024) (1) (2024) (2*) (2024) Junior Women's (2025) (1) (2025) (1) (2025) (1) (2023) (2*) (2026) (1) (2025) Youth Boys (2024) (8*) (2024) (3*) (2026) (4*) (2024) (1) (2024) (2*) (2024) Youth Girls (2025) (6*) (2025) (1) (2025) (1) (2023) (3*) (2025) (1) (2025) Boys' Continental Youth Games — (2025) (1*) (2025) (1) — — — Girls' Continental Youth Games — (2025) (1*) (2025) (1) — — — Men's Club Al Ahly (2025) (8) Sharjah SC (2025) (1) Barcelona (2025–26) (13*) Sydney University (2026) (12*) EC Pinheiros (2026) (2) Los Angeles THC (2026) (1) Women's Club 1º de Agosto (2023) (8) Kaysar Club (2024) (3*) Metz Handball (2025–26) (1) University of Queensland (2026) (4*) Layva (2025) (1) — Men's Beach Handball (2026) (2025) (2) (2025) (1) (2026) (6*) (2026) (4*) (2026) Women's Beach Handball (2026) (2025) (3*) (2025) (1) (2026) (7*) (2026) (2*) (2026) Men's Youth Beach Handball — (2024) (2*) (2026) (2017) (1*) (2024) (1*) — Women's Youth Beach Handball — (2024) (2*) (2026) (2017) (1*) (2024) (1*) — * = Record titles
Member federations Category A
Algeria Argentina Austria Belarus Bahrain China Croatia Czechia 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 American Samoa Andorra Antigua and Barbuda Armenia Australia Azerbaijan Bahamas Bangladesh Barbados Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Botswana British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Chile Colombia Congo DR Congo Cook Islands Comoros Costa Rica Cuba Cyprus Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Estonia Ethiopia Faroe Islands Federated States of Micronesia Fiji Gabon Gambia Georgia Great Britain Guinea-Bissau Ghana Greenland Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guam Guyana Haiti Honduras India Indonesia Iraq Ireland Ivory Coast Jamaica Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Liechtenstein Lithuania Macau, China Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Marshall Islands Mali Malta Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Moldova Monaco Mongolia Mozambique Namibia Nauru Nepal New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea Pakistan Palestine Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Puerto Rico Rwanda Samoa São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Sierra Leone Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sri Lanka Sudan Swaziland Syria Tanzania Tajikistan Chinese Taipei Thailand Timor Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Turkmenistan Tuvalu Uganda Uruguay United States of America Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe
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