Keep Handball at the heart of the Olympic Games

“Handball deserves to be an Olympic sport. All sportsmen/sportswomen like to be part of the Olympics and this is a major motivation. I can not imagine handball not being an Olympic sport.”

In recent Olympic Games, handball has slipped from IOC sport categories A to E to category D. Investments must be made in meeting the IOC criteria (e.g. athlete representation, anti-doping and ethics code, match-fixing regulations, development programs for the sport worldwide, communication and social media concept) in order to move up to at least category C in the short term.

In order to keep the status as an Olympic sport, IHF has to improve the level of handball in the other continents. And to organise the framework for nations outside Europe to be able to host World Championships.

Elevate Outdoor & Urban Handball to Expand our Global Reach

“We need something similar for handball as basketball has with 3×3. We need a new format to develop handball. And most likely we need a size of the court which is more suitable to reality. 40×20 metres are not available in many places of the world, but basketball courts are everywhere. So we need to make use of this fact. I think we have enough experts to develop such a format.”

Beach handball offers the opportunity to be played worldwide in modified forms. Handball needs a form of the game that can be played 5×5 or 4×4 on all surfaces. Playing according to beach handball rules is possible on sand, grass, hard courts and even street courts. In addition to two goals, only one area needs to be marked out.

Build a Transparent, Sustainable and Inclusive IHF Structure

In order to be able to work in a sustainable manner, the IHF needs to be reorganised in terms of its administrative office and commission structure and to increase the participation of all global stakeholders. A separation between elected members and full-time operational office should be sought. The operational team must be expanded in all areas (organisation, development, competitions, communication, etc.). Regular exchange and coordination processes within the commissions must be reintroduced. Ethical conduct is necessary to increase transparency. Match-fixing regulations must be introduced and the anti-doping system must be strengthened. The introduction of an age limit is advisable to limit terms of office for the IHF President and all elected bodies.

Take Handball Global – Beyond Europe

“We need to work on globalisation. Handball needs to be extended on the courts outside Europe. We have to enable nations outside Europe to host world championships. We have to support them financially in order to make the next step in their development. And I think that IHF can do that, and IHF should do that. Europe needs to be the motor for this development.”

In order to develop handball as a global sport and support emerging handball federations, departments with full-time staff should be set up on all continents or even across all continents to advise and support federations in their development, manage cooperation between federations, create templates for coach and referee training, etc.

It is the job of the International Handball Federation to develop handball outside Europe. The International Handball Federation is organizing almost all major events in Europe.”

Reward and Empower Grassroots Initiatives Worldwide

“Grassroots are the most important aspect. This is the core, and federations must understand that we need to start as early as possible with kids playing handball. Children as young as four, five, or six years old should play handball. The more grassroots sports we have in handball, the more handball we will have later when the players grow up and reach 20 or 25 years of age. The best example is the Partille Cup in Sweden, where youth handball is played on 60 courts simultaneously. This is pure grassroots handball for me!”

All development programs need to include grassroots handball to attract young people but also keep older people at handball. And bigger handball nations can liaise with emerging nations to support them by coaches’ seminars or implementing a league structure.

“Definitely, the revenue from World Championships need to be used and distributed to more development programs compared to the current status. Without an increased IHF funding, development is not possible.”

Invest Boldly in High-Potential, High-Growth Markets

“The big future markets are those regions, where we need to establish/strengthen handball – major countries like China, India and the USA. But first we have to identify more potential markets in all continents. IHF is making efforts to work on these markets, but I definitely believe that we have to intensify these efforts and we need to invest in these markets in order to get the place which handball deserves. Looking upon the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games, I believe that IHF has the task to support the country to develop two competitive Australian national teams for the Games. Europe can be a partner in this question and IHF should invest severe amounts of money in this project. If handball doesn’t perform in Australia, this will have an impact on handball globally.”

Simplify the Rules and Make Handball Fan-Friendly

“The basic rules are not difficult, but they can be challenging for new referees. A 500-page rule book is hard to understand. I believe the rules are too complex and need to be simplified. I would like to make life easier for referees, for fans and for media by simplifying the rules and making handball more transparent, especially regarding passive play.

I think the VAR is much better implemented in handball than in football. In football I don’t understand how the VAR is used. In handball, it is used better. The only issue and difficult to understand for the specatators is the question when the VAR can be used. This needs to be explained properly to the audience.”

Unlock the potential of Super Globe and IHF Trophy – From New York to Sydney

“The Super Globe is an excellent idea. It’s a world club championship with participants from Australia, America, Asia, Africa and Europe. I like the idea, but I would like the Super Globe even more, if it is played in various regions of the world. I think that every year another location would be a good idea. The Super Globe could definitely help to promote handball in South America, in Australia, in North America. And maybe you could organise it on various levels. It is my dream to play the Super Globe in Madison Square Garden in New York. This would be something handball really deserves. And unfortunately, we do not have a Women’s Super Globe. It would be a good idea to have it to globally boost women’s handball. Furthermore implementing an IHF Trophy for emerging nations would bring constant competition among continents outside of Europe. Therefore it is my goal to implement this competition not only for junior teams but for senior teams, male and female.”

Protect the integrity of our Sport – Fight against match-fixing

“The best tool to combat match-fixing is the education of referees and players. We need continuous education to prepare referees for the likelihood of attempts to manipulate match outcomes. They must be resilient to these approaches. Education is the most important factor. Additionally, you need to use technology ensuring there is no match-fixing in handball.”

Support for national federations without full-time staff

Many smaller handball federations are limited in their development by the fact that they have no full-time staff, but are operated only by volunteers. When elected, Gerd Butzeck personally will support all those federations with contacting the respective national sport ministries to fund full-paid positions at the federations – besides the IHF funding for emerging nations.

Bring IHF Communications and PR into the 21st Century

In order to communicate internally with the member associations and externally with media and partners and to improve the IHF’s external image in the media and among stakeholders (including the IOC, sponsors, media), a communication team must be established and the relevant channels in each territory, especially social media, must be utilised to increase the development of handball as a global sport.

Innovate with Partners to Expand Global Media Coverage

“It is highly important to have top broadcasters and rights holders to showcase the magic of live sports, but it is also important to spread highlight clips to a wider audience later. Agencies and broadcasters are the most important partners for handball, and distributing clips after matches is key for the development of handball. I think there is room for improvement at the moment. Therefore, we need to recruit experienced staff to produce and distribute those clips for different target groups and markets.”

Learn, Adapt and Grow from the Best in Other Sports

“Handball can learn from many other sports. Like from ice hockey, when the referee informs the audience about their decision, this is very transparent. Or we could learn from the NBA or the NFL how they promote their game, to have a real presence on all continents to expand their sport. With media presence, but also with people who want to emulate the sport. We have to adapt these things to our situation.”

Implementation of AI-tools and contemporary technologies

“The pace, the rules and our players are evolving. The structural frame provided by IHF must do the same. It should be a crucial goal to implement contemporary technologies and take best use of artificial intelligence to further develop IHF”