The future begins now. Together. On Sunday. In Cairo – a letter to the IHF member federations
On Tuesday, IHF presidency candidate Gerd Butzeck send this letter to all IHF Member Federations, underlining that it is time for a change in the leadership of the International Handball Federation.
Dear IHF Member Federations,
Dear Handball Friends,
Dear Congress Delegates,
Over the past nine months, my candidature has shaped every day of my life. Allow me to share with you a brief recap of this journey.
My first priority was to identify non-European candidates for the IHF Executive Committee. Since April, I have worked closely with Ali Mohamed Eshaqi, President of the Bahrain Handball Federation. Together, in Istanbul, Cologne, Vienna, and Copenhagen, we prepared our common strategy for the upcoming elections.
Ali Eshaqi has now registered as a candidate for Vice-President. As the only non-European candidate for the IHF Executive Committee, he deserves to be elected with overwhelming support once the presidential elections are concluded. I am pleased that this understanding is shared by my colleague from Slovenia.
Beyond Asia, I encouraged Africa to nominate a candidate. Despite my personal request to the African president, no proposal was made. Later, an African candidate was briefly nominated, but his candidacy was withdrawn within hours.
For more than 25 years, the IHF has failed to bring non-Europeans into leading positions in world handball. Handball deserves more.
Let us have a look at a Handball study, provided by ONE8Y:
Non-European Quarter-finalists in 7 World Championships (1999–2011):
- Men: 6 out of 56
- Women: 9 out of 56
- Total (1999-2011): 15 out of 112 (13,4%)
Non-European Quarter-finalists in the last 7 World Championships (2013–2025):
- Men: 8 out of 56
- Women: 3 out of 56
- Total (2013-2025): 11 out of 112 (9,8%)
These numbers show clearly: handball deserves more non-European teams in the decisive stages of the World Championships.
Why do I emphasize this point? Because if we continue along the current path, we risk losing our status as an Olympic sport. A restructured IHF must take responsibility for developing handball worldwide – with Europe as the driving engine of this growth.
Europe is ready. On Monday, the EHF announced a decision on the Men’s European Cup competitions that could be a true game changer: “The EHF also reserves the right to award wild cards for participation, including non-European clubs.” This idea was born during my tenure as Chairman of the EHF Professional Handball Board, and I remain convinced: it is an excellent initiative.
In my conversations with European colleagues, they have recognized the importance of expanding handball beyond Europe – to secure handballs position as a leading global sport and a pillar of the Olympic movement.
Europe is an ally, not the enemy.
I will dedicate myself to raising the level of handball across all continents and to involving more officials from non-European nations. I especially welcome the nomination of all non-European candidates for various IHF positions in the upcoming elections.
Dear friends, the IHF is financially sound. But handball deserves more – more investment, more energy, more vision. Under my leadership, no one will receive less support than today. We will stand behind everyone who strives to grow handball in his/her country.
Handball deserves more – more ambition, more women handball, more diversity, more beach handball, more global reach. Together, we can transform our sport into a truly worldwide movement. This is not just about elections: it is about shaping the future of handball for generations to come.
On Sunday, let us choose progress over stagnation, vision over routine!
Vote for an IHF where every continent has a voice, every talent has a chance, and every fan feels part of the game!
The time for change is now. Handball deserves more – and together, we will deliver it.
I am confident that you will vote for the future – not for the past.
The future begins now. Together. On Sunday. In Cairo.
Gerd Butzeck
