In its Tuesday meeting, the Executive Committee confirmed the EHF’s plans to have ‘European Handball Games’ played as of 2030.
Europe’s top eight men’s and women’s national teams will be participating in this new flagship event, with – just like at the Olympics – alternating matchdays for the men’s and the women’s competition during a national team week.
The prize at stake is high: The EHF aims to award the fixed place allocated to Europe at the handball competitions of the Olympics via the ‘European Handball Games’.
The decision to introduce the new competition formed part of a wider move to lift the value and visibility of European handball to the next level over the years to come – also on Tuesday, the EHF EXEC confirmed the expansion of the EHF Champions League and a new playing system for the EHF European League.
EHF President Michael Wiederer said: "The Olympic Games in 2028 in Los Angeles, as well as in 2032 in Brisbane, will be staged outside of Europe. With the introduction of the ‘European Handball Games’, the European Handball Federation guarantees that handball on an Olympic quality level will also be played in Europe in this cycle, and the European spot at the Olympic Games is the ultimate prize. Just like with the club competitions, we also want to take the next step for the national team. Next level. Every game - this is our motto.
"The European Handball Games shall be staged every four years, preferably in September as part of a national team week. However, this will be coordinated with the stakeholders, and the process in that respect has already begun, starting with the meetings that took place on Monday and Tuesday this week in Vienna," Wiederer added.
Paving the way to the ‘European Handball Games’ goes hand in hand with establishing a different format for the IHF World Championship Qualification Europe, which takes place under the umbrella of the EHF, as is the case for all continental confederations.
Details about the new system were shared and discussed as part of the stakeholder meetings on Monday and Tuesday in Vienna, with further details to be worked on and then released as part of the next meeting of the EHF Executive Committee in December this year.