The VI Beach Handball World Championships will come to an end this weekend in Recife, Brazil. Thousands of spectators will follow the semifinal and final matches on Saturday and Sunday. Beach handball is popular in Brazil. This is not a big surprise – the host is the defending world champions in the women’s and the men’s tournament and both teams are in a really good shape. “It was a pleasure to see all the teams here. We are one family”, Giampiero Masi, Chairman of the IHF Beach Working Group said.

 

The group was founded in 2007 and the Italian is its Chairman from the beginning on. This decision is logical, as the idea, to play handball on the beach has its roots in Italy. In 1990 the C.O.N.I. (Italian Olympic Committee) came up with the idea to create a new kind of handball as a vehicle for promoting the classic sport of handball on the one hand. The second reason was that he hoped to install an attractive summer holiday activity. Beach Handball was officially recognized by the IHF in 1994, the rules were fixed during the IHF-Congress in the Netherlands at the same year.

 

“Now we have the 6^th World Championships and handball on the beach developed gorgeous” Masi said. The championships take place on beautiful locations. The matches are spectacular and the atmosphere is great. In Brazil 24 teams from 18 nations are competing. And they play fair, with a lot of fun and in a friendly atmosphere.

 

For example the girls from the Ukraine and the boys from Russia stand together not only during the match days. “They speak nearly the same language. They have the same tradition – and have no problems with each other. If you have a look to the teams inside and outside the playing court there is a really friendly atmosphere”, Giampiero Masi describes his impression. The chairman is sure: Fairness, Fun and Friendship – these are the Beach Handball brands.