The Council of the International Handball Federation (IHF) met in Zagreb (CRO) on January 31, 2009 on the occasion of the World Championship for men.

 

It devoted its first session (9 a. m. to 1 p. m.) to the analysis of the accusations expressed through the press against the President and the Treasurer by the Secretary General over the past few months.

 

Upon the invitation of the President to state his points, the Secretary General produced statements and documents which were answered and accounted for by the President, the Treasurer and also the former Managing Director of the IHF.

 

After listening to this presentation, the Council considered that no evidence, whatsoever, had been supplied to support the accusations made public by the Secretary General. The Council expressed its opinion that it was fully satisfied with the way the President and Treasurer handled their executive responsibilities and expressed their support to the President and the Treasurer both in their functions in the IHF and on a personal level.

 

The Secretary General was then invited to offer his resignation in view of his actions that are considered by Council members to have caused major damage to the International Handball Federation and therefore to the sport of handball. The Secretary General, however, decided to stay in office until the next congress as is his right under the by-laws of the IHF.

 

The Council decided to communicate its decision to its member federations and the sport bodies and to make their decision public through this press release.