From 28 April to 6 May 2016, the International Handball Federation organised two courses as part of Phase I of the IHF Beach Handball Trophy which were hosted by American Samoa and the Cook Islands. Each of the courses lasted for four days, and the discipline was introduced on these Pacific islands by Mr Boris Mensing (AUS), IHF expert and coach of the Australian women’s beach handball team. During the courses Mr Mensing not only presented the discipline to the enthusiastic participants but took also some time to discuss important training aspects, beach handball techniques, as well as offensive and defensive tactics development.

American Samoa and the Cook Islands are the second and the third federation in Oceania to organise such courses, as Papua New Guinea already hosted one in March this year. The IHF Beach Handball Trophy is a 3-phase project which will culminate in beach handball competitions at the end of 2016 and the beginning of 2017. The IHF has targeted three regions in the beginning (the Pacific Islands, the Caribbean and Africa), but the project has further potential to expand.

Besides staging the course, the IHF donated materials to the Handball Federations of American Samoa and the Cook Islands for the future development of beach handball.