The Greenland Handball Federation (GHF) has formally written the IHF, seeking resolution on their membership status in the PATHF. The GHF is frustrated that their membership status was not resolved in time for their Men’s Under 21 team to attempt to qualify for the Under 21 World Championships taking place in Macedonia this week. They are also concerned that the situation will not be resolved in time for the PATHF Women’s Under-18 qualifier next month.

Furthermore, they are very concerned with the Unofficial PATHF Executive Committee report http://teamhandballnews.com/news359.html which simply removes Greenland from the qualification tournament for the 2009 Men’s World Championship and implies that resolving Greenland’s membership status is going to take a while.

Commentary: Well, it’s no secret where I stand on this issue. I can only hope that the IHF can respond and resolve this issue in a timely manner.

Interviews with Greenland contingent at the 2007 WC: http://teamhandballnews.com/news.php?item.254
Commentary on why Greenland should be a full PATHF member: http://teamhandballnews.com/news312.html

The text of Greenland’s letter to the IHF is here:

International Handball Federation
Peter Merian-Strasse 23
CH-4002 Basel
Switzerland

E-Mail ihf.office@ihf.info Sisimiut the 12th of August.

Greenland Handball Federations membership.

Dear Handball Friends.

I will hereby kindly ask about there is any decision about our case for full membership of the PATHF with the rights to qualify for the WC.

Unfortunately we can note, that (as we see it) our right to get the opportunity to qualify for the WC for u-21 men now is to late, and we are of course very disappointed, that the IHF not was able to take a decision as promised in this case in the period from the congress in Madrid until now.

The situation now is, that there in September will be the PATHF qualification tournament for U-18 female for the world-cup, of which we have got no information of from the PATHF.

We have as well learned that during the latest PATHF meeting in Rio, they have classified the male’s team in elite and 1st division, without mention Greenland. We of course expect to bee re-classified as an elite team, as we during the last 7 years have participated 3 times in the WC and been between the 5 best teams in the pathf in the same period.

The situation for Greenland Handball at this moment is, at it seems that we are loosing our sponsors because we still not are able to give them an answer of our situation – and if we loose these sponsors, it will set the development of Greenland Handball back at least 15 years.

We hope to hear from you soon.

Best regards

Greenland Handball Federation

Palle Jeremiassen, President
Kurt Lauritsen, National Team Coordinator
Greenland Handball Federation