[html] As noted in the previous news item the IHF had announced that the Asian Handball Championships would not count as qualification to the World Championships.  This news item has since been taken off the IHF website.  Here's the text in case you missed it.

"After the recent debacle in Toyota, Japan, that led to the replays of the Asian Olympic Qualifying Games at the end of January 2008, the Asian Handball Federation (AHF) refused to accept the IHF's control of the Men`s Asian Championship planned to take place in Esfahan, Iran, from 17 – 26 February. The winning team would normally qualify for the 2009 Men`s World Championship in Croatia. Following the AHF`s refusal to accept the IHF delegates` final say in the selection of the referees, the IHF had no choice but to declare that the results of this tournament will not qualify the winners for the World Championship.

As stressed by IHF President Dr Moustafa just recently during the press-conference in Lillehammer, Norway, in January, the IHF's supervision of continental qualifying tournaments had to be enforced on all the continents to ensure fairness and correctness in sport. The necessity for this measure has been reconfirmed at the Council Meeting of December 2007 and was already put into action at the Pan-American, African and European Championships.

The Asian qualifications for the 2009 Men`s World Championship will be held separately under the umbrella of the IHF. "
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