Only last week, THN reported about the firing of the Head of Administration, https://teamhandballnews.com/news.php?item.915 one of the two top positions in the IHF Office in Basel, moreover followed by the hiring of a well-known crony of the president as a replacement. [u]But now surely it has gone too far![/u] It has just become known, through an official letter to all IHF Council members and through press bulletins http://www.handballwoche.de/artikel/weitere/weltspiegel/news/ekke-hoffmann-kehrt-ihf-den-ruecken/ , that [u]Ekke Hoffmann, the Head of Sports, a real key position in an international sports federation, has seen himself forced to resign, essentially due to the behavior of the notoriously autocratic and meddlesome IHF president[/u]. In part, the resignation also seems caused by increasing interference from the president’s crony in matters for which the Head of Sports clearly must be responsible.

Many of you are likely to know, or know of, Ekke Hoffmann, a person with an ideal background for the position and with the highest level of ethics and integrity. Mr. Hoffmann is an experienced coach at the highest level, including a period in charge of the German women’s national team, and a first rate educator by profession. He has demonstrated a genuine interest in global aspects of the development of handball, with a great sense for the needs and opportunities in the new handball countries around the world. He has also shown a strong ability to contribute in matters such as referee development and rules development.

Mr. Hoffmann is a hands-on person and not a bureaucrat, but at the same time he emphasizes conceptual thinking and careful planning. He is a good manager. In short, any organization like the IHF should consider itself fortunate to have in its employ a person like Mr. Hoffmann. But [u]the president has managed to undermine Mr. Hoffmann’s situation to such an extent that he now feels forced to leave[/u], rather than keeping his high position and collecting his salary for a job where much of the responsibility and the substance is being removed. (How unusual for the IHF, where, by contrast, some elected officials seem to prefer having very little to do, as long as they can have the nice title and all the benefits that go with it).

It says a lot about the impotence of the IHF Executive Committee, and the failure of the majority of the Council members, if a situation such as this one is allowed to evolve, without anyone protesting or at least asking any serious questions. Perhaps, although it is a faint hope, someone in the Council will now decide to ask: how could this happen and what does it say about the president’s methods!? Not that it will cause Mr. Hoffmann to believe in sudden major change and make him change his mind, and not that the president will suddenly become a different person; [u]but just perhaps it could make some people start wondering about the ramifications for the longer term, if there is no change – soon[/u]. I will not hold my breath, but hope is eternal, as they say…

A few months ago, this highly rated referee couple was sanctioned by the European Federation for an ethics violation. As reported by THN, https://teamhandballnews.com/news.php?item.802 they were not in any way accused of biased refereeing or any improper conduct on the court. Rather, the EHF found them guilty of having failed their obligation to report that they had been approached by team officials who had wanted to ’influence’ them prior to an important game, and they had equally failed to report that they found an astoundingly large amount of money in their luggage in connection with their travel back to Germany. The EHF decided on a 5-year ban at the international level. The German Federation, which under the existing regulations strangely is not bound by the EHF ruling, decided on a 9-month ban at the national level.

However, as reported by THN a couple of months ago, https://teamhandballnews.com/news.php?item.861 resistance to the return of Lemme/Ullrich had started to be voiced among club officials in the German League. While everyone recognizes the high standards and the great services provided by Lemme/Ullrich in the past, Bundesliga clubs were apparently concerned that any disputed refereeing decisions by the couple in future games would imply a risk for an unusal degree of controversy, due to the situation that they are facing at the international level.

It now appears that this ‘skepticism’ on the part of the very teams that Lemme/Ullrich would hypothetically be refereeing in Germany, has simply made them conclude that they are better off declining any opportunities to continue their career at the national level. Instead, they have now announced their retirement from refereeing. http://www.handball-world.com/o.red.c/news.php?GID=1&auswahl=23643 They have added, however, that they nevertheless intend to follow through on their appeal of the EHF verdict, as a way of clearing their names.

I am no longer in any official position where it would be up to me to have a formal view on their decision. However, at a personal level I support their decision, as I feel that I, just like many who have admired their skills and performances in the past, would prefer to remember them as the top referees who were in the exclusive category of having been nominated for both the final at a Men’s World Championship (2005) and the Men’s Final at the Olympic Games (2008), nominations which I can guarantee you that they richly deserved. Again at a personal level, I want to thank them for their valuable contributions to world handball during many years.

While much of the international focus right now is on the upcoming EURO 2010, i.e., the European Championship for men, organized in Austria, it should be recognized that both Africa and Asia organize their continental championships next month. In the case of Asia, this involves the men only, while in Africa the men’s and the women’s championships are run side-by-side. Our web site continuously provides pages with the draws, indications of how these events link up with the Men’s and Women’s World Championships in 2011 etc. To see these pages, go separately to our links for 2011 WC Qual (men) and (women), or click here: https://teamhandballnews.com/page30.html https://teamhandballnews.com/page34.html

Several readers have contacted me regarding the Asian men’s championship. Many comments involve concerns about possible manipulations: in the draw, in the refereeing, and in the overall conduct of the games. Such suspicions may be understandable, considering the long traditions of manipulations, including outright corruption, with the qualifying events for the 2008 Olympics as the prime examples. The reluctance on the part of the IHF to carry out a firm and impartial oversight has also been part of the problem.

I may be too optimistic, but I feel there are reasons to believe that this time it will be different. For instance, as regards the draw, there have been comments to the effect that the 4 groups do not look evenly balanced. Well, first of all this often tends to be an issue everywhere, even when all formalities have been respected. Luck is an important component in a draw, and the results from two years ago, while correctly used for the seeding, may not necessarily be the best indication of the current relatively strengths. Moreover, a traditionally strong team such as Bahrain was placed last in the rankings last time, due to disciplinary reasons, so their place in the seeding suffers accordingly this time. As it now is, the top 4 teams from 2008 are indeed heading one group each, with teams 1 (Korea) and 4 (Iran) on one half of the draw, and with teams 2 (Kuwait) and 3 (Saudi Arabia) on the other half.

As regards the refereeing, Asia has fortunately participated strongly in the IHF’s ‘youth movement’ at the top level, and the best of these couples have shown their strength and received IHF training and supervision at recent World Championships at the senior or junior level. For more about the IHF referee training, see my recent article: https://teamhandballnews.com/news.php?item.908 It appears that, possibly with the exception of the representatives of the host country, Lebanon, all the participating Asian referee couples are from the younger, more consistently trained group, and not from the ‘old guard’. Moreover, the IHF has appropriately nominated one of its currently strongest couples as a ‘neutral’ couple to be available for key match-ups. Supervision during the event will also be provided by the IHF.

Moreover, I am hoping, and calling on the AHF leadership to ensure, that every effort will be made to restore faith in fair and corruption-free competition also in the Asian continent. So many bad things have been allowed to transpire in the past that surely the AHF leadership will now give priority to protecting the image of the handball sport and its own federation, rather than remaining preoccupied with the perennial ‘East-West’ battle of prestige and politics. The quality of handball is rapidly improving on a broad basis across the Asian continent. The handball world will be watching and will have high expectations. I have also consulted with federation representatives of many of the key participants, and there is indeed a spirit of optimism! May the best team win!

‘Stefan Albrechtson’ may not necessarily be a household name everywhere, but if you simply say ‘Abbe’ or ‘Mr. Partille Cup’, then you will get a response in almost every corner of our handball globe. (Sorry, I forgot: a globe does not have corners…). And now that he got himself elected into an IHF Commission, then there will soon be no limit to his fame… I have known Abbe for many, many years; in fact, I was involved in a major way in the organization of Partille Cup in the early years (1970-74) when the event was still relative small by today’s standards and when ‘Abbe’ himself was too small to be a big ‘Cup General’. [i]But I must admit I have forgotten exactly when and how and why ‘Abbe’ first got involved in handball in a major way so let us start with that:[/i]

SA: At first it was all football, but then I started with handball at age 14, through Savehof, the organizer of Partille Cup. This also provided opportunities for trips abroad, which inspired me a lot. In 1976 (at age 17) I got the chance to work for Partille Cup during the summer, something that I really enjoyed. A few years later I was studying at the university, while working for Savehof as their only employee. At Savehof I found almost too many interesting challenges and goals, so in the end I had to abandon my studies. 1980 was my first year in charge of Partille Cup, at that time with almost 300 teams from 20 countries.

[i]CA: In the early years, Partille Cup was mostly an event for Nordic and German teams. There were, and still are, many other youth tournaments during the summer months. What was it that caused Partille Cup and Saevehof to decide to be so ambitious in terms of size and global outreach?[/i]

SA: Gradually, there were several of us involved, who could handle different languages and enjoyed the experience in dealing with other cultures, so this increased our global ambitions. In the early 1980s, there were nine specific countries that helped adding a dimension to Partille Cup: Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Korea, Kuwait, Nigeria, Poland, Spain, Taiwan and Yugoslavia. We felt that several other youth tournaments looked very similar in their basic concept, so we wanted to stand out by offering a different approach. In this way, we became the model for events and federations that in more recent time have tried to be more global in their focus. But we keep taking new initiatives; now in January we will be involved in Kenya, helping our friends there to organize ”Partille Cup – Kenya Trophy” with more than 50 teams and 800 players! [i](Ed.: we will try to provide some reports from this event in a later article). [/i]

[i]CA: Of course, to be so successful, you must have a very attractive product; what do you see as the key factors in your ability to become so popular everywhere?[/i]

SA: First you need to have the support we enjoyed from the local authorities, who solved many logistical problems for us. But then the key really is the dedication of our staff. One needs people who are really service-minded and care about our participants. We have three persons full-time all year, and then we need a staff of about 25 more who take charge of different areas amd projects during the summer months. We need people who are willing to come back and make this sacrifice year after year, so that we get a lot of continuity and familiarity with the issues. In addition, we need about 1.100 volunteers, who take on a lot of hard work during the event, involving areas such as lodging, food, transportation, entertainment and sales. The people doing those jobs see it as a passion and a pride. We are known for our hospitality and personal touch, and this would have been impossible if we had used ’hired hands’ instead of volunteers.

[i]CA: Thinking back, what have been your happiest or proudest moments during all the years you have been involved?[/i]

SA: For me it is really the fact that we have been able to help so many ’new’ handball countries to get started and to get to love handball. Being able to invite them to the Partille Cup, and then see them go back home full of enthusiasm and ready to inspire others to develop our sport is really special. And it is really incredible to think that in total we have received more than 300,000 players and team leaders from about 20,000 teams and 85 countries. These are the aspects that personally make me feel proud. But I should also mention the big step we took in 2004, when we moved the whole event from the suburb of Partille to the very center of the city of Goteborg.

[i]CA: Looking ahead, I guess there are limits for the size, but in what other respects are you still trying to improve the event?[/i]

SA: As regards the size of the event, we are almost at the level of 1.000 teams now; from a logistics standpoint I am sure we would have no problems adding at least another 100-200. But if we had just focused on numbers, then I doubt we would ever have grown so much. It is the emphasis on quality and renewal that has made the growth possible. We want to have satisfied guests, so we want to make each individual feel important and welcome. We want them to feel that they get just as much attention as if the number of participants had been much smaller. Of course, there is one aspect that is critical for an outdoor event, and that is the weather that we (regrettably!) cannot control…

[i]To read the rest of the interview, click on the link:[/i]

[i]CA: Back in the early 1970s, Savehof was still a relatively modest club, with the senior teams typically struggling in the 3rd division or so; but while other traditional clubs have had a tough time, in terms of both results on the court and finances, Savehof has grown parallel to Partille Cup to become an absolute top club in Sweden, with good results also in EHF competition. How do explain this success story?[/i]

SA: From the time the club was founded in 1950, we have been able to nurture a lot of youth players for the top clubs all over Sweden. But in the early 1980s, there was a firm decision to stop this trend. We wanted our youth talents to stay in the club and, together with occasional recruits of experienced top players, our own talents have helped us get to a level where we could challenge the very top after about 10 years and then remain there.
Now at least 75% of the players on our elite teams (men and women) consist of players who grew up in Savehof. And the current Swedish national teams (also both men and women) each have about 6-8 players with a background in Savehof.

[i]CA: But in recent years, the tendency has been for both Saevehof and the other Swedish clubs to bring up young talents to the top level, but then to see them move on to tougher leagues and bigger money, not just in Bundesliga and ASOBAL but often in the neighboring countries. This could be both a source of pride and also a reason for frustration? How do you view it, and it is likely to continue this way?[/i]

SA: Of course it is nice if we can nurture players who eventually can make a living out of playing handball in other countries. But I get very frustrated when I see how poorly the small youth clubs are treated or compensated, after they initially recruit and provide these talents who later make a big-time career. The clubs below the international elite level are too weak to defend their interests. I also find it very frustrating that EU does not have any power or interest in ensuring that leagues in different countries are working under the same conditions, in terms of employer taxes or taxes on player salaries and signing fees.

[i]CA: Is there any hope that the Swedish League would ever become competitive enough so that the young stars would see it as an option to stay at home, and what would it take for this to happen?[/i]

SA: This change is already taking place. The breakthrough came three years ago in the form of contracts with the national TV channels. This season they broadcast 40 matches. This is an important factor in enabling each club the opportunity to improve its financial situation. We also have more spectators than ever before.

[i]CA: You are also involved in a major way in the preparations for the Men’s World Championship 2011, which is being hosted by Sweden. Such an event requires a major effort by a lot of people. What do you and the Swedish Federation hope will be the positive returns from making this effort?[/i]

SA: We do not want to host an event that would just be for the sake of Sweden or that would only offer something to the participating countries. We want the World Championship 2011 to be an event for the entire handball world, and that all the IHF member countries in one way or the other can feel they are part of it and get inspired.

[i]CA: When Sweden asked IHF for the privilege of hosting this event, you indicated that the Swedish federation would be prepared to ‘give back’ to the developing handball world in some interesting ways; could you give us some ideas of what this amounts to?[/i]

SA: Yes, we have offered to take the lead with many activities in the large continents Africa, America and Asia. The focus is on exchanges involving education for coaches, referees and team officials. This also includes invitations to Partille Cup under very favorable conditions, for countries that demonstrate a solid leadership.

[i]CA: As if you did not have enough on your plate already, you have now also agreed to serve on the IHF Commission for Promotion and Public Relations. More in general terms, how do you see yourself fitting into this role and being able to make a contribution?[/i]

SA: In many ways, I see my role and goals as similar to what they were when I first started working for Savehof and Partille Cup: I want to facilitate growth in handball, in terms of players, leaders, clubs, schools and countries. IHF should be the best vehicle for this. So this is why the ’CPP’ is the IHF Commission that fits my interests the best.

[i]CA: Do you have any specific issues that you would like to focus on or any particular ideas that you would like to see implemented?[/i]

SA: I would like to see a structure where every national federation documents the status of handball in its country, its goals, its opportunities and its obstacles. In this way one could also determine which federations are the ones who are developing in such a way that there is credibility and strong prospects for a return on any collaborative efforts. Wherever it is feasible, I would like to see handball spread through schools and teachers. I also believe federations and regions need to encourage a stronger competition structure with more events.

[i]CA: As you know better than most people, the success in the area of promotion and public relations essentially always depend on the quality of the product you are promoting. Handball is having an increasingly tough competition, not just from other sports but from other leisure activities, when we want to attract young players and new spectators and sponsors. If you were given free hands, what improvements to our product ‘handball’ would you like to see, in order to make us more competitive?[/i]

SA: This is an important challenge for all of us. Perhaps a solution would be to have a playing time of 3×20 minutes at the elite level. You would probably get more intensity and shorter stoppages in the game. I am also looking for better opportunites to integrate other activities with the match: involving the spectators, sponsors, media etc. And it important to try to add more ’drama’ to the TV broadcasts. Another wish is to have the referees use hand signals more fully to explain what actually happened in each situation where they intervene.

[i]CA: Finally, you have often nudged me regarding the participation of U.S. teams in Partille Cup, and you have shown a genuine interest in the development of handball in what has been my country for 35 years now. We both know that there are no easy solutions, but would you still care to offer any ideas or suggestions that you think would be helpful?[/i]

SA: It seems to me that, over and over, the people in charge of handball in the U.S. have felt that the key is to ‘build from the top’. This has always failed. I believe this is because the efforts have not been accompanied by sufficient efforts at the grassroots level. I also support the idea of selecting certain regions/states/cities with a special potential for a new sport to become established and grow. And then take a longer-term view – have patience!!

I am convinced that many of our readers, both in the United States and globally, would be interested in learning a bit more about what is going on in handball in Canada. Not too long ago, Canada tended to be a perennial participant with respectable performances in the World Championships, especially for women, but in recent years it has been quieter. So the traditions are there; what about the future?

Ward Hrabi has been the President of the Canadian Team Handball Federation for about 7 years now. His handball background also includes a period as an IHF referee, with nominations to Junior World Championships, and he remains active as a referee, coach and player “for the fun of it”. Elections are coming up in the new year in his Federation and he has told me he is ready to make himself available for yet another 2-year term.

[i]CA: Ward, how did your long involvement with handball get started? Isn’t a ‘normal’ young man in Canada supposed to get into ice hockey instead?[/i]

WH: Here in Winnipeg I was able to play handball in both grade school and high school, so I got hooked at a young age. And then I just continued: I was a player, I got into coaching and refereeing, and I got involved in starting developmental programs, including mini-handball. So with that I also started working for the handball federation in the Manitoba province.

[i]CA: How would you describe the obstacles and opportunities for handball in Canada?[/i]

WH: In many ways the situation is similar to that in the U.S. There is a lack of traditions for handball, so most schools and sports facilities have courts that are too small for full-size handball court, and for most teachers it is an unknown sport. The competition with the other major team sports is overwhelming. On the other hand, it is an easy sport to learn and an inexpensive sport to play. So once people get exposed to it, they enjoy it and get interested. What seems to attract them is not just the simplicity but also the speed and the physical contact.

[i]CA: What about the resources available to your federation for nationwide activities and for making handball known and popular?[/i]

WH: This is another major problem area. Unlike earlier days when we enjoyed at least a very modest funding, we currently get no financial support whatsoever from the government or from the Olympic Committee. They tend to focus on the individual sports instead of the team sports, as the return on the money in terms of medals and image is much cheaper and easier when one supports some hand-picked individual athletes. So we depend on membership fees from our Provincial Federations, a few corporate sponsors, private donations, revenue from sales of merchandize and then, frankly, the sacrifice of the athletes.

[i]CA: You mention ‘provincial federations’; that’s your basic structure in the national federation, isn’t it? Is this approach advantageous or does it have drawbacks?[/i]

WH: It is the natural approach for us, and I generally find it to be working well. The handball people in the different provinces tend to know their particular circumstances quite well, and they are prepared to work hard for their cause. But it is especially noteworthy that the more developed provincial federations show a lot of solidarity with those who are less developed and have limited resources. Those who are ahead provide both technical support and financial support through the CTHF’s budget process. They pay higher membership fees, although this also yields them more voting power in national federation matters.

[i]CA: Tell me a bit more about the different provinces![/i]

WH; Quebec has always been a stronghold, especially after the impetus of the 1976 Olympics, and Alberta has a solid base and is growing rapidly. Manitoba and Saskatchewan used to be the ‘up and coming’ ones but have stagnated. Conversely, traditional powers Ontario and British Columbia almost ‘dropped off the charts’ for a while but are now coming back strong. The other provinces are smaller and lagging in development so far.

[i]CA: So the rather limited resources of the national federation go primarily towards development and grassroots activities in those provinces that need it the most?[/i]

WH: Yes, indeed. We provide training opportunities and educational material for coaches and referees, and we help initiate competition activities. We spend very little on administration and overhead, as we have an office with only one staff member. And, while it is regrettable, all the activities for the national teams, both training camps and international events, are essentially paid for by the players themselves. This of course is tough, both for the younger ones, and for older ones who have jobs but often lose their income while spending their time on handball events.

[i]CA: What about the intensity of competition activities?[/i]

WH: It varies from province to province, but some have high school leagues locally and others have a regular club competition throughout the season. In most provinces, there is a concentration in the major population centers, and a truly province-wide approach would not be realistic. There are also some inter-province tournaments during the course of the year, and clubs have traditionally participated in events across the border in the U.S., on the West Coast, in New York City and in the West Point tournament, and more recently in an exchange between Winnipeg/Manitoba and Minneapolis down south.

[i]CA: On that Canadian – U.S. aspect, do you see a scope for increased collaboration and joint activities?[/i]

WH: The new regime in USATH has undoubtedly had its hands full in recent time, establishing new national programs and a new regional structure. But I would think that over time there will be an increased focus on U.S.-Canadian collaboration. I see good opportunities for pooling our resources in some areas of our work, such as training courses and international contacts. And it would seem that there is a great potential for expanding cross-border competition. Many of our population centers are located within a short distance of the border with the U.S., so such north-south travel might be less expensive and cumbersome than east-west travel which often is over long distances. So at the club or regional level, there should be good opportunities for more tournaments and exchanges.

[i]CA: What about Canadian-U.S. collaboration in an international or continental perspective?[/i]

WH: I think we have traditionally had a very good collaboration, because we find ourselves in similar circumstances in many ways. We are major sports countries where the traditions for handball are limited, but the scope for growth then is virtually unlimited. The importance of supporting this potential has not always been understood, or at least it has not been acted upon, by the International Handball Federation. (Sometimes, due the links between Quebec and France, we have had more help from the French Federation). We are also somewhat isolated from key countries in our huge continental federation, in terms of travel distances, language, culture and tradition. Therefore, it seems especially important to stick together. The same goes for Greenland, of course.

[i]CA: Does this mean that the Canadian Federation supports the recent USATH initiative to break away from the PanAmerican Team Handball Federation, together with some other neighbors, in order to form a more homogenous and convenient continental configuration?[/i]

WH: Yes, we have formally decided to support this initiative. It has the potential to create advantages for all involved. We only hope that the neighbors, especially key handball countries such as Mexico and Puerto Rico will view the situation the same way, and we also hope that our Latin American friends down south will have the right appreciation for this initiative and will not misunderstand our motives. Similarly, while a revised structure always creates the need for new solutions regarding representation in the IHF, qualifying slots for World Championships etc., we do hope that the IHF will see the longer-term advantages and will lend its broad support.

[i]CA: On that note, I want to thank Ward for sharing these interesting insights with our readers, and I wish Ward and his Canadian handball colleagues the best of luck for 2010 and the future beyond! Of course, while it does not include handball, the sports world will soon focus its attention on Canada, when the Winter Olympic Games get started in Vancouver![/i]

Many of you will scratch your heads in trying to figure out what the acronym ‘GRTP’ stands for. I cannot blame you: it is mostly known by the insiders in the world of refereeing. But it stands for ‘[u]Global Referee Training Program’[/u], and I think you will be interested in hearing a bit about it.

Traditionally, the IHF always had a tough time recruiting talents for the level of international referees from most of the countries outside Europe. These countries generally do not have many resources to train young referees. Similarly, most countries in all continents used to be in the habit of identifying candidates for the international level in the age bracket of 30-40, so that in the past the typical age of IHF referees would be about 35-50.

It was, of course, becoming increasingly problematic that not enough countries could supply candidates. And then the age structure was becoming a problem for a couple of reasons. First, with the increasing demand on the top referees, with many more matches per year, it was becoming evident that not many can stay on to the mandatory retirement age of 50; for work or family reasons, they need to retire at a younger age. Then the stronger emphasis on the fitness of the referees, in line with increasing speed and physical action in a game, was also becoming a reason for a focus on a younger age bracket. Realistically, the career of an IHF referee would now more typically be something like 30-43. (In football, FIFA has a mandatory retirement age at 45!)

The idea of some form of a GRTP had always been supported by the IHF President. However, this support was offset by the impact of micromanagement. About 5 years ago, rather than further debating the precise procedures and methods, the Referee Commission found it possible to move ahead with a particular approach that we believed in, figuring that actual success would lead to retroactive agreement on the details. And the success was soon noticeable, not just in terms of a flow of viable candidates of the right age and from a broad spectrum of countries, but also in terms of a nice and enthusiastic collaboration from the federations concerned.

Since 2005, well over 20 GRTP courses have been held in 4 different continents. Most of the courses outside Europe are for the identification of candidates and initial training. Annually, there are then some major youth tournaments in Europe used as a basis for further training and testing of the candidates. The viable candidates tend to need 2 or 3 courses before they can be seen as beginning to meet the standards for an IHF referee. The testing includes not just match performances and fitness, but also English proficiency and social competence. After all, these young referees are not placed on the IHF List just as an honor or as an indication of talent for the longer term; they must be ready to handle a Junior World Championship typically within a year or so.

Looking at the results in terms of numbers, the quick progress of the GRTP is really astounding. For the 2009-10 season, there are about 80 couples on the IHF List, and almost exactly three quarters of them have come up through the GRTP in recent years. So the overall turnover on the List has been tremendous, something that is partly due to a much higher rate of rate of retirements than had been expected, and partly because the progress of the new talents has enabled the IHF to release some older referees who had begun to stagnate or decline. In other words, the success of the GRTP has really been very fortunate and timely.

The success has not just been noticeable in terms of numbers. The best part of the experience was the widespread praise from coaches and other team officials in connection with the Junior and Youth World Championships this past summer. The assessment was that the standard of refereeing at this type of events was higher than ever. Even more remarkable is that 13 of the 16 couples nominated for the just concluding Women’s World Championship are GRTP ‘graduates’, and the same goes for 7 of the 12 couples nominated for the Men’s European Championship. This experience should really provide a lot of encouragement for future recruits. It is possible, through hard work and determination, to combine one’s talents with the IHF’s support into a strong and rewarding international career.

The only surprising and disappointing note is that some of the countries that in the past, prior to the introduction of the GRTP, always tended to supply good IHF referees, now seem to have become complacent or have not quite understood the new methods and procedures. In some cases, they are stuck in the traditions of giving priority to older referees. The countries I am referring to are mainly to be found among traditional handball countries in ‘western’ Europe, whereas, in nice contrast, almost all countries in ‘eastern’ Europe have quickly taken advantage of the GRTP route. The progress in the other continents has also been remarkable. So, please, ‘wake up’ those of you who must realize that my finger is pointing at you!

It is of course very nice if young referees with relatively limited international experience are already capable of handling the biggest events. But this is not a cause for complacency and relaxation. The experience in the Women’s World Championship has been generally positive, albeit with the usual sprinkling of sudden shakiness, just as among the teams. But this does [u]not[/u] mean that these referees have already become an established ‘elite’. They have climbed quickly to this level, and most of them met the expectations of the IHF and of the teams. But it is a well-known fact that [u]nobody can get firmly established at the top without a lot more experience and, especially, a lot of hard work, year after year[/u].

IHF must now shift gear and focus more on continued [u]nurturing of the already existing talents[/u], i.e., more on solidifying the quality than on just increasing the quantity of GRTP graduates beyond what is really needed. And the respective [u]national and continental federations must also provide strong support[/u]. The top group needs constant coaching and supervision. One particular concern is the lack of continuous international match experience for the non-European members the emerging elite group. For them it is not realistic to remain competitive solely on the basis of the games available within their own respective continents. IHF and the federations in Europe must be willing to offer them frequent opportunities in a systematic manner!