Mishandling the handball - two committees, one sport, zero trophies

How hard is it to learn about a player or a team representing India in a sport?

Easy, right? Just google it or, better, use ChatGPT. Wait until you want to know about the Indian Handball situation.

This is the website of the Indian Olympic Association, which lists all the Olympic sports in which India has a team. One would expect the association to list all the players, their key achievements, their next tournaments and links to the official websites of these sports. Right?

Check the link of Handball mentioned on the IOA website (https://handballindia.in/)

If not about the sport, you will definitely be informed about the Mukhyamantri Maiya Samman Yojana, which could benefit you.

About the Sport

This is just the beginning. Let's delve deeper into this sport and its challenges, which are crucial to understanding the future of Handball in India. Handball is managed internationally by the International Handball Federation (IHF), currently led by Dr Hassan Moustafa. In Asia, it is taken care of by the Asian Handball Federation (AHF). 92 nations participate in the Men's category and 77 in the Women's category. It has been part of the Olympics since 1972.

Situation in India

But it would be very difficult to determine who runs handball in India. There are two main bodies - the Handball Federation of India (HFI) and the Handball Association of India (HAI). The HFI, according to their website, is the administrative and controlling body for handball, beach handball, and wheelchair handball in the Republic of India. It was founded in 1972 and is affiliated with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). The HAI, on the other hand, was founded by Jagat Singh Lohan, who introduced the game to India in the early 1970s. He played a pivotal role in popularising the sport, laying the foundation for its growth and development across the country.

Jagat Singh Lohan, Father of Indian Handball

Now, let's navigate through the maze of Indian Handball governance. HFI claims to be the official body for all Handball Activities in India, but IHF and AHF recognize Jagan Mohan Rao-led HAI, with Tejraj Singh as its secretary. The Indian Ministry of Sports also recognizes HAI as the country's official governing body of the sport. Last year, IHF even threatened to ban India from playing Handball at the International level due to interference from Digvijay Chautala-led HFI. So, to summarize, the Indian Olympic Association recognizes HFI, but the Ministry of Sports recognizes HAI. The scheduled merger of both associations in 2023 is still pending due to a court order, adding to the confusion and the urgent need for a resolution.

The consequences of this governance turmoil have been severe. Handball was banned from the 2022 National Games held in Gujarat, adversely affecting the lives of more than 350 players. As a result, India's ranking in the sport plummeted to its lowest level. The Indian Men's team is ranked 86 out of 92, while the women's team is 53 out of 77. The situation is alarming and needs urgent interference from IOA and Ministry.

New Hope

But even in the darkest times of the sports, there has been a ray of hope. India is set to launch its first professional Women's Handball League at an investment of ₹100 crore over the next three years. Pavna Sports Venture, part of Pavna Industries Ltd will launch this event in 2025 and has already signed multi-year deal with Nivia Sports as official ball and kit sponsor.

Resources:

1. https://handballfederationofindia.com/

2. https://handballindia.com/

3. https://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/other/2022/Sep/22/handball-out-of-national-games-at-least-for-now-2500572.html

4. https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1146451/accus-ihf-ahf-injustice-indian-handball

5. https://www.livemint.com/sports/news/india-to-kick-off-first-womens-handball-league-with-rs-100-crore-investment-11707222775296.html