The IHF presidential election in Cairo was presented as a democratic process. But behind closed doors, the conditions were far from equal. GoHandball can reveal that the challengers to the sitting president were denied access to key continental meetings – while the incumbent was given the stage.
In the days leading up to the IHF Congress in Cairo, all presidential candidates were formally expected to present their visions for the future of world handball. Those presentations were meant to take place during the continental federation meetings held one day before the election – a crucial opportunity to reach voting delegates from Africa, Asia, the Americas and Oceania.
That opportunity never materialised.
According to information obtained by GoHandball, the three challengers to the sitting IHF President Hassan Moustafa were not allowed to attend or present at those continental meetings. No campaign presentations. No debate. No exchange of ideas. At the same time, the incumbent president – also running for re-election – was present at the meetings together with members of his future leadership team.
One-sided campaign
The result was a one-sided campaign environment where continuity was not only defended, but actively facilitated. For federations outside Europe, those meetings are often the primary – and sometimes only – direct point of contact with presidential candidates. Denying access to challengers while granting it to the incumbent fundamentally altered the balance of the election.
This revelation adds new weight to long-standing criticism of IHF governance and electoral procedures. As previously reported by GoHandball, the federation’s structure heavily favours institutional continuity. Nearly half of IHF’s member federations do not operate national teams, many lack functional digital presence, and voting power is distributed equally regardless of sporting activity.
Against that backdrop, the absence of an open campaign platform becomes even more significant.
Seventh consecutive mandate for Moustafa
The election outcome – a seventh consecutive mandate for an 81-year-old president – was ultimately decided by overwhelming support from outside Europe. But the process leading there raises serious questions. How can an election be considered fair when not all candidates are allowed to present their programs under equal conditions?
One reform was adopted: the introduction of an age limit that will force leadership change by 2029. Yet this election was not just about the future – it was about the present.
And what GoHandball can now reveal is that, once again, world handball chose a controlled process over an open contest.
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