After the 2025 IHF presidential election, GoHandball contacted every national federation in the world to ask a simple question: who did you vote for? Despite reaching out to all member federations, only a handful responded – highlighting once again the culture of secrecy surrounding power at the top of international handball.
In the aftermath of the 2025 IHF Congress and the re-election of Hassan Moustafa, GoHandball set out to map how the vote actually unfolded.
An email was sent to all 211 IHF member federations, asking which presidential candidate they supported at the Congress. Not all federations were eligible to vote, but all were invited to respond. A total of 16 of our emails sent bounced, meaning that the email addresses that were provided on the IHF website were non-active.
The result was telling.
Only a small minority of federations replied. And among those who did, many declined to answer – citing secrecy, confidentiality, or questioning why the information should be requested at all.
The exercise, however, revealed more than just voting preferences. It offered a glimpse into how transparency, accountability, and openness are perceived, or avoided, within international handball governance.
“The vote was secret”
Several federations responded by explicitly refusing to disclose their choice, pointing to the secret ballot.
Tonga replied briefly:
“I am sorry but I treated it as a secret ballot so I won’t.”
The Democratic Republic of Congo questioned the very premise of the inquiry:
“I want to know why you need that, because the vote was secret.”
Kazakhstan delivered a formal refusal:
“The voting process for the IHF presidential elections is conducted by secret ballot, and the positions of individual national federations are not made public.”
Similar responses came from Latvia and the Faroe Islands, both emphasizing respect for the anonymity of the process – even while acknowledging the broader debate about change within the IHF.
Ireland, Denmark, and Luxembourg chose different paths.
Federations that answered
A small number of federations did disclose their position.
Tunisia confirmed its support for the incumbent:
“Hassan Moustafa.”
Others openly backed opposition candidates.
Ireland stated:
“Ireland voted for Mr. Franjo Bobinac at the recent IHF election.”
Ukraine confirmed its vote for Gerd Butzeck.
Honduras also supported Bobinac:
“The vote of Honduras was for Mr. Franjo Bobinac.”
Luxembourg revealed it voted against the sitting president:
“We did not vote for the actual president.”
Denmark confirmed it did not vote for Hassan Moustafa, but declined to name its alternative candidate, citing ongoing efforts to work toward leadership change within the IHF.
Who didn’t vote
Some federations were unable to participate at all.
New Zealand explained that it did not vote because it had no representative physically present at the Congress – and no option to vote remotely or by proxy.
The response raises questions about access and equality within IHF decision-making, particularly for smaller or geographically distant federations.
A broader governance question
One response stood out for addressing not the candidate – but the system itself.
Canada questioned the legitimacy of current voting rules, arguing that voting rights should be tied to measurable activity and governance standards.
“A nation should earn its right to vote by demonstrating a minimum level of active participation and governance.”
It is a critique increasingly heard in international sport, and one that resonates amid ongoing discussions about reform within the IHF.
Silence speaks loudly
The overwhelming lack of responses may be the most revealing outcome of all.
In an organization with more than 200 member federations, where power has remained unchanged for a quarter of a century, transparency remains optional – even after the vote is over.
Whether the silence reflects fear, loyalty, indifference, or tradition is impossible to say.
But one thing is clear:
When asked directly, most of the world’s handball federations chose not to answer.
And in international handball politics, that silence often says more than words.
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