When Dutch amateur handball veteran Tjark de Lange steps onto the international stage as a candidate for IHF president, he brings a simple but bold promise: to put the sport ahead of politics, rebuild trust, and make handball a game young players can proudly claim as their own. In a federation long criticized for non-transparent governance and long tenures, de Lange positions himself as a team player ready to lead by collaboration rather than authority.
De Lange’s journey in handball governance began in 2011, when he took the helm of the Dutch handball federation. “At that moment they were at the brink of collapse,” he recalls. “Handball is my sport. It was extremely important to step up and put my interest into doing the best for handball.”
For him, the focus has always been on the players, especially the youngest. “Handball was always in the news for governance issues, so it wasn’t a sport you could proudly say you played. Always negative stuff. I wanted to change that, and I think we managed. Children in the Netherlands now are proud to say they play handball. We did that as a team – a complete team of people focused on building a good sport structure, governance, a normal way of dealing with each other. Modern, open, transparent. Not about individuals.”
Late decision on IHF presidency
His decision to run for the IHF presidency came later than expected. “My concentration was on the position in the EHF,” he explains. de Lange was in fact chosen as a member of the EHF executive committee.
“The election of the EHF was also during the last day to apply for the IHF candidacy. My federation said it was extremely important to send a signal to the international handball world that change is necessary.”
De Lange highlights teamwork and trust as his core strengths. “I would say the experience of connecting people, making sure we are doing things together. Building trust, building teams. The individual alone can never do it – you can only do it together.”
His background spans business leadership, industry boards, and handball governance at national and international levels – a combination he believes equips him for the IHF’s challenges.
Reform, for de Lange, is about pragmatism and collaboration, not confrontation. “Handball needs to grow outside Europe. Also, a lot of countries in Europe are not strong enough to handle the future. Federation cooperation is extremely important, building of trust as well.”
Isn’t focusing on his chances
Asked about his electoral prospects in a polarized handball world, he is candid. “To be honest, I don’t think my chances are very important. The important thing is that change is established within the IHF. Good governance is also about limiting the number of times you can be in a certain position. No matter how good you are, it’s extremely hard to stay focused for more than 10–12 years in a specific function.”
Expanding handball globally is another major focus. “Competition is from other sports. We are in the entertainment business. Handball has enormous potential – it’s fast, competitive, fair. Our challenge is to bring the sport further than Europe, which is not easy. It requires effort from regional federations and European expertise. Sometimes in our challenge to expand, we forget to see the possibilities we already have.”
If elected, de Lange’s first steps would be collaborative planning. “It’s extremely important to work together with regional federations to make a very good plan together. It’s about the members, about European members individually, about regional federations. About what we do together.”
For him, it’s about earning trust, not self-promotion. “I would hope they trust me that I can do it. That’s the main thing. They vote for the one they trust, to lead the federation in a way they feel comfortable and supported with.”
At 58, de Lange may be younger than his rivals, but it’s his mindset that matters most. “It would be an extreme honor to lead the international handball world and put all my effort into bringing handball further. The international handball community is very nice, very competitive, and full of people dedicated to improving the sport. I want to work with them, not above them, and make sure young players see that the leaders are there for handball, not themselves.”
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