Sweden has refused to disclose how it voted in the December IHF presidential election. Now former IHF top official Per Bertelsen claims he knows the answer – and says the explanation lies in personal and structural ties at the top of international handball.
“I am quite sure Sweden voted for Hassan,” he tells GoHandball.
When GoHandball covered the December presidential election within the International Handball Federation, one recurring theme was the lack of transparency from several member federations.
Among them: The Swedish Handball Federation.
Despite repeated questions, Sweden has declined to reveal which candidate it supported in the vote that once again secured a new term for Hassan Moustafa.
In a new interview with GoHandball, former IHF official Per Bertelsen now offers his version of events.
“I heard ahead of the congress”
Bertelsen, who recently broke his silence in Danish media about his own fallout with the IHF leadership, says Sweden’s silence is not accidental.
“Anna Rapp is on the inside and that’s one of the reasons Sweden won’t say anything about which candidate they voted for. But I heard ahead before the congress that Sweden would vote for Hassan and for all of Hassan’s candidates.”
Anna Rapp currently serves within the IHF structure as treasurer, and Bertelsen suggests that her position is part of the explanation.
He continues:
“The other reason is that Jörgen Holmqvist is very close to Hassan, and Hassan is using Jörgen in all the cases where he needs a lawyer. So Anna Rapp, and her marriage to Fredrik Rapp, plus Jörgen Holmqvist, are the reasons Sweden are not saying anything. But I am quite sure Sweden voted for Hassan.”
GoHandball off course asked both Fredrik Rapp and Jörgen Holmqvist about this, and about the statements from Bertelsen. More on that in a separate article.
Silence as structure
The question of transparency has been central to the debate surrounding the election. While the IHF maintains that its processes follow established statutes, critics argue that the secrecy surrounding national votes makes accountability difficult.
Bertelsen frames Sweden’s silence not as an isolated case, but as part of a broader culture within the federation, one where political alliances and personal relationships matter.
Sweden has historically been seen as a strong European voice within international handball governance. Whether it supported Moustafa or not therefore carries symbolic weight, particularly given Europe’s occasional attempts to present alternative leadership at the global level.
For now, however, the official Swedish line remains unchanged: no public confirmation of its vote.
Bertelsen, on the other hand, leaves little room for doubt about his own assessment.
“I am quite sure Sweden voted for Hassan.”