Handball Federation Rubber Stamps Moustafa Re-election

(ATR) The International Handball Federation chooses to keep the status quo in an unopposed presidential election for Hassan Moustafa.

The 36th IHF Congress in Antalya, Turkey rubber stamped Moustafa’s re-election bid, giving the incumbent president 104 votes in favor of his continued leadership. Nine members voted against Moustafa while four abstained.

Moustafa will run the federation until 2021 after winning his fourth reelection. Now 73-years-old, Moustafa has led the federation since 2000.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach congratulated Moustafa on his re-election in a letter.

"Your re-election is an affirmation of the excellent contribution you have made to the world of handball throughout the last seventeen years in your role as IHF President," Bach wrote in a letter.

"Thanks to your enthusiasm, dedication and valuable work, your federation has been continuously evolving, as underlined by the introduction of the beach handball on the program of the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018."

Following the presidential affirmation, former French Handball Federation president Joel Deplanque was elected as the first vice president 69-63 over challenger Miguel Roca Mas of Spain. Mas was elected in the first round of voting but a re-vote was conducted after a challenge by a delegate.

Narcisa Lecusanu and Frantisek Taborsky were added to the Executive Committee while Anna Rapp was confirmed as the treasurer.

The congress also approved five National Federations during the congress, including Fiji, Timor-Leste and Jamaica as full members and Scotland and England as associate members.

Hosting rights for two youth championships were also awarded, with Romania earning the 2020 U-20 Women's World Championships and Greece the 2021 U-19 Men’s World Championships.

Written by Kevin Nutley

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