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Al-Ahram Weekly 27 May - 2 June 1999 Issue No. 431 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 27 May - 2 June 1999 Issue No. 431
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Living Features Travel Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters A run-down of previous World Championships
1938
The first indoor handball championship was held in Berlin, capital of Germany. The commemorative first match was fought between Germany and Denmark, each proudly claiming that handball originated in their country. This best possible card excited the 10,000 spectators. The battle between the 11-player format of Germany and Austria, and the seven-player format of Denmark and Sweden, finished in victory for the 11-player format. Victorious Germany went on to obtain the world title, thus winning three victories in total, including the one in the Berlin Olympics two years before.1954
The second championship, the focus of great attention, was held in Sweden, a traditional handball stronghold, for the first time since the establishment of the IHF.1958
Sixteen countries competed in the third championship held in East Germany. It was helped by other East European countries which had begun to promote handball. From the Americas, Brazil participated. In the championship, Germany was unexpectedly defeated by Czechoslovakia, and top contender Sweden won for the second time, through difficult matches. After the third championship, the IHF was contacted by Japan, which had expressed its intention to participate in the next event.1961
At the fourth championship, held in West Germany, qualification matches were held for the first time. The Germans left the championship empty-handed. Romania clinched first place, followed by Czechoslovakia and Sweden respectively.1964
In the fifth championship, Romania claimed the world title. The Soviet Union participated in this event for the first time, quickly rising to the rank of powerful contenders and ushering in the age of East European dominance. With the seven-player format, Eastern European strength influenced other countries and the 11-player format was used for the last time at the seventh championship in 1977.1967
One year after the International Olympic Committee decided to reinstate handball as an Olympic event starting from the Munich Games in 1972, the sixth championship proved that handball had changed from a European sport to a world sport. The Czechs ended the dominance of the Romanians during this event when they snatched the world title. They were followed by Denmark in second place and Romania in third place.1970
At the seventh championship, held in France in 1970, and a qualifying competition for the Olympic Games, close matches were fought with great excitement from the early stages. East European dominance continued and Romania retained its world title. East Germany came second and Yugoslavia third.1974
At the eighth championship, when the two-league system was adopted, Denmark was the only country in the West to proceed to the second-stage tournament. The final match was fought between Romania and East Germany, for the second consecutive time. Romania won by reversing East Germany's lead at the end. The closing ceremony was a repetition of the previous World Championship as Romania, East Germany and Yugoslavia stepped onto the podium to receive their gold, silver and bronze medals respectively.1978
At the ninth championship held in Denmark, West Germany won for the first time in the 40 years since the first championship. The Soviet Union flexed its muscles and took second place, with East Germany third.1982
At the 10th championship, the finalists of the previous championship, West Germany and the Soviet Union, fought in the preliminary round. The Soviet Union avenged its loss, meeting general expectations. Third place went to Poland.1986
The attention was focused on South Korea, which was to host the Olympic Games in Seoul two years later. The young Korean ace Jae Won Kang was honoured as the best scoring player, while Iceland and Czechoslovakia performed well, bringing new currents to the handball scene. During the 1980s, punctuated by these remarkable events, handball became popular throughout the world. Yugoslavia won the title for the first time, followed by Hungary and East Germany in second and third place respectively.1990
The 12th championship was dominated by Sweden and its superb goalkeeper Mats Olsson. Sweden became champion for the first time in 32 years.1993
Sweden's ambition for a second consecutive victory, this time in their home country, was smashed by Russia, the team reborn out of the former Soviet Union. Russia remained overwhelmingly powerful in the final match, defeating France. Ironically, however, Russia was the only Eastern country among the six best teams at this championship, which signified the end of the East European dominance in the world of handball. In that event, Sweden only managed to claim third place. France took second place.1995
This championship was held in Iceland and made history with the highest number of participating countries: 24. France, led by today's world handball superstar Jackson Richardson, emerged as victors. Historic world changes were reflected in the participation of Croatia, Belarus and Slovenia. African countries such as Egypt and Algeria also made marked progression in this event. Egypt was able to steal a place from Europe when they were placed sixth for the first time.1997
Handball had progressed even more by 1997, when the world championships were staged for the first time outside Europe. The 15th competition was held in Japan, drawing more attention and gaining more popularity for the game. And once more, the Swedes couldn't fend off the fierce Russians, who claimed the world title. This year, Egypt will host 24 nations for the 16th world championship, which will be staged for the first time in Africa.
