Under 20
Men's Coach and Team Manager Applications
May 18, 2010
Applications are invited from suitably qualified people
for the positions of Coach and Manager for the U20 Men’s
National Team for the Oceania Challenge Cup event to be
held in New Caledonia in September 2010.
View PDF File
Announcement of
Bankwest Sponsorship towards Gallipoli Tri Nations
Tournament Participation
Apr 16, 2010
Australia is competing in the first ever, commemorative
Gallipoli Tri Nations Tournament during Anzac Week in
Çanakkale, Turkey. The tournament has been created to
pay tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives in the
battle in 1915 and to honour the unique friendship
forged between Australia, Turkey and New Zealand, on the
battlefields.
The Australian team, gathered from many parts of the
country, have been training hard despite uncertainty as
to whether the team would be able to participate in the
historic event. Raising funds for the trip has been a
struggle; however, the team is able to celebrate its
first victory in obtaining the assistance of a sponsor.
Bankwest noticed the team’s plight and came forward to
make a significant contribution towards cost of the
trip; without this sponsorship, there was serious doubt
that the Team could proceed with its participation in
the historic sport event.
The team of Aussies will now be leaving for the city of
Çanakkale on Sunday, to compete in the tournament taking
place between 21st – 24th April 2010, ending with all
three teams attending the dawn service at Anzac Cove in
Gallipoli.
Handball is a sport more associated with European fields
than the scrub of the Australian outback. And while the
Aussies are considered the underdogs of the competition,
they have been preparing for months and - inspired with
their passion for the sport and country - are aiming to
win. The tournament has been designed to take the
special relationship formed between the three countries
during the war in 1915, to a battle of the sporting
kind.
Paul Vivian from Bankwest said, ‘We believe that what
the players are doing is admirable. What better way to
honour the friendship made by the three countries than
through a sporting competition. We’re proud of the team,
wish the players and officials the best of luck and are
pleased to have been able to help them on their way.”
Paul Smith, President of the Australian Handball
Association said, ‘Handball is a fantastic sport, played
by people all over the world. It might not be the best
known sport here in Australia but we have a dedicated
team and growing numbers of enthusiasts. The New Zealand
and Turkish teams are pretty strong, but we’re going to
do our best to come out on top. On behalf of the Team
and AHF, I wish to thank Bankwest for partnering us in
this historic event.”
Invitation to
Participate in the Croatian World Games
Mar 21, 2010
The Australian Handball Federation [AHF] congratulates
Team Handball Association of South Australia in its
involvement in the planning and conducting of the
"Exhibition Handball Match" in Adelaide
in conjunction with the Croatian World Games [Australia]
and the National
Organising Committee & CWG(A) Handball Team.Handball.
The “Exhibition Handball Match” which will be held at
3.00 p.m. on Sunday, 28 March 2010
at the Underdale Campus is part of the preparation for
“Team Australia” to participate in the July 2010
Croatian World Games. This match will be between a
Croatian-Australian team against a THASA men’s handball
team.
The organisers for the event are looking for more
Croatian-Australian players to join in this match and
possibly in the Croatian World Games.. It is hoped the
event will attract interest from new players from within
the Adelaide
and wider Croatian-Australian community. Interstate
players are also invited to join in the Adelaide match,
to get to know and gain some match practice with some of
the Croatian World Games players.
Interested players may contact: Branimir (Kevin)
Sprajcer of Croatian World Games (Australia), National
Organising Committee & CWG(A)
Handball Team on mobile: 0401 158 609 or Tone Lampe of
THASA on mobile 0432 24 10 11.
AHF wishes all the participants and everyone involved in
the Adelaide Exhibition Match and the upcoming Croatian
World Games successful and enjoyable events.
Nominations for
National Team Managers, Women’s Teams
Mar 20, 2010
Applications are invited from suitably qualified people
for the following positions:
1.National Team Manager – Women’s Team
2.National Team Manager – Junior Women’s Team, for
World Championships in Korea in July 2010.
Period of employment:
The successful candidate for National Team Manager,
Women’s Team will be appointed for a period of up to two
years up to and including the World Championship (and
appropriate reporting and reconciliation period),
pending a favourable review at the end of twelve months
or at the conclusion of the next World Championship.
The successful candidate for National Team Manager,
Junior Women’s Team will be appointed specifically for
the upcoming 2010 World Championships (and appropriate
reporting and reconciliation period).
Conditions of appointment:
Conditions of appointment for the position of National
Team Coaches and Managers:
(a) This is a non-paid position.
(b) The successful applicant will have
accommodation, travel and approved expenses paid for
his/her attendance at approved National Training and
Selection camps, Qualification Tournaments, World
Championships and any other events as are granted prior
approval by the Board of the AHF.
(c) The successful candidate must agree to attend
the events, training camps and tournaments as outlined
in (b) above.
Click Here to see more
information in attached Position Description ( PDF File
).
How
to register your interest:
Applicants must apply in writing addressing the relevant
Criteria for Position (as listed in section of attached
Position Description) and stating their credentials,
experience and qualifications relative to the position(s)
applied for.
All applications are to be forwarded to the AHF via
email, addressed to the
Secretary General:
sec-gen@handballaustralia.org.au
and enclosing all relevant documents as attachments.
Equal
opportunities:
The
AHF is committed to equal opportunities in its
employment policies, practices and procedures.
Closing date for applications:
1 April 2010.
Coach's Code of Ethics
1.
Respect the rights, dignity and worth of every
human being
Within the context of the activity, treat
everyone equally regardless of gender,
disability, ethnic origin or religion.
2.
Ensure the athletes’ time spent with you is a
Positive experience.
All athletes are deserving of equal attention
and opportunities
3.
Treat each athlete as an individual.
·
Respect the talent, developmental stage and
goals of each individual athlete.
·
Help each athlete reach their full potential.
4.
Be fair, considerate and honest with athletes.
5.
Be professional and accept responsibility
for your actions
·
Display high standards in your language, manner,
punctuality, preparation and presentation
·
Display control, respect, dignity and
professionalism to all involved with the sport -
this includes opponents, coaches, officials,
administrators, the media, parents and
spectators
·
Encourage your athletes to demonstrate the same
qualities
6.
Make a commitment to providing a quality service
to your athletes.
·
Maintain or improve your current NCAS
accreditation
·
Seek continual improvement through performance
appraisal and ongoing coach education.
·
Provide a training program which is planned and
sequential
·
Maintain appropriate records
7.
Operate within the rules and spirit of your
sport
The guidelines of the IHF and AHF should be
followed.
Please contact the AHF for a copy of the rule
book, constitution, by-laws, relevant policies,
e.g. Anti-doping Policy and selection procedures
Coaches should educate their athletes on drugs
in sport issues in consultation with the
Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA).
8.
Any physical contact with athletes should be:
·
Appropriate to the situation.
·
Necessary for the athlete's skill development. *
9.
Refrain from any form of personal abuse towards
your athletes*
·
This includes verbal, physical and emotional
abuse.
·
Be alert to any forms of abuse directed towards
your athletes from other sources whilst they are
in your care.
10.
Refrain from any form of harassment towards your
athletes*.
·
This includes sexual and racial harassment,
racial vilification and harassment on the
grounds of disability
·
You should not only refrain from initiating a
relationship with an athlete, but should also
discourage any attempt by an athlete to initiate
a sexual relationship with you, explaining the
ethical basis of your refusal
11.
Provide a safe environment for training and
competition
·
Ensure equipment and facilities meet safety
standards.
·
Ensure equipment, rules, training and the
environment need to be appropriate for the age
and ability of the athletes
12.
Show concern and caution towards sick and
injured athletes
·
Provide a modified training program where
appropriate.
·
Allow further participation in training and
competition only when appropriate.
·
Encourage the athlete to seek medical advice
when required.
·
Maintain the same interest and support towards
sick and insured athletes.
13.
Be a positive role model for your sport and
athletes
* Please refer to the Harassment-free Sport guidelines
available from the Australian Sports Commission for more
information on harassment.
Re-Appointment
Of Head Coach, Women's Team
Mar 16, 2010
The Australian Handball Federation [AHF] is pleased to
announce the continuation of Katsu Kinoshita in the
position of Head Coach of the Women’s Team, following
the completion of a review conducted by the Board.
Katsu was appointed in 2008 for four years, subject to a
review following the Women’s World Championship 2009.
The review noted that although Australia had a young
team, it had better game outcomes at the XIX Women’s
World Championship held in China in December 2009 in
comparison with previous world championships. It also
took into account comments from the players, team
officials and members of the AHF Board.
Katsu’s appointment is effective until after the 2011
Women’s World championship. AHF congratulates Katsu and
wishes him and the Women’s Team well on all their
endeavours as they start preparation for this event.
AHF Southern Stars In 2010
Superglobe
Mar 01, 2010
The
Australian Handball Federation [AHF] is pleased to
announce that it has accepted an invitation by the
International Handball Federation to participate in the
2010 IHF Super Globe championship. This event brings
together club champions of each Handball Confederation:
Europe, Africa, Asia, Pan America and Oceania.
This is a very exciting and important time for Australia
and the Oceania Region, with the Super Globe
Championship closely following the historic Tri Nations
Tournament in April in Turkey.
The Super Globe Championship has been held three times
at five yearly intervals since being introduced to the
handball calendar in 1997. There was no Oceania
representative included in these three tournaments.
The past events’ host nations and Champion Clubs are as
follows:
1997 Austria - Santander,
Spain
2002 Qatar. - Al Sadd,
Qatar
2007 Egypt. - Ciudad Real,
Spain
IHF advised that commencing in 2010, the Super Globe
will be played annually, and will include for the first
time the Champion Club Team from Oceania. Qatar will
host the event for four years, with the 2010 tournament
taking place from 17th to
21st May 2010.
The AHF has been invited to enter a composite team in
the Super Globe 2010. Sydney Handball won the
Oceania Club Champions Cup held in December 2009 in
Tahiti. Thus the AHF Southern Stars will take its
place in competition against the Club Champions of each
Confederation and the host nation, Qatar.
The participants for the 2010 Super Globe Championship
are:
Europe: BM Ciudad Real,
Spain
Africa: Qualification decided 6th
April
Asia: Sulaibikhat Club, Kuwait
Pan America: Unopar/Fel/Sercomtel, Brazil
Oceania: AHF Southern Stars, Australia
Host Nation: Al Saad,Qatar
The tournament will be played within two pools. The top
two will play the semi finals, with the winners playing
for the Championship and the loser for 3rd place. The
3rd place from each pool will play a placement game for
5th place.
The AHF Southern Stars Team will comprise players
selected from the National Team Training squad, and will
form part of the program of preparation for the
Towards Sweden 2011Program.
AHF AGM 2010
Feb 21, 2010
In accordance with the AHF
Constitution (clause 30), notice is hereby given of the
Annual General Meeting of the AHF, to be held in Sydney
on Saturday, 17 April 2010. In accordance with the AHF
Constitution (clause 20 and 30), all nominations for the
position of President (term of 2 years) and Directors of
the AHF (1 term of 2 years and 1 term of 1 year) as well
as any additional Agenda items for the AGM must be
submitted to the Secretary-General by 20 March 2010, in
order to allow for the Agenda and details of all
nominations to be distributed prior to the AGM.
For more information
please
Click Here to view pdf
file
Successful 2010
Beach Handball Event
Feb 14, 2010
The Australian Handball Federation [AHF] congratulates
Team Handball Association South Australia [THASA] for
hosting the successful 2010 Beach Handball
Championship. The event was held on 6 -7 February 2010
in Glenelg Beach, South Australia.
The event which was well attended by great number of
spectators, involved the following teams:
Women
Group A
Group B
Monash Spring Power [Victoria] Monash Handball Club
2 [Victoria]
Sydney Blue [New South Wales] Sydney Navy [New South
Wales]
Hot Peri Peri [South Australia] Southern Beaches
[South Australia]
Sydney Pink [New South Wales] United States of
Australia [Queensland & Western Australia]
Men
Monash United [Victoria]
Salvage [South Australia]
Sandy Gropers [South Australia]
Men WA [Western Australia]
The winners of the championship are:
Men’s Western Australia
Women’s United States of
Australia
Best & Fairest – Male Stephane Tabardine
Monash United
Best & Fairest – Female Sally Potocki
Sydney Pink
AHF thanks the THASA’s Organising Committee headed by
Mel Batten, Anne-Gaelle Morin and Tone Lampe and
everyone involved for all the effort in ensuring a
successful and enjoyable handball event.
Sydney
wins Oceania Club’s Championship
Dec 27, 2009
2009
Oceania Club Champions - Sydney
Sydney Handball
players have not stopped celebrating since winning
this year’s Oceania Club Championships, in Papeete
on 17 December. Following their popular win, the
team travelled to the tropical island of Moorea
where they spent three days in the sun, celebrating
their title.
Sydney opened
the tournament with a 26:20 win, in a friendly
match, over a Tahiti A selection that comprised of
young national team hopefuls. The team then
continued their winning form, with convincing
victories in all of their Group A preliminary
matches, including a 24:16 win over former
Champions, New Caledonian club Mont Dore.
After topping
Group A, Sydney advanced into the final in
impressive style, defeating New Caledonian Champions
AS Dumbea 33:28 (half-time 17:8) in the semi-final.
Oliver
Junker Shoots
The local media
poured praise over the team from Sydney in their
daily coverage, impressed with Oliver Junker’s long
range shooting and Fabian Synneby’s creativity in
attack but mostly attributing Sydney’s wins to their
“defence of steel”.
A presidential audience
A full house,
which included Tahiti’s President Mt Gaston Tong
Sang turned-out to see local team Faa’a take on
Sydney. Despite the vocal support from the crowd,
the Tahitian Champions found it difficult to break
the Sydney defence, falling behind 5:1 in the first
15 minutes of the game. Sydney’s defence was
bolstered by an inspirational performance by the
experienced keeper Pascal Winkler, who was
unanimously voted the best keeper of the tournament.
Faa’a fought
back in the latter moments of the first half to
narrow the margin but fell back quickly at the start
of the first half as Sydney hit back immediately
with four consecutive goals. Sydney maintained a
good lead for the remainder of the game despite a
spirited fight by the local team, which included
player of the tournament Terimahaurani Faheau who’s
impressive leap and shooting ability has captured
the eye of several French clubs.
Sydney
Players celebrate after winning the
tournament
With seconds
left on the clock, Sydney players erupted with joy
before turning to thank Faa’a’s supporters and
players for the match. Faa’a’s captain then
addressed the Sydney players, thanking them for
their competitive spirit, before leading his entire
squad in a kneeled bow to show their respect for the
Sydney team.
Melbourne unlucky to miss on
finals, Kodric impressive
The team from
Melbourne were unlucky to miss out in a semi-final
spot, after Faa’a and Caledonian club Dumbea drew
their last round encounter in Group B. A win, by any
side, would have sent Melbourne through as the
second placed team.
Melbourne's Nick Kodric in action
Melbourne
defeated Wellington’s Falcons 20:17 to secure the
fifth spot in the tournament. Along the way,
Melbourne’s raising star Nick Kodric placed fourth
in the top-scorers list with 36 goals in 6 games.
The talented 19 year old pivot was recently included
in the Australian train-on squad and his recent
performances have added more credibility to his
selection.
Group A:
Sydney def
Tahiti A 26:20 (15:12)
Sydney def
Auckland Rockz (New Zealand) 28:10 (15:6)
Sydney def
Taravao HBC (Tahiti) 25:13 (14:6)
Sydney def J.S.
Mont Dore (New Caledonia) 24:16 (13:7)
Sydney def Lulu
Handball (Wallis and Futuna) 28:23 (16:7)
Finals:
Semi-final:
Sydney def AS Dumbea 33:28 (17:8)
Final: Sydney
def AS Faa’a 28:19 (14:10)
Group B:
Melbourne def
Tahiti B 17:15 (12:8)
Melbourne def
Falcons (New Zealand) 19:15 (12:8)
AS Faa’a def
Melbourne 21:20 (12:12)
Melbourne drew
AS Dumbea 20:20 (9:9)
Placement matches:
Melbourne def
Lulu Handball 32:13 (21:9)
5th
place play-off: Melbourne def Falcons 20:17 (12:5)
It is with
great sadness to inform everyone in the Australian
Handball Community, that Ms Toni Moynihan, lost her
battle with cancer, that she has been so bravely
fighting for the past three years, on Wednesday
morning, December 02, 2009, surrounded by loved
ones.
Toni has been an invaluable member
of the Women's handball team over a number of years
in the 90's as well as in the 2000 Sydney Olympics,
ending with her amazing effort in the 2003 World
Championship.
Her devotion to the team, positive
attitude, friendship and expert treatment will never
be forgotten by many of the women that have played
for the Australian team. Her impact transcended the
boundaries of sport and she made an enormous and
positive life-long impact on many of the players and
officials and others who came in contact with the
team.
Toni will be sorely missed but her contribution to
Australian Handball will never be forgotten.
A Service to celebrate Toni's
beautiful life will be held in the Cordell Chapel of
the Fawkner Crematorium, 1187 Sydney Rd, Fawkner on
TUESDAY (December 8, 2009) commencing at 2.30 pm.
In lieu of flowers please give
donations to Ovarian Cancer Australia and Medecins
Sans Frontieres via envelopes available at the
Service.
The Service will be followed by a
Wake at Toni's house.
U17 Boys Australian
Team to tour Tahiti
Oct 28, 2009
The Australian Handball Federation [AHF] is pleased to
announce that the selection of the u17 Boys Australian
Team had been finalised. The u17 Boys Team will be
participating in a tournament in Tahiti during 12 – 17
December 2009.
The AHF congratulates the following players for being
part of the u17 Boys Team:
Name
State / Territory
Luke Behrendorff
Australian
Capital Territory
Matthew Borland
Queensland
Joshua Conole
New South Wales
Sam Henman
New South Wales
Philip Leung
New South Wales
Jonathan Muncey
New South Wales
Brody O'Brien
Australian
Capital Territory
Kerry Olesen
Australian
Capital Territory
Christopher Petrie
New South Wales
James Ridley
New South Wales
Captain
Harjodh Singh
Australian
Capital Territory
Lachlan Skulander
New South Wales
Blair Smith
Queensland
Vice Captain
Daniel Townsend
New South Wales
Dominic Tsang
New South Wales
Harry Watson
Queensland
Reserves
Alex Brimfield
New South Wales
David Loveridge
New South Wales
Coach
Nathaniel Smith
Queensland
The AHF is also pleased to advise that the Australian
Olympic Committee has placed Boys Handball as the
alternate sport for Australian representation at the
Youth Olympic Games to be held in Singapore in 2010.
This is a tremendous opportunity for boys born in 1992
or later, and the AHF is committed to ensuring that we
have a skilled team ready to participate in the Youth
Olympics should the opportunity arise.
The team to tour Tahiti
is an integral part of that development.
The Selectors for the u17 Boys Team are Katsu Kinoshita
[Queensland], Scott Fearnside [New South Wales] and Taip
Ramadani [Australian Capital Territory], input from Nathaniel Smith, Coach.
AHF wishes the u17 Boys Team a successful and enjoyable
tournament.
AHF
Board Held Planning Meeting in Perth
Oct 17, 2009
The Australian Handball Federation [AHF]
Board, for the first time in its history, held a
planning meeting in the City of Perth on 15 October
2009. AHF President Paul Smith thanked and
congratulated AHF Board members who were able to
participate in the planning meeting and noted that
holding the meeting in Perth
signified that handball is a national sport.
The planning meeting preceded a Board
Meeting held later in the evening. The Board’s
discussions covered a number of areas which are aimed at
strengthening and furthering the development of the
sport. The main items agreed upon to progress to
implementation phase included:
Equalisation Policy
finalisation and announcement of the
Women’s Team participating in the XIX World
Championship
adaption of AOC Model Code of Conduct
strengthening of the selection
process for national teams
formalisation of the process of
soliciting sponsorships.
The National Women’s Team to represent
Australia and Oceania Region at the upcoming World
Championship in China will be announced at the
conclusion of the ‘Rethink Drink’ Senior National
Championships, together with the National Men’s Squad
with the view towards the World Championship in 2011.
Members
of the AHF Board during the Planning Meeting
Aleksandar ‘Sasha’ Dimitric
Receives IHF Award
Sep 12, 2009
The Australian Handball Federation [AHF] is pleased to
announce that Sasha Dimitric, the father of Australian
handball, has now recovered from a bout of illness which
took him out of action for a few months. Sasha is now
back on his feet and has been attending the New South
Wales handball clubs competition. He extends his thanks
to all who sent their get-well wishes and kind thoughts.
The AHF is now able to proudly present Sasha with the
Badge of Merit in Gold awarded to him at the XXXII
International Handball Federation [IHF] Congress held
recently in Cairo, Egypt. This award was in recognition
of Sasha’s contribution to international handball, in
particular the Oceania Region.
Sasha
with the Gold Merit Award
Sasha’s passion for handball dates back to when he
played in Yugoslavia’s national team in the 1950’s. He
played national championships and Yugoslavia Cup with
the famous Red Star Team in Belgrade. Sasha eventually
moved to Sydney with his family in 1964. It was not
until 1982 that Sasha’s initial work to establish
handball in Australia commenced. Through Sasha’s
continued hard work, successful handball tournaments and
lobbying, Australia became the 100th
International Handball Federation member at the IHF
Congress held during the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988.
This was the first time ever handball from the Olympic
Games were broadcasted live in Australia due to Sasha’s
contribution.
Following hard lobbying by Sasha at the IHF Congress in
Portugal (1990), Australia was given rights to play the
World Championship Qualifications in the Asian zone.
With the IHF blessing, the Australian Olympic Committee
financed our National Team for the qualifications
(played in Hiroshima, 1991. However, after Australia
qualified for the play off, Australia
was denied to continue and was sent home.
Withsuccesses also came some setbacks
with not being able to progress to world championship
participation. This was solved with the establishment of
the Oceania Handball Federation, which comprised of
Australia, New Zealand and Vanuatu. OHF first convened
on 7th July 1993
at which time Sasha was elected as President. Sasha
served in this role for a number of years.His contribution to Oceania handball was
recognised when he was bestowed Lifetime Member in May
2003 (in Wellington, New Zealand).
Sasha
with the Oceania Award
At the IHF Congress at the Ivory Coast in 1998,Sasha’s contribution to handball in Oceania
and international handball was recognised by IHF with a
Silver Merit award. Sasha continued to work tirelessly
over the years towards further strengthening the sport
he so loves. Australia’s participation in handball
during the 2000 Sydney Olympics was another testimony of
how Sasha built the sport from scratch to a very high
competition level.
President Lanc awarding Sasha with the
Silver Merit Award at Ivory Coast
The Badge of Merit in Gold is certainly a well-deserved
award. AHF congratulates Sasha and thanks him for his
ongoing involvement and input into Australian handball.
AHF
President at the IHF Congress
Sep 12,2009
The Australian Handball Federation [AHF] congratulates
Paul Smith, AHF President on his successful
participation at the XXXII Ordinary Congress of the
International Handball Federation [IHF] held in Cairo,
Egypt.
The Congress which was attended by 147 national
federations, saw the re-election of Dr Hassan Moustafa
as IHF President and the election of other officials.
One of the outcomes of the congress that directly
affects Australia was the structural change in the
Oceania Handball Federation. Further work and
discussion on this matter will be held in an
ExtraOrdinary Congress to be held in the next twelve
months.
Paul
Smith, at the IHF Congress.
Dr
Hassan Moustafa (right) presents Sasha
Dimitric's award to Paul Smith (left).
At this Congress, Paul Smith also received the Gold
Merit Award for Sasha Dimitric for ‘remarkable
service to international handball’.
Expressions of Interest U17 Boys and Girls Team
27 Jul, 2009
The Australian
Handball Federation is pleased to announce that it is
sending National Boys and Girls U17 teams to
compete in international matches in New Caledonia (girls
early November 2009) and Tahiti (boys mid December
2009).
For girls who toured
New Caledonia last year, matches this year will be
played in a picturesque area in the
northern part of the country.
For boys, the AHF is
pleased to announce that the Australian Olympic
Committee has placed Boys
Handball as the alternate sport for Australian
representation at the Youth Olympic Games to be held in
Singapore in 2010. This is a tremendous opportunity for
boys born in 1992 or later, and the AHF is committed
to ensuring that we have a skilled team ready to
participate in the Youth Olympics should the opportunity
arise.
The team to tour Tahiti is an integral part of that
development.
All players
participating at the National U16 Championships are
encouraged to submit expressions of interest
to participate in the tours.
If you are interested in participating
please view pdf file,
fill out form and
return to the AHF
Click Here To View Pdf File
U16 National
Championships
Jul 13, 2009
The Australian Handball Federation [AHF] is pleased to
announce that arrangements for the 2009 u16 National
Championships are now being finalised. The
Championships will be held at Coffs Harbour on 25th
and 26th July 2009. The events will be held
in Sportz Central, near
Park
Beach Plaza, which was the same venue of last year’s
events.
This year, boys and girls teams from the Australian
Capital Territory [ACT], New South Wales and Queensland
will be contesting the u16 titles. The AHF welcomes in
particular the ACT as this will be the first time for
its teams to participate in the championships.
Unfortunately, this year the u14 Championships will not
be held as member associations do not have teams in that
age group to participate in the tournament.
Apart from determining the u16 boys and girls champion
teams, the tournament is an important vehicle for
players to showcase their handball skills as a basis for
possible selection for positions in u17 boys and girls
national teams to tour overseas later in the year. The
u17 girls team will participate in a tournament in New
Caledonia in November, whilst the boys team will compete
in a tournament in Tahiti in December.
The AHF is hopeful that in future, there will be more
teams in the younger age group to participate in
national events in line with its focus on youth
development and the school programs being conducted by
various states.
The AHF wishes to thank Paul Smith, Competition Manager
and everyone participating and assisting to ensure the
success of the championships.
Sasha
Dimitric Enjoys Comfort of Home
May 26, 2009
The
Australian Handball Federation [AHF] is pleased to
advise that Sasha Dimitric, the Father of Australian
handball, is now home after a period of stay in
hospital. Sasha is well on his way to full recovery
after a setback in his health and with the regular
physiotherapy he is receiving, he is confident to be
back on his feet soon.
Sasha is now also able to spend short
sessions on the computer. If you want to send him your
get well wishes, you may use the form below. The
messages will not be published but they will be
forwarded to Sasha.
The AHF, all the Australian Handball
family and his many friends, wish Sasha all the best and
a speedy recovery. Everyone looks forward to seeing him
back in the handball court providing advice and
inspiration to players, not to forget taking photos for
posterity.
Sasha Dimitric would like to thank
everyone that has sent him well wishes via this website.
If you would like to write directly to Sasha his email
address is;
dimitric@ozemail.com.au
2009
Pacific Cup and Junior Championships
May 26, 2009
The Australian Handball Federation [AHF]
is pleased to advise that arrangements are all in place
for the conduct of two significant handball events – the
Pacific Cup and the Junior Championships. Both events
will be held in Sleeman Sports Centre, Chandler
[Brisbane area].
The AHF wishes to thank the Queensland
Team Handball Association [QTHA] for hosting the events,
in particular Stephen Harbort, who is Competition
Manager. The assistance of other members of the QTHA
and participating teams is also appreciated.
The Pacific Cup will be contested by four
teams: Australia, Handball New Zealand, New Zealand
Handball Federation and Queensland. The Queensland
team was formed to fill the gap resulting from New
Caledonia’s withdrawal from the competition.
The Junior Championships has a “State of
Origin” flavour with participating teams only from New
South Wales and Queensland.
Due to work and study commitments of players, other
states did not have enough number for full teams. The
four titles to decided in the Junior Championships are
u18 women’s, u18 men’s, u21 women’s and u21 men’s.
The AHF wishes all the players and
officials a successful and an enjoyable participation in
the tournaments.
To keep up with the
latest results and fixtures
from the 2009 Pacific Cup &
the 2009 Junior Championships
visit our 'Events' page or
click here
New Australian Handball
Federation Board
May 17, 2009
The Australian Handball Federation [AHF] elected a new
Board at its recent Annual General Meeting.
The AHF congratulates Paul Smith for being elected
unopposed to the position of President. Alex Gavrilovic
who held the position of AHF President since 2006, did
not stand for re-election due to his appointment to the
Organising Committee of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Paul Smith has served as a member of the AHF Board for a
number of years as a Director. He brings to the AHF a
wealth of experience, not only in sports administration
and the law, but also in dealing with government. He is
currently a Member of the Land Court of Queensland. He
has been a member of the Queensland Judiciary for over 9
years. Paul was admitted as a Barrister in 1982. Prior
to his judicial appointment, Paul held the very senior
position of Assistant Deputy Director General, Premier’s
Department, Queensland and was responsible for policy
co-ordination across all areas of the Queensland
Government.
Paul is a Churchill Fellow, a Visiting Professor to
Novosibirsk State University, Siberia; a Fellow of the
Centre for International Legal Studies, Austria, and a
Harvard-trained Mediator. He has lived all his life in
Ipswich, Queensland.
The new AHF Board is comprised of the following:
President
Paul Smith
Secretary-General
Lee Schofield
Director
Stephen Harbort
Director
Rikke Petersen
Director
Bronwyn Thompson
State Directors
Australian
Capital Territory
Anke Winning
New South Wales
Scott Fearnside
Queensland
Mark Dawson
South Australia
Martin De Graaf
Western Australia
Tone Lampe
Associate Member
Victoria
James Mc Donald
The AHF thanks Alex for all the good work he has done
for handball in Australia and the Oceania Region. Alex
was employed as the Handball Competition Manager by the
Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games from
1997 to 2000 where his role included managing and
organising all facets of the Handball competition for
the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. It was as a result of
this role that Alex established a sound working
relationship with many key members of the International
Handball Federation and other international and national
sporting organisations.
The AHF also wishes Alex all the best as he takes up the
position of Competition Manager for the London 2012
Olympic Games handball competition. Alex’s contribution
to this competition will no double reflect well on
Australian handball. His appointment was highlighted by
Australian Olympic Committee President, John Coates, OAM
at the recent AOC Annual General Meeting held in Sydney.
The new AHF Board not only aims at continuing the good
work of the previous Board but also putting in place new
initiatives and programs designed to escalate the
development of the sport at all age levels.
Australian
Beach Handball Championships 2009
May 17, 2009
Scarborough Beach,
Western Australia, February 6-8, 2009
What an exciting weekend of beach handball - the first ever
national championships in beach handball in
Australia .
The games started off on a cool Friday evening. Saturday
and Sunday, however, was marked by sweltering heat, but
this did not discourage players who went to the sea for
a swim in between games or simply relaxed watching the
games in the shade of the amphitheatre.
And what great games to watch! The junior men’s competition
was physical, tight and competitive with most games
determined by shoot out. It was fantastic to see so many
players new to the sport adapt to handball so quickly.
The final saw
Victoria beat Western Australia in a narrow shoot out.
Congratulations to the Victorian team!
The senior men’s competition was at least as physical and
competitive as the junior’s and spectators could witness
some spectacular ‘360’ and in-flight (‘kempa’) goals.
Again the outcome of many games was down to shoot outs.
Victoria
and Western Australia’s A team had to face narrow defeat
in the semi-finals to, respectively,
Western Australia’s B team and ‘United States of
Australia’ (Queensland,
South Australia,
Western Australia). The final play-off between
‘United States of Australia’ and
Western Australia’s B team resulted in gold for
Western Australia’s B team. Congratulations!
This was not only the first national championships in beach
handball, it was also the first year that a Western
Australian women’s team competed in any national
handball competition. And what a performance, in the
final, the team defeated the strong Victorian team which
fielded players that had received silver in the 2008
indoor nationals. Well fought!
Congratulations also to the players who was awarded the
best and fairest player. In the junior category, goal
keeper Jack Hall from
Victoria took the title after demonstrating many
spectacular saves. Matthias Radbuch from ‘United States
of Australia’ was awarded the best and fairest player in
the senior men’s category for his great handball skills
both in attack and defence. In the women’s category,
Nanna Hedberg from Victoria was awarded the prize for
her great sportsman-like conduct and excellent shots.
Handball West wishes to thank their sponsors, the Western
Australian Department of Sport and Recreation and
Lottery West for making this event possible. They also
thank the Australian Handball Federation and the City of
Stirling
for their assistance.
A big thank you goes to everyone who assisted Handball West
with the planning and organisation of the event,
including those who provided assistance on the event
days.
Finally, Handball West wishes to thank players from all the
competing states for attending. Without you, there
would have been no competition! Special thanks go to
those who additionally assisted with refereeing or
time/score keeping or who provided materials for the
event.
Looking forward to see you all in
Melbourne in 2010!
Hanna
Isabella makes three in Schofield Handball family
May 13, 2009
Over the last few years, the members of
the Australian Handball family have shared the joy of
its valued and loved handball couple - Lee Schofield,
who has been performing the role of AHF
Secretary-General and stalwart part of the Men’s Team in
the 2000 Olympics and various World Championships, and
Katia Boyd who has been in the Women’s Team in various
World Championships and up to late last year has played
in the Elite Division in Sweden.
Katia
and Lee and Hanna makes three
In 2007, they toasted the engagement of
Lee Schofield and Katia Boyd in the idyllic setting in
Railay Beach,Thailand. This was followed by the couple’s
memorable wedding held in the beautiful setting in
Sirromet Winery in Queensland on 14th June
2008.
The Australian handball family now joins
family and friends in congratulating Lee and Katia in
the arrival of their beautiful daughter, Hanna Isabella
on 26th March 2009 in Sweden. Hanna who has perfect
“handball genes” tipped the scales at 2925 grams and
measured 49 centrimetres in length, at birth.
Live Web Streaming of
IHF Men's World Championships
Jan 10, 2009
If
you would like to watch the Australians, or any other
team, play during the World Championships, then click
the link below.
Please note: The link takes you to a third party
organisation and the Australian Handball Federation does
not derive any income from the website nor is it
responsible for any information or technical
difficulties resulting from the linking website.
Minister For Sport and Youth Sends Message
Jan 10, 2009
The Hon. Kate Ellis
The
Federal Minister For Sport and Youth, The Hon. Kate Ellis, has sent a message to the National
Men's Team
competing in the 2009 Men's World Championships Tournament, to be held in
Croatia, from January 16 to February 1, 2009.
The
Australian Handball Federation is appreciative of the support from the Federal Minister. To view the Minister's Message of Support click the link below;