Sidelined since the invasion of Ukraine three years ago, Russia appears to be getting closer to a comeback on the international handball scene. The International Handball Federation (IHF) would indeed be in favor of this idea according to a letter from its president, Hassan Mustafa, relayed by the press service of the Belarusian Handball Federation. " The IHF contacted the IOC, stressing on behalf of the entire international handball family the importance of the participation of Russian and Belarusian teams in international handball competitions in the interest of the development and popularization of our favorite sport throughout the world “says the letter.
The IHF would have thus exchanged information with the IOC on June 5, before presenting him with " a scenario for the possible return of the national teams of Russia and Belarus to international handball competitions " For the moment, Hassan Mustafa indicates that " We are still waiting for an official response from the IOC " and that he will inform the federations as soon as the IOC provides information. If this plan materializes, Russians and Belarusians could consider participating in the World Championships in 2027.
