The Hellenic Handball Federation (HHF) have been awarded the rights to host both the 2022 IHF Men’s and Women’s Beach Handball World Championships as well as the 2022 IHF Men’s and Women’s Youth (U18) Beach Handball World Championships next year.

The competitions, which are to take place on the island of Crete next June, represent a much-welcomed return to IHF Beach Handball World Championship competition, following the postponement and cancellation of numerous events.

The 2020 IHF Men’s and Women’s Beach Handball World Championships, scheduled to be held in Italy were cancelled, while the 2021 IHF Men’s and Women’s U17 Beach Handball World Championships, scheduled to be held in Portugal and later postponed to 2022, have now been replaced by the U18 edition at Greece 2022.

The IHF would like to place on record their gratitude and thanks for the hard work and preparation from both the Italian and Portuguese Handball Federations in relation to both of these competitions.

Greece 2022 will be the first IHF Beach Handball World Championships since the 2018 IHF Men’s and Women’s Beach Handball World Championships in Kazan, Russia in July. The Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina and ANOC World Beach Games, in Doha, Qatar, both featuring beach handball, were held in October 2018 and 2019 respectively.

Greece were chosen as hosts following the decision of the IHF Council on 4 November 2021.

“On behalf of the international handball family, we would like to convey our sincere congratulations to your federation on receiving the rights to organise the 2022 IHF Beach Handball World Championships,” said the IHF in a letter to the HHF. “We look forward to successful competitions on the island of Crete.”

The European Handball Federation have already held their qualification events for Greece 2022 – the Beach Handball EURO – with the Asian Handball Federation holding theirs in March, the South and Central America Handball Confederation edition in April and Africa Handball Confederation, Oceania Continent Handball Federation and North American and Caribbean Handball Confederation dates to be confirmed.