IHF: Olympic Games Seeding System

Olympic Games Seeding System, The International Handball Federation received many enquiries about the reason of creating a new system for the Olympic Games in London 2012. The IHF hereby explains the history of the implementation of the system.

After establishing a new system for Beijing 2008 due to the implementation of the IHF Olympic Qualification Tournaments, the IHF Executive Committee and COC were attacked by some trainers. Hence the IHF formed a working group to study and propose regulations for the 2012 Olympic Games.

The working groups after their meetings presented their proposal to the IHF COC which was approved in the COC meeting in April 2010. The COC presented the whole regulation concept for the OQTs including the seeding system to the IHF Executive Committee meeting in May 2010.

After the Executive Committee approved the regulations presented by the IHF COC, they were submitted to the IHF Council meeting in October 2010, which approved the regulations.

The reason for approving the new system:

The IHF is putting a general concept for the system without taking into consideration certain qualifiers. When the IHF implemented this system, they had no idea about who will qualify and where its ranking in the seeding system will be.

1. The IHF events have the priority in formalizing the system

2. The first four teams from the world championship (champion + the next three countries which will host the OQTs) have the priority in the classification in the seeding system over the continental champions.

3. The IHF has to be fair in forming the seeding system, as all continents are to be considered in an equal way.

4. The Danish media complained about their team’s classification in the men’s seeding system and ignore the women’s, as they will be one of the organizers of the OQTs, meaning that they have the chance to be placed in row 2.

5. Norway is the world champion as well as continental champion. Therefore Sweden qualified through Europe and they will be placed in the same row as Denmark in the men’s category.

We would like to announce that the IHF is working for the development of the sport without taking the interest of individual National Federations into consideration, as all National Federations of the IHF have to be considered equally.

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