"It's a great honour for me to be here signing it, and it's a great honour for the Danish Handball Association. It's also an obligation now for the future, to carry on the work that Morten has done together with the DHF and the EHF, to secure that we always look at grassroots handball," Torsten Laen said.
Martin Hausleitner, EHF Secretary General, underlined the importance of grassroots initiatives: "The development of grassroots handball is not just an initiative; it is a vital strategical commitment to the future of our sport and our communities.
"By fostering an inclusive environment that promotes lifelong participation in handball – regardless of age, gender, background, or ability – we lay the foundation for a vibrant and sustainable culture. Grassroots handball serves as the lifeblood of our sport, offering avenues for non-professional players to engage as fans, volunteers, and advocates."
Every member federation can file an application to the EHF to become a signatory to the Grassroots Charter. By doing so the federation commits to the development of grassroots handball.
The EHF then starts the assessment process to ensure that the applicant meets the relevant requirements.
Upon signing the charter, the member federation agrees to follow the guidelines laid down in the charter.
Additional Master Plan agreements signed
Furthermore, the federations of Armenia, Estonia, Finland, Ireland and Kosovo entered Master Plan agreements with the European Handball Federation, adding to the existing projects with different federations which are already in place.
Ahead of the confirmation of cooperation, the five federations had submitted detailed plans and timelines to the EHF on how to further foster the development of handball in their countries.
With closed, ongoing and future projects taken into account, the EHF has committed itself to support development and grassroots project in European handball with more than €4.5 million since 2022 and up until 2028.
Photos © Uros Hocevar / kolektiff
