First federations sign Christensen Grassroots Charter
On the eve of the 17th Ordinary EHF Congress in Andau, Austria, the European Handball Federation and several of its member federation set another milestone for the development of grassroots handball in Europe.
On Thursday evening, 19 federations put pen to paper to become the first signatories of the new Christensen Grassroots Charter.
Presented at the Extraordinary EHF Congress in December 2024 in Vienna, the Charter outlines rights, duties and responsibilities of the EHF and signatory member federations when it comes to the development of grassroots handball.
Its purpose is to further develop such activities by supporting, monitoring, measuring and rewarding federations who commit to grassroots handball and show outstanding results.
The first signatories are: Faroe Islands, Denmark, Malta, Türkiye, Georgia, Serbia, Hungary, Germany, Montenegro, Netherlands, Slovenia, Kosovo, Portugal, Switzerland, Croatia, Estonia. Belgium, Scotland, and England.
Grassroots: the foundation of our sport
Following his passing in November 2024, the Charter was named the “Christensen Grassroots Charter” in honour of then Danish Handball Federation President Morten Stig Christensen, who was a driving force behind grassroots handball development – and to further honour Christensen’s legacy it was the President of the Danish Handball Association, Torsten Laen, who became the very first to sign the Charter.
"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.
