IKF President Fransoo is in Taipei this week for various meetings with the leadership of the Chinese Taipei Korfball Association and the President of IKF Asia. The President commended the CTKA with winning the silver medal at The World Games in Wroclaw this Summer. Also, he thanked the CTKA Exco and IKF Asia President Huang for their extensive support developing korfball in Asia. Thanks to the efforts of the CTKA, now three Asian countries rank in the world’s top 10 and a file requesting recognition has been submitted to the Olympic Council of Asia.
Today, President Fransoo and President Huang met with the Chinese Taipei Sports Minister and the director of the International Affairs department to discuss future opportunities for major IKF events in Taiwan and further collaboration in the development of korfball in Asia.
https://korfball.sport/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/wpid-IMG-20171205-WA0003.jpg12001600Jan Fransoohttps://korfball.sport/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/LogoIKF.pngJan Fransoo2017-12-05 12:30:422017-12-05 12:30:42IKF President in Taipei
With the new IKF competition calendar 2017-2021 the number of (official) tournaments has increased. A clear choice have been made by the IKF Council to invest in the future of korfball by putting more emphasis on youth competition.
This means that starting from 2018 annually there will be held an Under 21 Korfball Championship, either a continental or world championship.
Apart from that the former (unofficial) Under 19 Korfball World Cup has been transformed into an official Under 19 World Korfball Championship, bi-annually organised. In the years without a World Championship Asia and Europe will have continental Under 19 Championships.
To stimulate korfball development around the globe, the Under 19 European Korfball Championship has been given an ‘Open’ status. This to provide the opportunity for countries in continents where no continental events are being organised to further develop the sport. For now the same thing counts for the Asian countries to give them the opportunity to play against the strongest European teams and keep improving their level.
The composition of the competition calendar for the seniors has remained the same as in the last years, with a yearly program for at least the top countries; a bi-annual continental championship in the even years is alternated with the World Korfball Championship and the World Games in the uneven years.
The Hungarian 1908 SZAC Budapest and the German SG Pegasus are the last two participants qualified for the IKF Europa Cup 2018 Final Round in Platja d’Aro in Catalonia (from 11-13 January 2018), after playing the final 24 September of the IKF Europa Cup 2018 First Round in the city of Prievidza (Slovakia). They will join the six teams that already secured their spot during last year IKF Europa Cup edition.
Eight national champions competed during the weekend of 23 and 24 September in Prievidza. A great tournament showed one more time how intense, exciting and joyful these international korfball championships are. Congratulations to all participants for their effort, enthusiasm, all the energy and good ambiance transmitted during this weekend.
Special recognition and acknowledgment to local organizers and volunteers for an extraordinary and well organized tournament. It’s been a pleasure for everyone that attended to this event. Congratulations!
The IKF General Meeting 20 August 2017 in The Hague (NED) elected three new members in its Council:
Ms Joana FARIA (POR)
Mr Kevin ALLEN (ENG)
Mr Björn ELEWAUT (BEL)
Secretary General Faria, President Fransoo, and Exco Member Allen after the election. Elewaut is not on this picture.
Joana Faria is the first IKF Council member from Portugal. She is also a member of the Executive Committee and will serve as the first female IKF Secretary General.
Kevin Allen is also a member of the Executive Committee. He will carry the responsibility for korfball development and the IKF’s rules and regulations.
Björn Elewaut, also a member of the Executive Committee, will become responsible for refereeing and the further development of the level of international referees, along with a special project focus on the development of IKF Europe.
Mr Graham Crafter (ENG) did not seek re-election following fourteen years of service to the IKF as Secretary General. He had been awarded the IKF Honorary Membership in 2015. Mr Frank Buvens ( BEL) also did not seek re-election after having served for fifteen years on the IKF Executive Committee. The General Meeting appointed him as Honorary Member of the federation.
https://korfball.sport/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Faria-Fransoo-Allen.jpg12801920Michael Janssenshttps://korfball.sport/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/LogoIKF.pngMichael Janssens2017-08-21 09:07:322017-08-21 15:04:21Faria is new IKF Secretary General; Allen and Elewaut elected in Exco
After a long period of service on the IKF Council and Executive Committee two respected board members stepped down; Mr Graham Crafter (ENG) and Mr Frank Buvens (BEL).
Graham Crafter served the IKF as Secretary General for a period of 14 years.
Frank Buvens served the IKF as Exco and Council member – for competitions and refereeing – since November 2002, nearly 15 years.
Crafter, Fransoo, and Buvens (from left to right)
Both Crafter and Buvens have a long – over decades – history in korfball. Both were respected international referees in the past as well. Their contributions to korfball in their respective countries and in international korfball is huge. For their ongoing commitment and dedication to korfball both received distinctions in their countries as well. Crafter was appointed IKF Honorary Member by the General Meeting on 7 November 2015.
IKF President, Mr Jan Fransoo, proposed the General Meeting on 20 August 2017 in The Hague to appoint Buvens Honorary Member as well. With a big hand of applause the General Meeting voted unanimously in favor.
Fransoo took the opportunity to thank both IKF Council members with warm and well deserved words.
https://korfball.sport/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Crafter-Fransoo-Buvens.jpg12801920Michael Janssenshttps://korfball.sport/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/LogoIKF.pngMichael Janssens2017-08-21 08:33:112017-08-21 15:12:11IKF Secretary General Crafter and Exco Member Buvens retire after many years of service
The Council of the International Korfball Federation has today accepted Suriname as (Associate) Member of the International Korfball Federation. This implies the team of Suriname can participate tomorrow officially in the IKF Open European Beach Korfball Championship, due to start in The Hague.
A few final administrative matters still need to be resolved, but the Federation meets the criteria for admission based on the files submitted.
Photo credit: Surinaamse Korfbal Federatie
The application of Suriname is noteworthy. Korfball was played for many decades in Suriname during the time it was a Dutch colony, but after independence in 1975, formal korfball structures gradually disappeared in the Caribbean country in South America, and Suriname was expelled as member of the International Korfball Federation some years ago. However, korfball continued to be played in school without a formal federation taking care.
Following a recent initiative by former Dutch international player Gerald van Dijk. A group of players with Surinamese roots in the Netherlands revived the Federation, and formally established the Surinaamse Korfbal Federatie. The SKF plans to actively work on the development of korfball in Suriname, along with strong international competitive ambitions, as they intend to participate in next year’s IKF Panamerican Korfball Championship in Cali (Colombia) which serves as a qualification event for the 2019 IKF World Korfball Championship.
https://korfball.sport/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/20046656_1355602167891264_1286722039138132096_n.jpg358680Jan Fransoohttps://korfball.sport/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/LogoIKF.pngJan Fransoo2017-08-18 12:38:332017-08-21 11:06:18IKF Council accepts Suriname as Associate Member
Mr Graham Crafter, IKF Secretary General and former Elite Referee for the IKF, conducted a two days Chinese Taipei Level B Referee Course on special invitation of Chinese Taipei Korfball Association. More than 20 candidates participated on 5 and 6 August. Mr Liu, a councelor of New Taipei City visited the Beach Korfball practical refereeing session in the Sunshine Sport and Recreation Part and expressed his interest and support to the future korfball activities in this city with the biggest population in Chinese Taipei.
After sharing his wide experience with referees from Chinese Taipei, Mr Crafter visited Hong Kong as special guest and chaired ongoing workshops on 9 and 11 August for the IKF appointed referees of the 2nd IKF Asia U19 & U16 Korfball4 Championships.
In the above mentioned referee educational events in Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong, the main focus was on the comparison among the rules of Korfball, Beach Korfball, Korfball4 (2 korfs) and 1-Zone Korfball (1 korf).
https://korfball.sport/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/In-Hong-Kong-on-9-August.jpg480640Pardeep Dahiyahttps://korfball.sport/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/LogoIKF.pngPardeep Dahiya2017-08-11 09:11:172017-08-25 07:08:52Referee Clinics and Workshops Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong
The International Korfball Federation has been informed of the passing of Mr Jaap Oud, holder of the IKF Badge of Honour, on 4 August 2017 at the age of 80.
Jaap Oud served in the eighties and nineties of the twentieth century over more than a decade the Royal Dutch Korfball Federation (KNKV) as vice-president. When he stepped down in 1993 he was appointed KNKV Honorary Member.
After that period he became member of the first IKF Committee responsible for the set-up and organisation of korfball events in Europe. He served the IKF in that role for more than 13 years. In total he served the IKF for more than 20 years – since 1985 – on many occasions as jury member and IKF Coordinating Officer. In the General Meeting 21 January 2006 in Utrecht (NED) Mr Jan Fransoo presented him with the Badge of Honour.
Jaap Oud was involved with korfball over many decades. He served his club, Groen Geel, the KNKV and the IKF – i.e. the korfball community – with great dedication and commitment.
For all his professional, volunteering and political activities he was knighted by the Dutch queen.
The IKF has lost a man with great commitment to education and development of national / international korfball. We send our sincere condolences to his wife, Jeanet, children and grandchildren.
A total of 16 teams from 12 different countries will participate in the IKF Open European Beach Korfball Championship 2017 on 19 and 20 August in The Hague, The Netherlands. The last of these teams needs final confirmation and will be communicated later.
A and B classified countries were permitted to subscribe two teams for the tournament. The draw for the tournament is shown below.
Pool A
Pool B
Pool C
Pool D
The Netherlands 1
Belgium 2
Poland
Wales
Czech Republic 1
Hungary
Portugal
Serbia
France
Czech Republic 2
Belgium 1
Suriname
The Netherlands 2
Chinese Taipei
Germany
The teams will compete in 4 groups of 4 teams each. After the group phase the tournament will continue in a knock out format. The two highest ranked teams of every group will qualify to play the quarter finals and thereby will compete for the first 8 places. The two lowest ranked teams of the group will continue playing for the places 9 to 16.
Location of the tournament will be The Hague Beach Stadium. The winner of the tournament can call itself the first ever winner of an official IKF beach korfball tournament.
https://korfball.sport/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/info_k_3.png400800Michael Janssenshttps://korfball.sport/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/LogoIKF.pngMichael Janssens2017-07-12 13:04:302017-08-21 11:07:49Group draw IKF Open European Beach Korfball Championship 2017
[UPDATED 26/June/2017] Again the 19th U17 Korfball World Cup (U17 KWC) will take place in 2017 in Sportcenter Dioscuren in Schijndel, The Netherlands.
For the first time at the U17 Korfball World Cup there will be a livestream of the final games.
Sunday, June 25th
16:10h: 1st – 2nd place: NED – BEL
15:00h: 3rd – 4th place: ENG – TPE
Final Classification:
1. The Netherlands
2. Belgium
3. England
4. Chinese Taipei
5. Germany
6. Hungary
7. Czech Republic
8. Catalonia
9. Portugal
10. KNKV RTC South
Best players:
Female: 5 – Hui-Yu Chu (Chinese Taipei)
Male: 10 – Theo Nowak (Germany)
